You must be enrolled at Cal State LA to register for disability services. Prospective students are welcome to contact the department for information prior to enrolling at Cal State LA.
To register for services, start by submitting a Student Intake Application and necessary documentation to OSD. The sooner you take this step, the sooner we can begin to assess the accommodations that you may be eligible for. Once you submit the application and documentation, OSD will confirm receipt of your materials via email.
Students who are unable to apply online may contact our office for assistance.
Registration Process
1. Complete an Application
Academic Accommodation Documentation
Disability documentation should contain a specific diagnosis indicating whether the disability is temporary or permanent, with a concise description of the functional limitations imposed by your disability. All documentation must be legible. Students without documentation can contact our office for additional resources and may be recommended to discuss their specific situation with a Disability Management Specialist.
Academic Accommodations Application
Student Housing & Residence Life Accommodation Documentation
California State University, Los Angeles, recognizes the importance of providing reasonable accommodations in Housing and Residence Life. Documentation will be evaluated by OSD and not by Housing and Residence Life.
Housing & Residence Life Accommodations Application
Disability Verification Form must be filled out by a licensed professional to determine services eligibility.
In addition to the verification form, the following support documentation is needed to determine eligibility for the requested accommodation.
All supporting documentation must be submitted on official letterhead from a licensed professional (physician, psychologist, etc.) containing the following information:
- How long has the patient been under your care, and is the individual currently in treatment with you?
- Identification of specific functional limitations posed by this condition as it pertains to the specific housing accommodation request.
- Description of the current impact of this condition as it pertains to the specific housing accommodation request.
- A clear description of the reasonable housing accommodation and how does the accommodation mitigate the symptoms experienced by the individual’s diagnosis.
Emotional Support Animals/Service Animal
Because emotional support animals are considered accommodations, residents must provide a written request for a reasonable accommodation and appropriate supporting documentation from the student's treating licensed medical or mental health professional to OSD. Housing and Residence Life will have additional requirements that must be followed to register the animal if approved.
Documentation shall include an original letter that must be submitted on official letterhead from a licensed medical or mental health professional dated within the last 30 days, and must include the following:
- The provider's professional opinion that the condition qualifies as a disability (i.e., a physical or mental impairment which limits a major life activity).
- The provider's opinion is that the emotional support animal has been prescribed for treatment purposes and is necessary to mitigate symptoms associated with the condition in order to have a reasonable accommodation to use and access housing services.
- Any other information that would provide OSD the ability to determine the appropriateness and need for the emotional support animal. OSD may require additional information or documentation.
Service Animal
Housing and Residence Life will have additional requirements that must be followed to register the animal if approved.
- Explanation of the disability-related need for the animal, such as the type of work and tasks the animal is trained to perform.
Unacceptable forms of documentation include, but are not limited to, notes written on prescription pads, vague statements that a licensed medical or mental health professional is "prescribing" an emotional support animal, letters written by online agencies or letters by professionals having no therapeutic relationship with the resident (Policy on Service and Emotional Support Animals for Students on Campus, §IV, ¶7).
Housing and Residence Life Accommodation Request Deadline:
Housing accommodations are dependent on availability. If an accommodation request is not available, the student will be placed on a waiting list (Housing and Residence Life). To allow time for processing of all materials for roommate and space assignments, OSD will accept applications and documentation for:
Fall semester:
- May 1, through June 30
- No accommodation review/approval will be conducted on move-in day.
Post- Deadline Accommodation Requests
For students needing housing accommodation that arises for the first time after the deadline has passed, requests will be reviewed on a rolling basis. OSD and Housing will strive to meet late applicants’ needs as soon as reasonably possible. If you are having issues adding your medical documentation via the application, please contact: 323-343-3140 or email [email protected].
2. Schedule an Intake Appointment
The Office for Students with Disabilities will review your application and documentation to determine if it is appropriate and complete. Our office will inform you if clarification and/or additional documentation, records, and/or materials are needed.
Once we screen your information, an OSD staff member will contact you to schedule a one-hour intake appointment with a Disability Management Specialist.
3. Meet with a Disability Management Specialist
Through an interactive discussion, your Disability Management Specialist will help determine which accommodations you are eligible to receive based on your disability-related functional limitations.
NOTE: Completing an application does not mean you are registered with our office or eligible to receive services. Disability Management Specialists determine eligibility during intake.