Prospective ADS Students
Anyone who has a documented disability is eligible to apply for reasonable accommodations. An individual with one or more physical or mental impairments that interfere with major life activities might qualify for reasonable accommodations. Accommodations are determined during the registration process and on an individualized basis. If you have questions about your eligibility for accommodations and other services, please call (301) 314-7682 or email adsfrontdesk@umd.edu.
In order to receive requested academic accommodations through the Accessibility and Disability Service, a student with a documented disability must:
1. Complete a Registration Application
All students requesting to register with ADS for accommodations should complete the online Registration Application.
- To access the online Registration Application you must be a current student or have been admitted to the University of Maryland and have confirmed enrollment by accepting your admissions offer. You must have your UMD Directory ID and password. Newly admitted students will be able to acquire their Directory ID and set up their password within 48 hours of their admission decision.
- To find your Directory ID, please visit the University of Maryland Directory website.
2. Provide Documentation
- Students who are seeking appropriate accommodations must provide supporting documentation that demonstrates how their disability limits their participation in courses, programs, services, jobs, activities, and/or access to facilities at the University.
- Documentation of the disability should be relevant and current and from appropriate professionals who are credentialed to diagnose the student’s particular disability.
- The type of required documentation will vary depending on the nature of the disability and accommodations requested. Please see Documentation Requirements in the section below to determine the type of documentation you should provide.
- All documentation should include the diagnosis, the specific functional limitations caused by the disability, recommendations for reasonable accommodations, and a justification statement for each recommendation listed.
- Documentation must be submitted for review prior to the meeting.
3. Call the ADS Office to schedule a Registration Appointment
- Students are responsible for scheduling an appointment with ADS well in advance of needed accommodations.
- Registration appointments can be scheduled by calling the ADS office at 301-314-7682.
4. Meet with an ADS Counselor to determine eligibility and establish appropriate accommodations
- Once contact is made with ADS to schedule an appointment, and all supporting documentation has been submitted, an ADS counselor will engage the student in an interactive process to determine whether the student is qualified to receive services and is eligible for specific accommodation(s).
- Students must attend a registration interview and complete all registration materials in order to receive accommodations.
- Registration interview appointments are one hour in length.
In order to receive requested academic accommodations through the Accessibility and Disability Service, a student with a documented disability must:
1. Complete a Registration Application
All students requesting to register with ADS for accommodations should complete the online Registration Application.
- To access the online Registration Application you must be a current student or have been admitted to the University of Maryland and have confirmed enrollment by accepting your admissions offer. You must have your UMD Directory ID and password. Newly admitted students will be able to acquire their Directory ID and set up their password within 48 hours of their admission decision.
- To find your Directory ID, please visit the University of Maryland Directory website.
2. Provide Documentation
- Students who are seeking appropriate accommodations must provide supporting documentation that demonstrates how their disability limits their participation in courses, programs, services, jobs, activities, and/or access to facilities at the University.
- Documentation of the disability should be relevant and current and from appropriate professionals who are credentialed to diagnose the student’s particular disability.
- The type of required documentation will vary depending on the nature of the disability and accommodations requested. Please see the Documentation Requirements in the section below to determine the type of documentation you should provide.
- All documentation should include the diagnosis, the specific functional limitations caused by the disability, recommendations for reasonable accommodations, and a justification statement for each recommendation listed.
- Documentation must be submitted for review prior to the meeting.
3. Call the ADS Office to schedule a Registration Appointment
- Students are responsible for scheduling an appointment with ADS well in advance of needed accommodations.
- Registration appointments can be scheduled by calling the ADS office at 301-314-7682.
4. Meet with an ADS Counselor to determine eligibility and establish appropriate accommodations
- Once contact is made with ADS to schedule an appointment, and all supporting documentation has been submitted, an ADS counselor will engage the student in an interactive process to determine whether the student is qualified to receive services and is eligible for specific accommodation(s).
- Students must attend a registration interview and complete all registration materials in order to receive accommodations.
- Registration interview appointments are one hour in length.
Students must provide supporting documentation that demonstrates how the disability limits participation in courses, programs, services, jobs, activities, and/or access to facilities at the University. Documentation of the disability should be relevant and current and from appropriate professionals who are credentialed to diagnose the student’s particular disability. The type of required documentation will vary depending on the nature of the disability and accommodations requested. All documentation should include the diagnosis, the specific functional limitations caused by the disability, recommendations for reasonable accommodations, and a justification statement for each recommendation listed.
