Affiliation Process

Before students can affiliate with our office, they must first be admitted to Cleveland State. Once admitted, the process for affiliation with the Office of Disability Services is simple!

Step 1: Apply for Services

1. Log in with your Campus e-mail to the Disability Services Application Center
2. You first create a draft of the application you can save and edit.
3. Answer all questions as complete as you are able
4. Once you have completed the draft of your Application Submit the Application

Step 2: Submit proper Documentation

1. Have your documentation ready before starting the online application.
2. Upload documentation of your disability to the application in the Disability Services Application Center or submit it by any of the methods listed below
   • We prefer uploading to your application
   • Fax: 216-687-2343.
   • E-mail: ods@csuohio.edu
3. Learn more about acceptable documentation with our Documentation Guidelines

Step 3: Schedule and Attend your Affiliation Meeting

• When a staff member reviews your application and documentation and finds it to be complete, we will send you an e-mail to use our calendar links to schedule an appointment.
• You are not registered with our office until the affiliation meeting is complete

The Disability Services Application Center

Current students who wish to register with the Office of Disability Services must submit their application for services through the Disability Services Application Center. Students first create a draft of your application. Students do not need to finish the application all at once and can log back in to add information and complete it. When students finish editing their application they submit the completed application. When your submitted application is reviewed, you will be contacted by our office to either request more information or to schedule an affiliation meeting. Your application for services is not complete until you have completed your affiliation meeting.

It is important that the students themselves fill out the online application. The student will be responsible for the answers to the questions in this application. It is permissible for a parent or advocate to help with submitting the application. However, the student must be the person requesting services.

Remember to frequently check your CSU e-mail or have it forwarded to an e-mail you do check. All messages are sent to your CSU e-mail address. We will communicate with you to verify that we have received your application and send you links for completing the documentation submission if you do not complete that step when you submit your initial online application.

Documentation of Your Disability

We cannot make any determinations about your request for accommodation until we receive supporting documentation for your disability from a qualified professional. Review our Documentation Guidelines for more information on acceptable forms of documentation. It is recommended that you have your documentation ready before submitting your online application.

Please Note: we prefer that students submit supporting documentation of their disability through the Application Center. When completing the online application, you can select to upload your documentation. You can upload documentation to your application when in draft or to your completed application. A link to the Application Center for doing this is also sent with your application confirmation. You can submit as many files as you need to. You can submit PDF, TIF, and JPEG.

Documentation can also be submitted by dropping off documents in our office in Rhodes West (RW) 215, by FAX to 216-687-2343, or by e-mail to ods@csuohio.edu.

Affiliation Meeting

After your application and documentation has been accepted, we will send you an e-mail with calendar links for staff to schedule an affiliation meeting. The affiliation meeting is an opportunity for you to discuss your needs and identify what accommodations could best assist you. Intake interviews take approximately one hour. You will sit down with ODTS staff and discuss:

• Accommodation requested and what you are eligible to receive
• Your program of study and what to expect while navigating your educational experience
• How to talk about your accommodation with your professors
• Other beneficial services to explore
• An introduction to the AIM Student Portal for requesting accommodations

During the intake appointment, the disability specialist will possibly refer you to other services such as:

• Counseling Center
• Academic Support Hub
• Alternative Media Specialist
• Assistive Technology Specialist.

After the affiliation meeting, students can usually start requesting their accommodations. You will receive an e-mail detailing your eligible accommodations and information about other campus resources that can be useful for you. You can visit the Accommodation Request and Notifications page to see how to request accommodations or our Accommodation Services to find information about our processes.

Incomplete Applications

• Students are contacted twice about draft applications before the draft is archived
• Student’s completed applications are archived after we contact them about next steps twice by e-mail and have received no response
• Students who do not attend their affiliation meeting have their application archived if they do not reschedule and attend
• Students can request their application be reopened if archived or they can complete a new application
• If students wish to make changes to their application, they can request we return it as a draft for them to edit

Students are not eligible for accommodation until the affiliation process is complete and accommodation is not provided retroactive to the completion of the affiliation process.