The following information is specific to Penn State Berks. Visit the Educational Equity website for broader information about applying for SDR accommodations at Penn State.
How to register for SDR accommodations
It is the responsibility of the student seeking disability services to self-disclose the need for academic adjustments, auxiliary aids, and/or services to the Student Disability Resources Office at Penn State Berks. In order for a student's disorder/impairment to be considered a disability, the student must demonstrate through documentation that the disorder/impairment meets the definition of a disability under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act (ADAAA) of 2008 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. A disability is defined as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.
Application steps
- Online introduction
Complete a short online introductory questionnaire to provide us with background information on your disability and how you have managed in the past. (Note: If you receive a proxy error or internal server error message when accessing the form, please use a private/incognito web browser to resolve the issue.)
- Provide documentation
Please consult our documentation guidelines and provide us with any documentation you have about your disability. The Third-Party Verification Form serves as one option (not the only option) for providing disability documentation to Student Disability Resources. The Third-Party Verification Form can be submitted with or in lieu of other types of disability documentation, including neuropsychological or psychological evaluations, medical or diagnostic reports, audiology reports, etc. The documentation is reviewed and evaluated to determine if Penn State's documentation guidelines have been met, and to determine if the student's disorder/impairment meets the criteria for having a disability. Upload your documentation.
- Schedule an initial appointment
Once we have all your documentation, we will reach out to you to schedule your intake appointment. During the intake interview, the student's disorder/impairment and academic history are discussed, services are explained, and the rights and responsibilities of the student and the University are reviewed. A student should anticipate that the intake assessment will take approximately one hour. During the summer, appointments will be held virtually for your convenience. During the academic year, meetings will be in person.
Housing Accommodations
Penn State is committed to providing equal opportunity to all of its programs, activities, and services. Housing & Food Services provides reasonable accommodations for on-campus university housing to students with documented disabilities.