*** Please note: Student Disability Services (SDS) has moved to a new university-wide database called Accommodation Information Management (AIM) semester.
Students should contact their school’s disability coordinator to start the accommodations process. Please click here to find more information about your designated Student Disability Services Coordinator.
Disability Services
To request disability related accommodations or services at Johns Hopkins, students should complete the process as outlined below. SDS staff is available at each of Hopkins’ schools to work with students throughout the process. Please review the list of SDS staff by school to determine who your contact will be and reach out to them by email or phone if you have any questions.
Disability Defined
The ADA defines a person with a disability as a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activity. This includes people who have a record of such an impairment, even if they do not currently have a disability. It also includes individuals who do not have a disability but are regarded as having a disability. The ADA also makes it unlawful to discriminate against a person based on that person’s association with a person with a disability.
How to Request Accommodations
- Complete the Student Disability’s AIM online initial application. Students new to working with SDS will submit an initial request for accommodations through the AIM online initial application. Students with approved accommodations can request accommodations for the fall by using the AIM student portal and following the Student Guidelines for Requesting Accommodation through AIM. The portal will be accessed using your Hopkins JHED ID and password. Single sign on will work after the first time if you use it.
- Review our Documentation Guidelines and submit documentation from an appropriate provider. This website includes important information about documentation guidelines for individual’s with disabilities. The Documentation Form can be used to document physical, medical, or psychological conditions. Additional information is required for learning disabilities and strongly recommended for ADHD so services can be effectively matched with needs.
- Schedule a meeting with a Disability Services staff member at your school and become familiar with your Rights and Responsibilities.
Forms can be requested by emailing the contact at your school. Accommodations or services can also be requested for the process by contacting your school’s SDS staff member.
Please note: Students who are already in the process of getting accommodations approved should contact SDS at the email address for your school below if you have any questions about next steps in that process. The portal will be available for you to login once you are approved to use accommodations.
Timing
Accommodations and services are provide once the process has been completed and eligibility has been established. Since the process can take some time, we encourage student to begin the process well in advance of the start of their program or as soon as possible when a need arises so that services or accommodations can be coordinated in a timely way.
Relevant dates to receive priority for particular accommodations will be provided on the SDS pages at each school. Accommodations may be requested at any time but are not retroactive.
Confidentiality/Self-Advocacy
Disclosing all relevant information to SDS is essential to establishing a disability/eligibility for services or accommodations and ensuring what is provided will be effective in meeting needs. Once affiliated with SDS and approved to use accommodations or services, students have a choice about how much information is shared beyond that point and students retain the right to request/use accommodations or to elect not to. Disclosure is a personal choice and students are always free to provide whatever information they are comfortable sharing, but SDS processes preserve confidentiality for students who prefer to disclose only what is needed (the accommodation or services).
Temporary and Provisional Accommodations
Students with injuries or concussion may need temporary accommodations for a short term disability. Provisional accommodations may be provided while students are seeking an evaluation to determine the presence of a disability and/or documentation to confirm the specific services or accommodations needed. Please contact the Disability Services staff member at your school to discuss your particular situation/needs and to determine what is possible.
Meet with Your Designated Student Disability Services Coordinator
This step is essential in establishing eligibility and determining accommodations or services. Student reported information about the impact of the disability, needs and any accommodations or services that worked in the past is essential to the process. Appointments can happen in person, remotely or by phone. Please contact the disability services office at your school to set this up.
SDS acknowledges the disruption and impact the coronavirus has had on the lives of many students with disabilities. Please contact your SDS coordinator for additional support. You can also find resources and updated information on the university’s operations and response on the Hopkins COVID-19 Information Page.
Grievance Procedures for Students with Disabilities
The University complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 which afford protection from discrimination for otherwise qualified students with disabilities. Students with disabilities who believe they were denied equal access in the form of appropriate accommodations, modifications, auxiliary aids or effective communication or who believe they have experienced discrimination as per Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act or the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Johns Hopkins University has adopted these grievance procedures to facilitate the resolution of ongoing concerns and complaints by students with disabilities quickly and effectively.
Contact
To learn more about Student Disability Services, please visit our website.