An individual with a disability is defined as any person who “has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities, has a record of such an impairment, or is regarded as having such an impairment.” More information may be found on the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission website.

Substantially limiting is defined as being unable to perform a major life activity or being significantly restricted as to the condition, manner, or duration under which a major life activity can be performed, in comparison to the average person or to most people. More detailed information may be found in the Guide to Disability Rights Laws. 

A major life activity can be defined as caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, and working.

The ADA Amendment Acts of 2008 expanded this list to also include eating, sleeping, standing, lifting, reading, bending, concentrating, thinking, communicating, and working. In addition, the ADAAA includes major bodily functions (e.g., "functions of the immune system, normal cell growth, digestive, bowel, bladder, neurological, brain, respiratory, circulatory, endocrine, and reproductive functions"). More detailed information may be found in the Guide to Disability Rights Laws. 

Students with disabilities apply to UMB through the regular admissions procedure. There are no special admissions procedures. However, students with disabilities are welcome to contact the Office of Educational Support and Disability Services (ESDS) to discuss concerns before attending UMB. The pre-admission consultation does not impact UMB admission nor is it a guarantee of discussed accommodations.   

Before taking standardized admission exams (i.e. GREs, LSATs, MCATs), a student may apply to those testing companies for provision of accommodations. Contact the exam administration companies for further information on how to apply for and make arrangements for standardized exam accommodations.

Students with disabilities have the right to equal access to courses, programs, activities, services, and facilities offered by UMB. Students are also entitled to reasonable accommodations. All information about the student’s disability is to be kept confidential. Students have the responsibility to provide acceptable documentation of disabilities and register with ESDS if they would like to receive accommodations. If students deem it necessary to receive accommodations for a particular class, students have the responsibility to inform the instructor, deliver the accommodations letters that verify their approved accommodations, and participate in the discussions about how their needs can be met.

Please visit Student Rights and Responsibilities for a more detailed list. 

Reasonable accommodations (also known as Academic Adjustments and/or Auxiliary Aids) are modifications or adjustments that allow an individual to gain equal access and have equal opportunity to participate in the University's courses, services, activities, and use of facilities.

The ESDS website provides a listing of examples of accommodations. All accommodations are determined on a case-by-case basis, according to the needs of the individual and the individual’s specific program of study for a particular semester. Accommodations may change from semester to semester.

While a student’s request for accommodation is always considered, ESDS engages in an interactive process to devise a plan that is acceptable to the University, the school, and the student. Determination of whether an accommodation is reasonable is made by ESDS in consultation with school liaisons and other appropriate campus personnel. In keeping with the provisions of the ADA, an accommodation will not be approved if it:

(1) is incompatible with the technical standards for admission to, and completion of the program;

(2) alters the fundamental nature of the academic program;

(3) would result in a risk to the health or safety of the student or another individual; or

(4) would result in undue hardship to the University.  

If you are experiencing barriers that are impacting your academic performance and/or you suspect you have a disability, you will need to contact the ESDS office and provide documentation of the disability. This documentation must be supplied by a qualified professional who is licensed or certified to diagnose the disability. An appointment also should be scheduled with ESDS staff to discuss your potential need for services and gather resource and referral information. 

Colleges and universities are required to provide reasonable accommodations that may be necessary for equal access to education. They are not required to design special programs for students with disabilities or have individualized educational plans (IEPs). The State of Maryland Department of Disabilities and the Maryland Higher Education Commission provide a useful overview of Disability Support Services in Post-Secondary Education. 

Universities are not required to seek out students with disabilities. It is the student's responsibility to seek out services through the Office of Educational Support and Disability Services. 

Students who are 18 or older are legally recognized as adults. In this case, the student is responsible for their own accommodation requests and disability-related decisions. However, students are encouraged to have an open dialogue with their parents, who can be a wonderful source of support.

Students with physical disabilities are encouraged to register with ESDS every semester so that assistance can be given, if needed, to access to buildings and other University activities. 

Students may request accessible parking passes by contacting Parking and Transportation.

UM shuttle buses are wheelchair accessible and in compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act.

The Maryland Transit Administration also provides accessible transportation options.

UMB does not conduct or provide testing. The student is responsible for providing current documentation and any additional testing to support the requested accommodations, if necessary. The ESDS office can provide referral information for local evaluators.

To register with ESDS and request reasonable accommodations and sup­port services, students need to complete a three-step process.

1. Complete the Disability Disclosure and Reasonable Accommodations form online.
2. Submit appropriate documentation confirming the disability. Documentation should be current and will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
3. Contact ESDS staff to schedule an initial appointment to discuss barriers to access, accommodations, and services that you may need.

Accommodations will not be implemented retroactively. For more detailed information on the accommodations process, please visit How to Request Accommodations.

Accommodations may be requested at any time but will not be implemented retroactively. Students are encouraged to be proactive, work with their advisors and instructors, and submit their requests for accommodations to ESDS as early as possible so that accommodations can be coordinated in a timely manner. It is important that requests are not made at the last minute, because that inhibits the ability of ESDS and faculty to coordinate the accommodations appropriately. 

After the accommodation letter has been approved by the school liaison, ESDS will send an email through the online accommodation request system notifying the student that their letter is ready. The student can then log in to the system with their UMID and password to download, save, and/or print the PDF of the approved accommodations letter. 

If students deem it necessary to receive accommodations for a particular class, students have the responsibility to inform the instructor, to deliver the accommodations letter that verifies their approved accommodations, and to participate in the discussions about how their needs can be met.

It is important to contact instructors early and provide at minimum one week's notice so all accommodations can be coordinated appropriately.

Students are welcome to contact ESDS with any questions or concerns regarding their accommodations. Student may also contact the ESDS liaison at their school.

Please see the table below for a listing of the ESDS liaisons and their contact information.

A student with questions or a grievance about a reasonable accommodation decision of the University or their school should first communicate with the school contact or the director of ESDS. If the matter is not satisfactorily resolved, then they should proceed to the grievance procedure.

The grievance procedures and school contacts can be found under the Policies section of the ESDS website.