Welcome to Accessibility.

The Goldman Center for Student Accessibility supports students and their families through this transition to college for both prospective and committed students. Here, you'll find an overview of our accommodations request process as well as important information about the changes that happen with disability-based accommodations in the academic, housing, and dining environments in higher education.

Accommodations do not automatically transfer from high school to college. If you wish to continue receiving academic accommodations after high school, you'll need to request accommodations through the Goldman Center.

The transition from high school to college can be a rewarding but challenging time for many students and their families, and students with disabilities have an extra step to navigate this transition. The Goldman Center for Student Accessibility is here to provide insight, guidance, and information for you at each step of the way. Now that you are committed and confirmed for starting in the fall, you are welcome to apply for disability accommodations. Students can request accommodations at any time; however, for incoming fall semester students, we recommend beginning the process in the summer well before arriving on campus in August. The process can sometimes take several weeks, so we encourage you start as soon as possible. The professional staff in the Goldman Center are ready to help! 

  • For more background, review the slides of our Accessibility at Tulane Family Programs webinar.

 

Important Deadline Information:

Academic: There is no true deadline for seeking academic accommodations for the upcoming fall semester. We encourage incoming students to apply for their academic accommodations over the course of the summer (May-July) so that your approved accommodations can be ready for the fall start. While academic accommodations can be approved at any time, no accommodation is retroactive, so taking care of this process over the summer is important. 

Housing: Incoming students seeking housing-based accommodations in the residence halls should apply for housing accommodations between March 1 and May 1 with the Goldman Center. This deadline is important so that your application can be processed ahead of room selection for incoming students; applications received after this deadline will be considered and granted on a rolling basis, depending on capacity. For more information regarding housing accommodations and the housing accommodation process, please refer to our Housing Accommodations page.

Dining: Incoming students who are seeking accommodations should explore support through Tulane Hospitality and consider a Dining Plan Petition. Additional support for dining-based concerns can be found through our Dining page.

For accommodations in any of these environments, the general application remains the same.

Parents, guardians, and counselors can provide support during this process, but the student must be the one to submit the application, schedule the Access Interview, and provide their narrative during the Interview.

Applying for Accommodations with the Goldman Center

Accommodations in college may pertain to the academic, housing, and/or dining environments depending on your disability-related needs in college. Incoming students wishing to continue academic accommodations in college MUST complete our Request Form and submit supporting documentation. 

Ideally, you should submit your application and documentation simultaneously. If you have questions or concerns about our documentation requirements, please refer to our Documentation Guidelines. Students needing current documentation may consider utilizing the Fillable Provider Form. This form is not necessary if you have a comprehensive psychoeducational/neuropsychological evaluation to provide. 

Accommodation plans from high school are typically not sufficient supporting information for requesting disability accommodations at Tulane, since accommodation plans in high school deliver accommodations based in success rather than access.

Ideally, you should request your accommodations your first fall semester in the spring or summer before your arrival.

For academic-based requests, submit your application as early as April for processing. Typically, we are able to start meeting with incoming students mid-May, after the final exam period has passed for current students. If this timeline does not work for you or your concerns, simply reach out to goldman@tulane.edu and request an earlier meeting time. 

For housing-based requests, you can submit your application and documentation between March 1 and May 1 for your housing request to be processed ahead of the Housing Committee meeting. To learn more about requesting housing accommodations, visit our Housing page.

The Goldman Center for Student Accessibility is processing an unprecedented amount of requests for disability-based accommodations. As such, this process can take several weeks, depending on your request. 

  • We attempt to respond to new applications within 3-5 business days. If you have provided all relevant documentation for your request, you will be contacted with a request to schedule your Welcome Meeting, either in-person or virtually, with a member of our team.
  • If you do not have documentation submitted along with your request for accommodation, you will be reminded to provide supporting medical documentation to supplement your request. You will receive up to three (3) reminders to provide documentation before we will archive your application. You may re-activate your request at any time by contacting our office via phone or email.
  • Once you have your Welcome Meeting with a member of our team, please allow up to 10-15 business days to process your request for academic accommodation. IF YOU ARE REQUESTING A HOUSING ACCOMMODATION, please note the following:
    • Housing accommodation requests are processed through the Goldman Center in conjunction with the Housing Accommodation Committee, an interdepartmental group comprised of relevant campus partners in supporting your request for accommodation-support at Tulane. The Committee meets on the first Friday of every month. Please allow until the second Friday of the month for a housing accommodation determination to be processed and rendered. 

In sum, from the time of your application submission, your request may take anywhere from one to six weeks to process, depending on appointment availability and volume of requests. 

The Goldman Center is open Monday-Friday from 8:30AM to 5:00PM Central Standard time. As such, please exclude weekends from this timeline. Any contact to our office over the weekend or University closures will be responded to as soon as possible once business operations have resumed.

