Procedures to Request Services

Step 1: Complete the Online Intake Form.

To apply for SSD services, complete and submit the Online Intake Form, available from the Student Portal.  In accessing the form, you will be prompted to enter your SHSU user name and password.  If you do not have an SHSU user name and password or if you are otherwise unable to complete the form, please contact the SSD Office at 936-294-3512 or disability@shsu.edu .

Step 2: Schedule an intake appointment.

Within one business day of receiving your Online Intake Form, the SSD staff will contact you to schedule an intake appointment for you with an Accommodation Counselor.  If you have not received a contact from the SSD staff within one business day of submitting your Online Intake Form or if you are unable to complete the form, please contact the SSD Office at 936-294-3512 or disability@shsu.edu.   The SSD staff will assist you with completing the Online Intake Form and scheduling an intake appointment.  

Step 3: Submit disability documentation to SSD.

You are required to submit documentation of your disability to SSD if you are requesting accommodations at SHSU.  The documentation should be consistent with the General Documentation Guidelines.  Please submit your documentation prior to your intake appointment, so that the Accommodation Counselor will have time to review it.  You may submit your documentation by e-mail to disability@shsu.edu, by fax to 936-294-3794, by mail to the SHSU Services for Students with Disabilities, Box 2091, Huntsville, Texas 77341-2091, or in person at the SSD Office in the Lee Drain Annex, Huntsville Campus.

Note:  SSD reserves the right to request additional or updated documentation of the student’s disability if the documentation initially submitted is insufficient or out of date.   The student will assume the cost of any additional evaluations that may be required for the purpose of documentation. 

Step 4: Meet with an Accommodation Counselor for the intake appointment.

In the intake appointment, the Accommodation Counselor will gather information from you regarding your disability, the challenges that you experience due to your disability, and the accommodations that you are requesting at SHSU.  If you are approved for services, the Accommodation Counselor will develop an accommodation plan for you, listing the specific accommodations that you are eligible to receive at SHSU.   In some cases, the intake process may involve a follow-up appointment to allow for the review of additional documentation or further consideration of the student’s requests.  Students attending class on the Huntsville Campus typically meet with an Accommodation Counselor at the SSD Office in the Lee Drain Annex.  Distance learners, students attending class on an SHSU satellite campus, and other students who are unable to attend an in-person appointment at the SSD Office may request a telephone intake appointment.

Step 5: Request Accommodation Letters for academic courses.

If approved for academic accommodations, you must contact the SSD support staff prior to each semester to request Accommodation Letters for your courses.  Shortly before the start of the semester, the SSD staff will e-mail an Accommodation Letter listing your approved accommodations to each of your instructors, with a copy to you.  You may contact the SSD Office by e-mail at disability@shsu.edu, by telephone at 936-294-3512, or in person at the SSD Office in the Lee Drain Annex to request your Accommodation Letters.  SSD recommends that you place your request for Accommodation Letters upon registering for each semester and finalizing your course schedule.  

Step 6: Communicate with instructors regarding accommodations.

SSD recommends that you communicate with your instructors regarding your approved accommodations.  You are encouraged to schedule an in-person or virtual appointment with each instructor and/or communicate by e-mail regarding the arrangements for your accommodations.  You may inform the instructor which of the approved accommodations you plan to use in the course.

Step 7: Notify SSD of accommodation concerns or changes in disability.

SSD recommends that you notify your Accommodation Counselor in a timely manner of any concerns that you have about the implementation or effectiveness of your accommodations, including any issues with your instructors over your accommodations.  You are also advised to inform your Accommodation Counselor of any changes in your disability that would present a need for changes in your accommodations.  You may need to submit updated disability documentation to SSD if you are requesting additional accommodations. Whenever possible, please schedule an appointment with your Accommodation Counselor to discuss any such concerns.   

Note:  Due to the nature of electronic communication, the privacy/confidentiality of information sent by such means as e-mail and fax cannot be guaranteed.