If you are not sure what category your disability falls under, please contact the Accessibility and Disability Service for assistance at (301) 314-7681.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders (ADHD)
Submit a neuropsychological or psychoeducational evaluation (refer to our ADHD Guide (pdf) or a Verification of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (pdf) from a psychiatrist or other professional who has screened the student for and is credentialed to diagnose ADHD. ADHD documentation must be relevant and current. It is in the student's best interest to submit ADHD documentation that has been completed within the last 5 years of registration with ADS. However, we will review and determine the relevance of a student's documentation if it is beyond 5 years.
Hearing Disabilities
Submit a current and complete audiological evaluation from a properly credentialed audiologist.
Learning Disabilities (LD)
Submit a neuropsychological or psychoeducational evaluation. For more detailed information refer to our Learning Disability Guide (pdf) . It is in the student's best interest to submit evaluations that were completed within the last 5 years of registering with ADS. However, we will review and determine the relevance of a student's documentation if it is beyond 5 years.
Medical Disability
Submit a current (within the last 6 months Verification of Medical Disability Form (pdf)
Mobility Disabilities
(Impairments to limbs, hands, ability to move from one location or another)
Submit relevant and current documentation from a medical provider who is credentialed to diagnose the mobility condition. Documentation could be in the form of the ADS Verification of Medical Disability Form (pdf) or other relevant, detailed documentation from a credentialed treatment provider.
- Students with injuries or conditions that impact daily functioning for a prolonged period (a minimum of 6 weeks) may be eligible for ADS assistance.
- Students with short-term injuries or conditions that require recovery periods of 6 weeks or less should consult their instructors regarding their temporary academic accommodation needs.
- Those individuals with short-term injuries or conditions requiring paratransit shuttle service should contact the University Health Center at (301) 314-8667.
Psychological Disabilities
Submit a current (within the last 6 months) Verification of Psychological Disability Form (pdf)
Vision Disabilities
Submit a current Verification of Vision Disability (pdf) from a licensed ophthalmologist or optometrist.
Local Diagnostic Testing Resources
To receive reasonable accommodations, an individual must initiate a contact with the Accessibility and Disability Service to schedule a registration interview. Please contact our office at (301) 314-7682 to schedule an appointment with a ADS counselor.
Available Accommodations and Services
Receiving an accommodation or service is based on the nature of your disability. During the registration interview, the ADS counselor will review your disability documentation with you and obtain other relevant information from you. Your eligibility for accommodations and/or services will be determined through an interactive process that involves a variety of processes, including: the review of disability documentation, a personal interview with you, and a review of previous accommodations used by you. At times, the ADS will consult with course instructors prior to determining reasonable accommodations. Once the interactive process is concluded, the appropriate reasonable accommodations will be established. Accommodations must address the particular disability and shall not fundamentally alter the academic objectives of an individual course, curriculum, program or degree.
Examples of Reasonable Accommodations
Alternate format of printed materials (textbooks and other required reading materials)
- Braille
- Electronic version (audio or pdf)
- Enlarged Print
Classroom accommodations
- American Sign Language interpreting
- Assistive Listening Devices
- Audio recording of lectures
- Cued speech
- Lab assistance
- Note taking
- Preferential seating
- Transcription
Registration and course load accommodations
- Priority registration
- Reduced course load
Testing Accommodations
- Alternate format of printed materials
- Assistive software and hardware
- Large computer monitors
- Screen magnifiers
- Screen readers
- Text to voice
- Voice to text - dictation software
- Computer for essay and short answer exams
- Extended exam time
- Reduced distraction and small group testing
Other Services
In addition to reasonable accommodations, the ADS offers access to relevant services that may be necessary for individuals to access University sponsored events. Following is a list of services that can be accessed through this office:
- Advocacy Support
- Information and referrals
- Para-transit
The University of Maryland’s Admission Committee considers all aspects of a student’s qualifications and offers admission to the most competitive applicants in order to build a talented, diverse and interesting freshman class, read more on the Office of Undergraduate Admissions website.
Decisions to admit students to the University of Maryland are based on over twenty (20) criteria, including: high school GPA, college entrance exam scores, the student’s references, their personal essay, and various activities and opportunities that student applicants have experienced during high school.
The Accessibility and Disability Service does not participate in admission decisions. Applicants are not required to disclose a disability and will never be requested to do so during the applicant process. Applicants are encouraged to make an informed decision as to whether or not to disclose their disability status when completing their application; the decision is the applicant’s to make and is not required by the University.
If you have any questions about the admissions process, please contact your respective admissions representative. You can find your representative on the Admission Representative Website.
If you are applying to UMD or a UMD program as an undergraduate, graduate, or special student and need accommodations in order to complete the application or interview process, please email adsfrontdesk@umd.edu.
