It is our commitment at Cedar Crest College to ensure that all students have equal access to the academic experience and student services offered at Cedar Crest.

Students may request accommodations due to the functional limitations experienced due to disabilities which include but are not limited to ADHD, Autism, chronic health conditions, cognitive disabilities, communication disabilities, food allergies/insensitivity, hearing impairments/deafness, learning disabilities, physical/mobility disabilities, mental health disabilities, brain injury/concussions, and visual impairments/blindness.    

Student Accessibility Services may also provide accommodations to students with temporary conditions (concussions, physical injuries, etc.) as the need arises. 

Although accommodations may be requested at any time, it is advisable for incoming first year and transfer students to request accommodations several months in advance of the beginning of their first semester at Cedar Crest. 

The process of requesting and being approved for accommodations is an interactive one and requires student involvement.  Students who intend to request accommodations will need to:

1. “Self-identify” in order to receive services, by first meeting with the Director of Student Accessibility Services.  During this meeting the student will: discuss a diagnosed condition, the functional limitations the student experiences as a result of this condition, and requests for accommodations (academic, residential and/or dining). This information will remain confidential within the office.
2. Provide supporting documentation, to establish that a student has a disability and to help us understand how and why a requested academic, housing, or dining accommodation may be reasonable, logical, and necessary to ensure nondiscrimination and equitable access relative to the disability. Students are not required to bring documentation to the initial meeting; however, should the student already have documentation (School System Evaluation Reports, Re-evaluation Reports, IEP or 504 plans, etc.), it may be provided at that time.  

Appointments with Student Accessibility Services can be set up here. 

You may have documentation sent directly to the college to the attention of Student Accessibility Services by mail (Cedar Crest College, Student Accessibility Services, 100 College Drive, Allentown PA 18104), fax: 610-606-4673, or via email to advising@cedarcrest.edu. 

Please note that the forms posted below are offered for the student's/treating provider's convenience and can serve as a guide should the treating provider wish to write a letter or provide some other type of documentation.

• Condition Verification Form
• Meal Plan Accommodation Request Form
• Emotional Support Animal Doctor Verification Form
• Emotional Support Animal Process Form
• Emotional Support Animal Owner Responsibilities
• Temporary Condition Verification Form

Documentation Requirements

• Must contain a diagnosis for a disability
• Must contain a signature from an appropriate licensed professional
• Must verify the nature and extent of the disability's impact 
• Must provide an explanation of how the functional limitations of a disability impact a specific academic, housing, or dining experience (such as why more time for exams is needed due to a disability)
• Must provide objective/evaluative data with professional recommendations/analysis that suggests why an accommodation is necessary for a student to have equal access to educational or campus opportunities or equal access to on-campus housing. 
• Must describe the recent impact of disability on functioning

Potential Sources of Documentation

• The college's Disability Verification Forms
• Educational records, such as an IEP or a 504 Plan
• Diagnostic reports, including psychological evaluations or letters from healthcare providers
• Letters or records from federal, state, and local agencies (including Social Security Disability determinations, Division of Rehabilitation Services, and Veteran’s Affairs) that verify and describe disability

Documentation that will NOT be accepted

• Handwritten letters
• Patient records or notes from patient charts
• Documentation provided by a family member
• Diagnoses on prescription pads

Please note that documentation alone does not inform whether accommodations are reasonable. A medical provider’s recommended accommodation does not automatically bind Student Accessibility Services to approve the accommodation as being reasonable.

• The provision of accommodations is considered to be a “fluid” process -a student’s condition may change, a student may be diagnosed with an additional condition, an accommodation may not be effective, etc. Therefore, it is important the student work closely and communicate with SAS in a timely manner for any necessary adjustments throughout their time at Cedar Crest.
• Once a student is approved for accommodations, SAS works closely with the student, the student’s instructors, and other departments (Residence Life/Housing, Student Affairs, Dining Services etc.) to coordinate provision of accommodations.   
• Health Services at Cedar Crest offers short term care for routine illness as well as short term counseling for residential students dealing with unexpected challenges in their lives. If you have a chronic physical or mental health condition for which you receive regularly scheduled care, (medical appointments or treatment, therapy etc.), please make certain that you arrange for the same level of care, locally, while you are at College.
• Students who are transferring to another institution may request both a copy of the supplemental documentation they provided Cedar Crest as well as a Summary of Accommodations Letter that will outline the time period for which the student received accommodations at Cedar Crest and the accommodations that were approved for the student.
• Students with approved accommodations who have graduated, taken a leave of absence, or exited the College for any reason, will be placed in "Inactive" status. Students should provide at least one weeks' notice when re-enrolling in order to be placed in "Active" status and generate Accommodation Letters.   
• Differences Between High School & College Accommodations

Questions? Please contact Academic Services (advising@cedarcrest.edu or 610-606-4628).