Students

In order to be eligible for accommodations a student must identify and establish that they have a disability. A condition that rises to the level of being a disability requiring accommodation is defined as "a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities." Examples of major life activities include the ability to perform functions such as walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, working, interacting with others, or taking care of oneself. The degree of impairment must be significant enough to "substantially limit" one or more major life activities. Disabilities may be physical or mental.

Caltech recognizes that a student's disability does not necessarily impair an individual's overall performance, but may require them to seek alternative methods of carrying out a given task. It is important to note that an impairment in and of itself does not necessarily constitute a disability. Nor does a medical or mental health diagnosis, in and of itself, necessarily constitute a disability. In addition, the fact that accommodations have been approved in the past does not automatically mean that the same accommodations will be provided at Caltech.

Accepted and matriculating students (students) who believe they have a current and essential need for disability accommodations are responsible for registering with, and requesting accommodations through CASS. Accommodations requested by students registered with CASS will be considered for students who meet eligibility and documentation requirements.

Except in the case of obvious disabilities, students seeking accommodations must provide CASS with supporting documentation from a licensed mental or medical health care professional confirming the existence, nature and extent of the disability. The student also must meet with CASS prior to receiving any accommodations to facilitate the interactive process. All supporting documentation should be provided by a qualified licensed professional with expertise in the diagnosis of the identified disability. Documentation from a family member or someone with a personal relationship with the student (although they may be qualified by training and licensure) will not be accepted. Counselors and other professionals in the Student Wellness Center do not provide documentation for this purpose.

The documentation must also address the "substantial limitation(s)" posed by the impairment and how the disability causes academic difficulties. To ensure complete documentation, we suggest printing or emailing the appropriate guidelines and/or forms provided below (there are printer friendly versions of each), and giving a copy to your clinician/s for preparing documentation. Students are also advised to keep a copy of any documentation they provide to CASS.

While physicians and/or other evaluators may submit recommendations regarding specific accommodations, the CASS professional staff who are familiar with the educational environment at Caltech determine the extent to which the recommended accommodations are appropriate within this context. In short, the evaluator's recommendations provide helpful information, but are not binding.

If, in the judgment of CASS, there is insufficient diagnostic or clinical information in support of the requested accommodations, students may be asked to submit new and/or additional documentation. CASS's evaluation review can also include consultation with at least one clinical consultant, in addition to a required meeting with the student before final determination of formalized accommodations can be made.

1. Complete the CASS Registration Form
2. Submit supporting documentation completed by a qualified licensed health care provider. You may have your provider complete the relevant CASS documentation form(s) (see Documentation Forms section below), and/or provide a detailed evaluation or letter that discusses diagnoses, functional limitations, and recommendations for accommodations within the higher education setting.
3. Request a meeting with CASS to facilitate the interactive process for evaluating reasonable accommodations.

Following the intake appointment, students will be notified by CASS in writing about any accommodation decisions. If an accommodation request is denied, students will be provided with information about appealing the decision through the grievance process.

Documentation Forms:

• Documentation Form for Disability Accommodations (fillable)
• Documentation Form for Allergy, Asthma, and/or Dietary-Based Disabilities (fillable)
• Documentation Form for Emotional Support Animal Requests (fillable)
  

Documentation Guidelines:

• Guidelines for Documentation of Learning Disabilities
• Guidelines for Documentation of Temporary Medical Conditions
• Guidelines for Emotional Support Animal Requests (see CASS Service and Emotional Support Animal page)
  

Other Forms:

• Emotional Support Animal Agreement

• Medical information sharing consent form (if required)

Please allow up to 30 days for reviewing your accommodation request, once the completed CASS Registration Form, AND all other relevant documentation have been submitted. Incomplete or insufficient documentation may delay this process. CASS will prioritize requests for injuries or sudden onset of conditions that may require urgent accommodations, and medical documentation may not be required in some cases when a student's condition is physically visible, depending on the nature of the accommodation request.

Housing accommodation requests: Returning students seeking housing accommodations for the upcoming school year are strongly encouraged to submit their CASS registration materials by the beginning of spring term. Authorization for a service or emotional support animal in Caltech housing must be renewed every year.

Coming soon!

• For placement exam accommodations:
• Housing accommodations:
• Fall Term academic accommodations:

Note: Students may register for accommodations at any time while they are at Caltech, but completed registration requests may take up to 30 days to process, so we strongly recommend that incoming students register with CASS as soon as possible.

If you have received disability-related accommodations and services in high school, please be aware that you may not be eligible for the exact same services at Caltech or other universities as you once had, due to the different laws and expectations that apply to higher education.

During your CASS intake appointment, we will discuss your past accommodations as we work together to determine your current reasonable accommodations at Caltech.