What If I Suspect I Have a Disability

What to Do and Who to Contact

It is the student's responsibility to determine whether or not a disability is present.

• If you have not been diagnosed with a disabling condition and suspect you have one, you may want to be tested.
• The law does not require the university to identify and evaluate students who may have disabilities, nor to compensate students for money spent on testing for the presence of a disability.

Testing for a Disability

Testing for the presence of a disability varies with each disability or medical condition. Here are a few suggestions:

• Visit your primary care physician and alert him or her to your suspicions. Your doctor may have a list of resources that would be available to you for testing.
• Contact your local vocational rehabilitation office. For New York state residents, the Adult Career and Continuing Education Services-Vocational Rehabilitation (ACCES-VR) has offices throughout New York State. They may be able to refer you to other community resources.
• You can learn more about federal resources at USA.gov Disability Services [this link opens in a new window].
• Contact any local colleges or universities in your area, particularly those schools that offer graduate degrees in school psychology, if you suspect you have a learning disability. These schools often offer educational testing at a reduced rate because the testing is done by graduate students under the supervision of faculty.
  
  Several colleges and universities in New York state that operate psychological services centers include:
  • The Dean-Hope Center for Educational and Psychological Services operated by Teachers College, Columbia University [this link opens in a new window]
  • Psychological Services Center, University at Buffalo [this link opens in a new window]
  • Psychological Services Center, Syracuse University [this link opens in a new window]
  • Binghamton University Psychological Clinic [this link opens in a new window]
  • Psychological Services Center, University at Albany [this link opens in a new window]
• Visit our community resources page for additional information.
• You also can contact the staff in the Office of Accessibility Resources & Services. There may be suggestions and strategies that can help you in your studies until you are able to obtain a diagnosis. 

Return to Student Handbook or continue to Temporary Disability: What Do I Qualify For?