Get Started with Accommodations
This page provides instructions and information for students with disabilities requesting new accommodations, including how to submit your request and documentation.
Students who already have accommodations should scroll down to the “Use Your Accommodations” section.
Accommodation Request Process
Students with disabilities who are interested in reasonable accommodations through the StAAR Center should follow the Accommodation Request Process. The process requires students to first submit an Accommodation Request and Clinical Documentation, and then schedule an Intake Meeting.
Step One: Accommodation Request
Start by submitting our Accommodation Request Form. This form allows you to provide us with some information about you, self-describe your disability(ies) and how they impact you, and explain what specific accommodations you are interested in.
Please note that the form includes a place to upload attachments, such as clinical documentation (see below) and/or previous accommodations plans (such as a 504/IEP plan, or a letter from a previous institution). Lack of documentation does not preclude you from submitting an accommodation request form.
If you are requesting multiple types of accommodations (such as academic AND housing), please include everything on the same form.
Step Two: Clinical Documentation
You’ll also need to provide clinical documentation to accompany your request. This should come from a relevant and recent provider, and should include comprehensive information about your disability (including diagnosis, symptoms, current care/treatment plans, functional impact) as well as accommodation recommendations.
The best way to provide documentation is to have your provider fill out our Health Disability Provider Form. This is an online Qualtrics form that can be submitted by your provider directly. The form may also be printed, filled out by hand, and then emailed or faxed to us.
In some situations, we can accept other kinds of clinical documentation instead of the Health Disability Provider Form, such as a recent neuropsychological evaluation or a comprehensive letter from a current clinician.
Step Three: Intake Meeting
Once we have received your accommodation request form and clinical documentation, we will reach out to you by email to schedule an intake meeting with an accessibility team member at the StAAR Center to go over your request and any next steps.
The intake will be a conversation between you and the StAAR team member that will primarily focus on getting to know you and how your disability(ies) impact your life. You don’t need to prepare anything ahead of time, though you are encouraged to bring any questions you have.
Accessibility at StAAR
The StAAR Center values students with disabilities.
We work with students (including undergraduate, graduate, and visiting students) enrolled in a Tufts course at the schools of Arts & Sciences, Engineering, SMFA, or Fletcher with a documented disability. We support students with a range of physical, sensory, psychological, medical, and learning disabilities, including temporary conditions such as injuries or broken bones.
Depending on the nature of the disability and the particular needs of the student, a variety of supports are available. These can include, but are not limited to:
- Classrooms accommodations (e.g., furniture, materials in alternate formats).
- Exam accommodations (e.g., time-based exam accommodations)
- Auxiliary aids and services (e.g., notetakers, CART services, lecture recordings).
- Non-academic accommodations (e.g., housing, dining, and transportation).
- Introductions and referrals to other campus resources
If you are wondering if a specific kind of accommodation is possible at Tufts, please contact us, and we will work with you directly.
Accommodation Deadlines
Students are welcome to make an accommodation request at any time. However, there are a few deadlines in place for academic and housing accommodations based on the academic calendar, and Residential Life's housing process.
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Different student types have different deadlines for requesting new housing accommodations. Please see the table below for the deadlines to request housing accommodations for the 26-27 AY.
Housing Deadlines by Student Type Student Type Housing Accommodation Request Deadline Rising juniors/seniors October 15th, 2025 Rising sophomores February 11th, 2026 Incoming Fletcher grads* June 1st, 2026 Incoming undergrads June 18th, 2026 After these deadlines, we will still work with students on a new housing accommodation request. However, approved accommodations may be limited and/or subject to the housing accommodation waitlist.
* On-campus housing for Fletcher students is available on a first-come-first-served basis through the Office of Residential Life & Learning, and is not guaranteed. AS&E graduate housing (including housing accommodations) is managed by Walnut Hill Properties.
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To receive academic accommodations for a given semester, you must complete the accommodation request process before the last day of classes for that semester.
Please also note that to use accommodations for a given exam, faculty should be notified about the exam accommodations at least 1 week in advance of the exam. Therefore, any exam accommodations should be approved at least 1 week before the exam takes place.
FAQs
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All StAAR Center staff are mandated reporters. This means that any disclosure of sexual misconduct (including in a request form or documentation) involving a Tufts student must be reported to the Tufts Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO). Once a student’s name has been shared with OEO, they will reach out to the student in question by email with resources that may be helpful. The student may choose to ignore their outreach.
For confidential support, CARE at Tufts can be reached by email at care@tufts.edu or by phone at 617-627-3752. They also have an appointment scheduling feature on their website.
In addition, any disclosure of a student being in immediate danger to themselves, or others, will be escalated to emergency channels.
Otherwise, anything you submit to the StAAR Center, including your request, your documentation, and if you are a student with accommodations, is kept private.
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The clinician who submits the form should be a medical professional who you have worked with in the past 6 months – 1 year, and who can both speak to your disability and provide accommodation recommendations. This does not need to be the clinician who diagnosed you.
Some examples of clinicians who may be able to complete the form for you include:
- Pediatrician or primary care provider
- Therapist or psychologist
- Psychiatrist
- Physical therapist
- Neurologist
- Audiologist
- Allergist
- Other medical or mental health specialist
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You can absolutely still make an accommodation request. First complete Step One of the Accommodation Request Process, and let us know that you don’t have access to documentation. We will connect with you about your situation, and see what kind of resources and support may be possible.
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There are a number of factors that can change how long it takes from submitting an initial accommodation request to having accommodations approved and implemented. One common hold-up is getting documentation from your clinician. Once you think you’d like to request accommodations, please connect with your clinician as soon as possible to get your documentation submitted.
After we receive your request and documentation, we’ll always schedule your intake as soon as we can. However, some times of year are busier than others (such as the beginning of the semester, or during midterms), and we may have longer wait times for intake appointments. After your intake, it typically takes a few days for our office to approve and implement any accommodations.
If your accommodation request is time sensitive, for example, if you have an exam coming up that you’d like to use accommodations on, please let us know.
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To receive accommodations at Tufts, you’ll need to complete the regular accommodation request process. Please include your previous or current accommodation letter/plan from your previous or current institution as an attachment to your request.
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If you have any food allergies or other medical dietary restrictions, you can request dining accommodations through the StAAR Center.
Before requesting your accommodations, please review Tufts Dining Food Allergy Info page to learn about allergen labeling, the Gluten-Free Pantry, the Alternative Meal Program, and more. If after reviewing this page, you'd like to request dining accommodations, please begin the Accommodation Request Process.