Hours are 8am to 4pm or by appointment – no appointment drop in hours are Fridays, 10am to noon
All UMF students with any type of disability are eligible for services.
When a disability is not otherwise apparent, documentation may be required. Documentation should be current and include a description of the disability, disability-related needs, and specific recommendations for services. This information is confidential, is not part of the student’s permanent record. Paperwork generated by the Learning Access Center will be released only upon express written request of the student.
Accommodation Request Process
Requests for academic accommodations are made through the Learning Assistance Center in Franklin Hall 103. The procedure for requesting academic and housing accommodations is as follows:
STEP 1: You can visit Accommodate on the Launch Pad in your mycampus, or you can click here for the link to Accommodate.
STEP 2: Submit documentation of your disability.
- If you had a 504 Plan or IEP (Individual Education Plan) in high school, please send us a copy of your most recent one. Please also include any recent evaluations that were completed as part of the 504/IEP process in determining your eligibility for services. Documents may also be submitted by licensed healthcare providers.
- Documentation should be authored by a licensed clinical professional or health care provider, who is both trained and qualified to evaluate the disability and familiar with your history. It is not necessary that the documentation be recent, but it must reflect your current status. Documentation may not be provided by a student’s relative, friend, or family friend.
- Documentation should include the following information:
- Name, credentials, and contact information of the evaluator
- The nature of the disability and relevant history
- Test results, including scores and written evaluation of scores (if applicable)
- DSM-V or ICD-10 diagnosis with information outlining the duration, severity, treatment and expected prognosis of the condition
- A description of how the disability impacts engagement in day to day activities as related to life at college
- Names of any medications and potential side effects
- Suggested accommodations
- Documentation may be submitted in person to Franklin Hall Room 103, by e-mail to lac-umf@maine.edu, or by fax to (207) 778-7298. If you have any questions about the process, please contact our office by e-mail (lac-umf@maine.edu) or by calling (207) 778-7295.
STEP 3: Initial Appointment
As part of the process, we will want to meet with you to discuss your needs and the process of getting accommodations set up. Please give three or four options for times for the appointments, and a meeting will be set.
At the meeting, we will discuss supports you have had in the past, and look at what accommodations you may need to give you the best opportunities for success at college.
If requesting an accommodation, auxiliary aid, and/or services and you disagree with the determination by the Learning Access Center, and it cannot be worked out, you can, within seven (7) calendar days, contact the UMaine System Equal Opportunity Officer by emailing equal.opportunity@maine.edu for assistance in resolving the matter informally. Formal complaints should be referred to the U.S. Dept. of Education, Office for Civil Rights (OCR), Boston, MA 02109.
STEP 4: Accommodation Letters sent to instructors
As the University of Maine System has moved to using Accommodate as a way of requesting and updating accommodation requests and letters, instructors will be sent their letters through this new format. Students will also receive accommodation letters as well. It is important that you click on the provided link and sign the accommodation you receive. These will come from notices@accommodate.maine.edu.
If accommodations are not provided after discussing them with your faculty, students should notify the Learning Access Center as soon as possible to work out any issues
STEP 5: Request your Accommodation Letter each semester you need one
Your accommodations stay with you throughout your time at the University; but, you must request a new Accommodation Letter each semester. Doing this should also be done using Accommodate. For accommodations in the spring semester, please submit requests prior to the fall semester finals week. For fall semester, please make sure you are submitting requests in the month of August, but before classes begin. Please remember that your accommodations are not retroactive, so you will want them to be renewed as early as possible
Documentation Guidelines
Students seeking accommodations at the University of Maine at Farmington should present with a documented disability as defined by the Rehabilitation Act, Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (1990/2008). This documentation should be provided to the Learning Access Center (LAC) prior to receiving services. Students qualified under these laws received protections from discrimination in all University programs, activities, services and facilities.
Under these laws, an individual with a disability means any person who:
- Has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities, including caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, sitting, standing, lifting, and working, as well as mental and emotional processes such as thinking, concentrating and interacting with others;
- has a record of such an impairment; or,
- is regarded as having such an impairment.
Students with disabilities must provide evidence of both the disability and its current, significant, functional impact to become eligible for accommodations with the LAC. Designed to provide equal access, accommodations only are provided in response to the functional limitations of a disability as they clearly intersect with academic demands. Accommodations do not include interventions, which are remedial, needed for personal study and care, or designed to ensure desired outcomes.
Students with disabilities may request accommodations from the LAC. In order to consider this request, as well as ensure the provision of reasonable and appropriate accommodations, please submit documentation from a qualified professional providing current and comprehensive verification of the disability. In order to be considered current, the documentation should be within 3 years prior to the date of the most recent request to the LAC.
A qualified professional includes a trained and certified and/or licensed psychologist, learning disability specialist, speech and language pathologist, or licensed psychiatrist who have experience in working with an adult population.
Acceptable documentation includes:
- information that diagnoses the disability
- describes the disability in an educational setting
- indicates the severity and longevity of the condition
- offers recommendations for necessary and appropriate auxiliary aid(s), or service(s), academic adjustment(s) or other accommodations.
Housing Accommodations
Requests for medical singles and/or emotional support animals will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Housing facilities include barrier-free residence halls, handicapped parking spaces, and Braille signage. Students requesting housing accommodations should also use Accommodate to make these requests. If you would like to learn more learn about possible housing accommodations, please use the link below to contact the Learning Access Center.
Contact Us
Learning Access Center
University of Maine at Farmington
Franklin Hall 103
252 Main Street
Farmington, Maine 04938
tel 207-778-7295
TTY users may call Maine Relay Service at 711
lac-umf@maine.edu
UMF Campus Partners
For additional information and supports, please visit these campus partners for more information.