Welcome to the SAS Registration page at UC Merced, your guide to registering with the Student Accessibility Services (SAS) office. This page provides a clear, step-by-step process for students to follow when seeking accommodations for a disability. Here, you’ll find information on the required documentation, forms to complete, and how to schedule your intake appointment. Whether you are registering for the first time or renewing your accommodations, this page ensures that the process is straightforward and accessible. We’re here to support you in creating an inclusive academic experience.
A student with a disability who is seeking academic accommodation is required to provide documentation of disability which supports that a disability poses a substantial academic functional limitation. The purpose of disability documentation is to verify that it meets the definition of disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 and Section 504 of the rehabilitation Act of 1973 which requires academic accommodations to equally access a post-secondary university academic learning environment and campus programs.
Documentation of disability should provide enough information to assist Student Accessibility Services in determining reasonable academic accommodations. All documentation of disability submitted to Student Accessibility Services must include:
For documentation of disability guidelines that are disability specific, please review the disability guidelines on the Student Accessibility Services website or by contacting Student Accessibility Services directly.
Once the Accommodation Request Form is submitted by the student, students will receive an email from access@ucmerced.edu within 3-5 business days.
Included in the email will be a request from SAS asking for the students availability over the following 2 weeks. This will be needed by SAS to be able to schedule a meeting (zoom or in person) with the program Director or Coordinator. A meeting is necessary with the program Director or Coordinator to have accommodations at UC Merced.
At the intake appointment, the student and Student Accessibility Services will review and discuss eligible accommodation services and review departmental policies. Approved accommodations will be stated in a faculty notification letter which is then provided to the student on the MyAccess Student Portal. The faculty notification letter serves to verify and notify faculty that a student has presented documentation of a disability and requires the specified listed accommodation(s).
On the day of the meeting, students will be required to bring any other supporting documentation which was not originally uploaded with them to the meeting (not applicable if all supporting documentation was already uploaded on the request form).
During the meeting, students will be asked questions in regards to their disabilities as well as what accommodations can be offered to each student (This will vary depending on each student's situation). If any other documentation is needed, students will be informed by the Director or Coordinator during this meeting.
After the meeting, students will be asked to schedule another meeting with the front desk staff to conduct a MyAccess walkthrough.
Front desk staff will guide students to the MyAccess website and will go over all the information on the website with students.During the MyAccess Walkthrough, students will conduct a semester request, which is a necessary step in ensuring that all accommodations are active for the upcoming semester.
During the MyAccess walkthrough, students will be asked to activate their accommodations for the semester with the following steps:
Once the accommodations are approved by the director, students will need to navigate to the Accommodation Letters tab. This tab will contain all previous and current signed letters that both you and your professors have signed to acknowledge your active accommodations for the class.
If the letters have not been signed, you can find the sign box at the bottom of the page. Letters will need to be signed for the accommodations to be active for each semester.
PLEASE NOTE: The faculty notification letter is considered a confidential student record under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). The student is under no obligation to disclose his or her disability.
If you have any questions regarding the registration process or require any further information, SAS can be contacted at the information displayed on the Connect With Us page.
