Registration & intake

Registration timelines 

We encourage students to register as early as possible to ensure that accommodations are in place for the beginning of their term. 

While we accept new intake packages throughout the term, our intake closes approximately three weeks before the start of the final exam period. Please see our Important Dates section on our homepage for the most up-to-date deadlines. 

Once your full registration package has been received, there may be a two to four week wait for an intake appointment.

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How to register with the Disability Resource Centre

The Disability Resource Centre (DRC) accommodates students with permanent disabilities and ongoing medical conditions. If you have a temporary injury or short-term illness please see the guidance in our FAQs. 

If you have not previously accessed services with the DRC, please follow the steps below. Registration with the DRC takes place in three main steps:

Step one: Complete the intake form within the Student Portal 

• Log into the student portal and click on the icon labeled ‘Intake’. Complete the form.  
• The Intake form allows you to tell us more about the challenges you experience related to your studies.  
• Upload relevant medical documentation. You can submit your Verification of Disability within the Intake Form if you have it available. 

Step Two: Submit the Verification of Disability Form 

• The Verification of Disability Form should be completed by a qualified assessor to give us more information about barriers related to your condition. 
• Submit the Verification of Disability Form by logging into the student portal and clicking on the icon labeled ‘Student Files’. The Student Files Module allows you to upload and download documents securely. Your Accessibility Advisor is automatically alerted when you submit a file. 
• NOTE: You must complete and submit the intake form before you will be granted access to the ‘Student Files’ module in the student portal. It may take 1-2 business days for access to be granted after you complete the intake form.
• Your qualified assessor may choose to fax us the completed Verification of Disability form. If they do, we will add this to your file and alert your Accessibility Advisor. 
• You can find more information about the medical documentation requirements here. 
• If you have trouble submitting your Verification of Disability, contact the DRC.
   

Step Three: Meet with an Accessibility Advisor for an Intake meeting 

• Once you have submitted the required information and medical documentation, you will be offered an intake appointment with an Accessibility Advisor.  
• The purpose of the intake appointment is for you and your advisor to meet and develop a plan to assist you in your studies. Together you will review the information you submitted and discuss the barriers you experience related to your studies and/or your participation in campus activities.  
• Your advisor may determine academic accommodations to support you with, as well as provide you with information about campus support services, specialized services, and funding options. 

NOTE: Accommodations cannot be put in place without going through the full intake process which includes the intake appointment. Your advisor will work with you throughout your studies at UBCO.  

If you require assistance in completing the intake package or you have questions about this process, contact the DRC.

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Priority Housing Request for On-Campus Housing 

To request housing or specific room requirements for disability-related reasons see the guidance through the link below.

Get started

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Medical Documentation Requirements 

If you are seeking accommodations, you are required to provide the Disability Resource Centre (DRC) with current documentation of your medical condition or disability. 

Any expenses related to obtaining documentation of disability are the student’s responsibility. A diagnosis alone is not sufficient to support an accommodation request.

Documentation must be completed by a qualified assessor; a certified and licensed physician, psychologist, psychiatrist, or another health professional who has specific training, expertise, and experience in the diagnosis and treatment of conditions for which accommodation is being requested.  

Documentation is treated by the Disability Resource Centre as confidential in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) 

The documentation provided by qualified assessors must: 

• Be legible and preferably typed and submitted on letterhead 
• Include the practitioner’s name, license number, title, phone/fax, address, and signature 
• Indicate the length of time you have been under the practitioner’s care 
• Describe the nature of your medical condition/disability and prognosis 
• Provide a detailed explanation of the functional impacts of the disability in an academic setting 
• Include relevant test results and supporting documentation, if applicable 
• Identify side effects of medications that may adversely affect academics 

Certain disabilities have specific informational requirements, including: 

• Psycho-educational assessment for a learning disability (see below) 
• Neuropsychological assessment for traumatic brain injury 
• Audiology report for a hearing disability 
• Ophthalmology report for a visual disability 

Learning disabilities documentation standards 

A Qualified Assessor is either a: 

• Registered Psychologist with expertise in diagnosing learning disabilities (LD) and making educational recommendations OR 
• Certified School Psychologist in good standing with the relevant Association of School Psychologists, employed by a provincially funded school board/college/university at the time of the assessment.
  • An assessment done by a School Psychologist must have been done while the student was a student in that school district, as School Psychologists are not licensed to do independent assessments outside of the school environment.  
  • An assessment for an adult student must be completed by a registered psychologist and not by a School Psychologist. 

Current documentation 

The report must be complete, typed on official letterhead, and signed/dated by the qualified assessor. The report must include: 

• The qualified assessor’s name, title, credentials, address, phone/fax, and signature 
• History 
• Review of documentation and previous testing, if applicable 
• Discussion of standardized test results 
• Appropriate Norm-Referenced and Assessment instruments 
• Test results in Standard scores and/or percentiles 
• Conclusions and recommendations that include specific and, realistic educational accommodations accompanied by a rationale. 

Diagnostic features 

The Learning Disability Assessment Report must contain and report on the following diagnostic features: 

• It must specifically state the diagnosis and the criteria upon which the diagnosis is based:  
  • Assessors should use the APA DSM V criteria for diagnostic criteria.  
  • In some cases, where an assessment is done outside of North America we would accept diagnostic criteria of other psychological association’s diagnostic manual.  
  • We do not rely on Ministries of Education criteria or definitions posed by Learning Disability Associations.  

• Diagnosis of the individual’s achievement on individually administered standardized tests in reading, mathematics, or written expression substantially below norms with any additional factors expressed: an associated disorder in cognitive processing, in co-morbid mental disorder, or general medical condition 
• The learning problems significantly interfere with academic achievement or occupational function that requires reading, mathematical, or writing skills 
• The diagnosis must describe the level of severity and how the disability currently significantly interferes with academic function  
• The report should contain recommendations for specific reasonable accommodations needed to address the current and substantial impact of the LD on the client’s academic functioning. Recommendations must be supported by test scores and must be included in the report. 
• Typically, the report should be current and not more than 3-5 years old. 
• Students should be at least 18 years old at the time of testing. 

If there are any questions about LD documentation, please contact our office.

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