All students who have been accepted for admission to the University of Maryland are required to take the Math Placement Exam prior to registering for classes. The Math Placement Exam “gives a measure of a student's mathematical skills at the time, and the results are used to advise students on the appropriate mathematics course in which to enroll in order to complete the mathematics requirement for a particular program of study.” It is an online exam that incoming students are requested to complete prior to reporting to the University for Freshman or Transfer Student Orientation.
If you received extended time test accommodations in high school and require extended time for the Math Placement Exam, please contact ADS at (301) 314-7682 or adsfrontdesk@umd.edu to to establish formal accommodations. In order to obtain accommodations, students will need to complete an online registration application. The registration application will be reviewed and if eligible, students will be provided with an official copy of their accommodation letter along with contact information for the Math Department in order to retrieve the appropriate code to use for the Math Placement Exam. This code will automatically extend the student’s time by the proper amount.
All extended time Math Placement Exams are completed online and are 70 minutes (one hour and 10 minutes) in duration. Following a review of your documentation, and you are found eligible for time and a half, you will be able to sit for the exam for one hour and 45 minutes; if you are found eligible for double time, you will be able to sit for the exam for 2 hours and 20 minutes.
Extended time accommodations for the Math Placement Exam will be made available to you without prior registration with the Accessibility and Disability Service. Any subsequent classroom accommodations required by incoming students will only be available once the student has registered with ADS and appropriate accommodations for the University have been established.
Over 1700 courses and a number of summer camp programs are offered at the University of Maryland each summer. Students participating in courses or summer camps who have a documented disability are eligible to apply for disability services. Please contact ADS several weeks prior to the start of your summer course or camp to allow ample time for an ADS counselor to review your documentation, interview you and establish appropriate reasonable academic accommodations to use during your time at Maryland.
Students who are visiting Maryland for a semester should also contact the ADS several weeks prior to the start of the semester to register for services. You will need to submit your current disability documentation; please include your accommodations letter from your home institution as well.
Accommodations do not automatically transfer from your previous institution. Transfer students from either a 2-year or a 4-year institution must officially register with ADS by completing the following steps:
Steps to Register with ADS to Recieve Accomodations
- Complete the Registration Application
- Provide documentation (please include your accommodation letter from your previous school, if available)
- Call the ADS Office to schedule a registration appointment (301) 314-7682
- Meet with an ADS Counselor to determine eligibility and establish appropriate accommodations
Please schedule your registration appointment as early as possible prior to the start of the semester to allow the ADS to review your documentation, interview you and establish the accommodations for which you will be eligible at Maryland.
Every summer rising high school, sophomores, juniors, and seniors from across the United States and around the world enroll in a three-week three-credit course to pursue academic interests, discover career opportunities, and learn about university life through the Terp Young Scholars program.
If you are enrolled in the Terp Young Scholars program and have a documented disability, you may be eligible to receive reasonable accommodations. You will need to complete the ADS Registration Application, in addition to your most recent IEP (individualized Education Plan), 504 Plan and/or any other disability documentation available. An ADS Counselor will review your documentation, interview you and establish appropriate reasonable academic accommodations to be used during your time at UMD.
Due to space limitations in classrooms and lab facilities, the University is not always able to offer fall admission to every student who has the potential for success at Maryland. Therefore, spring admission is offered to students who show the potential to be equally successful and contribute to the overall campus community. Freshmen students who are offered spring admission should confirm enrollment online and pay the enrollment fee by the date specified in their notification of admission. Read the Frequently Asked Questions section.
Students admitted for spring have the opportunity to participate in the Freshmen Connection program offered in the fall through the Office of Extended Studies. This program allows spring enrollees to take a limited number of courses on the University of Maryland campus during the fall semester.
Accommodations for Freshmen Connection Students
Students who participate in the Freshmen Connection Program are starting their education a semester early; however, they are not fully admitted to the University until the Spring. Any accommodations that impact registration and other non-classroom processes are not effective until they are fully admitted to the University. Thus Freshmen Connection students who are determined to be eligible for “priority registration” are not allowed to utilize this accommodation until they are fully admitted to the University (i.e., in the Spring semester).
Freshmen Connection courses are taught by University faculty in campus classrooms from 3 – 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Friday. The program follows the University’s fall academic semester schedule and adheres to all University policies and procedures.
Extended test time: Freshmen Connection students are encouraged to meet with each of their instructors during the first few weeks of class to determine how extended-time exams will be administered for them. Freshmen Connection classes will take place when the ADS office is closed on Mon.-Thurs. Students will need to work with their instructors to make arrangements to either take their exams with accommodations in the classroom building during class time or at an alternate time during the day at the ADS Testing Office during our regular hours of operation (Mon. – Fri. 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.)