A member of our team will reach out to you to schedule your Welcome Meeting. This scheduling will be facilitated via Calendly with the member of our Goldman Center professional staff assigned to your application; if Calendly is not a convenient scheduling tool for you, you may also contact our office directly at (504)-862-8433 or goldman@tulane.edu to schedule this consultation. Once you schedule, you will be provided with a Zoom link/additional appointment information via your email associated with your application. 

During the Welcome Meeting, we will discuss your request for accommodation and request additional information, such as your first hand narrative, about your disability and the barriers you have encountered in the academic, housing, and/or dining environment at Tulane. 

Your Goldman Center initial consultation, or "Access Interview," is a critical component of your accommodation request. In this meeting, a Goldman team member will ask clarifying questions about your experiences in the academic, housing, and/or dining environment intended to provide you will the most appropriate form of support. You'll be able to share your first-hand narrative of your experiences and navigate your concerns with our experienced and professional staff. 

A timeline for determination, requests for follow up information or additional documentation, and other individualized next steps will be communicated to you in this meeting. 

Once you have your Access Interview with a member of our professional staff, an accommodation determination will be rendered. Accommodation determinations are made by considering your supporting documentation, first-hand narrative, program expectations, existing supports on campus, and reasonability of the request. 

This determination may take at least 10-15 business days (roughly two to three weeks) from the time of your meeting. However, all housing requests must be processed through the Housing Committee, which meets once a month (on the first Friday). Therefore, housing requests take longer to process. 

Frequently Asked Questions

We know we can't cover every question or concern unique to each student and family, but below are some common questions for students in the application and acceptance phase. If you'd like a more in-depth conversation or consultation for you/your student's accommodation needs, please don't hesitate to contact our office at goldman@tulane.edu or (504)-862-8433. We operate during standard business hours, Monday-Friday 8:30AM-5:00PM, and respond to inquiries outside of these hours as soon as we are able to.

Our online application system and information portal is confidential to our office. Your request for accommodations is not affiliated with your Tulane application nor admittance. 

It's important to know what your accommodation approvals could look like at each institution you are applying to, since there are changes in practices across universities. If you'd like to schedule a consultation to discuss potential accommodations, you may fill out the online application. For the most informed determination decision, be sure to provide thorough and current documentation of your accommodation needs. 

Request Accommodations

Your accommodations do NOT automatically transfer. To continue receiving accommodations, be sure to request accommodations through the Goldman Center. If approved for continued accommodations, these accommodations may look different because of access-based concerns.

This question is unique for each student, but most common changes tend to be the use of technology for notetaking or dictation as opposed to human-based supports. 


Read more about the differences in laws, guidance, and philosophies in high school accommodations versus accommodations in higher education. These differences change the necessity and delivery of some accommodations you may have received in high school. Explanation of these differences would be communicated in your application process during your Welcome Meeting.

Accommodations in High School

  • Guarantee success
  • Legal guidance is provided by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
  • IDEA provides the mandate and funding for in-school individualized instruction/special education services as well as transportation, therapy services, and tutoring
  • Teachers will remind students of assignments, provide missed information to students when absent, and provide additional support such as teacher provided notes
  • The school is responsible for identifying students with disabilities, providing support, and involving the parents
  • The parent is the student's advocate

Accommodations in College

  • Guarantee access, a key component of success, for students with disabilities
  • Legal guidance is provided by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Fair Housing Act (for housing accommodation requests)
  • The ADA and Section 504 require colleges to provide accommodations and support services, but not services of a personal nature, such as individual therapy or tutoring services based on a disability
  • Students are responsible for activating accommodations, asking professors for help/support, and for making up missed work
  • Students with disabilities must request accommodations with the school and must be an active participant in the accommodations process
  • The student is expected to self-advocate

The Role of Parents and Families

The best way to support your student is to continue fostering the same self-advocacy skills you have been teaching throughout your student’s educational career. It is imperative that your student completes the request for accommodations in their own words, though you are more than welcome to help them navigate this application process. While our process is inherently student-led, student-focused, and student-centered, you are able to join your student in their Welcome Meeting with our office, with the consent of your student. The Goldman Center will not schedule meetings or approve accommodations without the direct involvement of the student at each step. 

We know this is as much a transition for you as it is for your student. You can support your student by encouraging them to reach out to our office to discuss any questions or concerns they have about the accommodations process. You are also welcome to share information about additional campus resources, such as Student Success and Case Management, that you can read more about here.

For students hesitant to inquire about accommodations, either as a student who has not yet contacted the Goldman Center or a student already approved for accommodations with the Goldman Center, it is important that you encourage them to reach out to us to schedule a meeting (in-person or virtual) to discuss their questions and concerns. While we understand that students may feel hesitant to reach out or utilize their accommodations, your student must drive the conversation for support. 

An Open Letter to Parents of Students with Disabilities About to Enter College

Questions? Concerns?

Feel free to contact our office at 504-862-8433 or email us at goldman@tulane.edu for support.