Accessibility and Disability Services

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UCLA Extension is committed to providing equal access to all academic programs and co-curricular activities for qualified applicants and students living with permanent or temporary disabilities.

Definition of "Disability" at UCLA Extension

As stated in the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendment (2008), a disability is defined as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, including but not limited to: caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, eating, sleeping, walking, standing, lifting, bending, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating and working.

General examples of disability categories include, but are certainly not limited to:

Mobility difficulties
Hearing or vision loss/impairment
Learning challenges
Autism spectrum disorder
Psychological diagnoses
Cognitive issues (e.g., ADHD, traumatic brain injury)

The following categories are only considered disabilities under certain circumstances: pregnancy, obesity, and substance abuse.

Types of Accommodations

Accommodations are personalized to meet the needs of each UCLA Extension student based on the information specified in their current, verifiable medical documentation.

Examples of accommodations include but are not limited to:

Alternate media for course materials
Assistive‑listening devices
Audiotaping of courses
Captioning services
Course-registration assistance
Exam proctoring
Extended time for exams and quizzes
Notetakers
Service dogs*
Sign-language interpreters

*Under ADA Revised Requirements (September 2010), service animals are defined as dogs trained as working animals to perform special tasks for a person living with a disability. Dogs (or other animals) whose sole function is to provide emotional comfort and support do not qualify as a service animal and will not be allowed in UCLA classrooms.

How to Request Accommodations

Submit the UCLA Extension Accommodation form along with current medical documentation on official letterhead from a qualified professional* via email to our Office of Disability Services. “Current” is defined as documentation that is no more than three years old.

Requests must be made at least 2-3 weeks prior to the start of each academic quarter. We cannot guarantee acceptance of retroactive accommodations.
Your request and documentation will be reviewed by team members from UCLA Extension and the UCLA Center for Accessible Education to determine your eligibility for services.
You will receive notification from our Office of Disability Services once a decision has been made—typically within two working days, provided all documentation submitted is complete.
The Office of Disability Services will subsequently notify your instructor(s) of all approved accommodations. Details of your medical documentation are held in strictest confidence and will not be shared with UCLA Extension instructors or staff members outside of the Office of Disability Services.

*UCLA Extension does not accept documentation from a professional who is a parent or relative of the student.

Download Accommodation Request Form

Do I have to resubmit medical documentation each quarter? No. It is not necessary to resubmit medical documentation every quarter, unless your documentation will be three-years-old by your next quarter of enrollment.

What if I have a class in Bunche Hall on the UCLA Campus?UCLA Extension makes every effort to schedule courses in locations that are structurally accessible. If you are a student living with a disability and your course location is Bunche Hall on the UCLA campus, please contact us at least five days before the start of the quarter to ensure arrangements are made for your successful access to the building.

Exam Proctoring

All exams are to be taken on or potentially before the exam date. Be sure to be mindful of all approved accommodations and to schedule exam/quizzes accordingly. All scheduling should be done 1-2 weeks in advance. Proctors will not be available outside of the designated office hours.

Proctoring Office Location

Accessibility and Disability Services Office
UCLA Extension
1145 Gayley Avenue Rm. 2-109
Los Angeles, CA. 90024

Proctoring Office Hours

Monday-Thursday: 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Friday: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

In case of an emergency, or if you experience issues before/during the examination due to your disability or otherwise, contact the proctoring office and also inform the instructor right away so that the exam can be rescheduled if need be. Be advised that it is best not to start the exam in such cases.

Requests for accommodation for UCLA courses (e.g., concurrent enrollment) must be made through the UCLA Center for Accessible Education.

Taping Extension Programs

Recording Extension courses and programs may be allowed for specific purposes to support the learning and teaching of enrolled students. However, UCLA Extension programs may not be recorded or reproduced in any medium for public distribution (commercial or non-commercial) without the prior explicit permission of the Dean of UCLA Extension.

Audio and video recording of courses to create a personal study aid may be permitted by the instructor with the understanding that the process will not be distracting or publicly distributed. If recording is permitted personal use, the privacy of other students and participants must be respected.

Audio and video recording as an ADA accommodation

Recordings may be mandated by the Director of Student Services or his/her delegates in Extension’s Office for Students with Disabilities when doing so will provide a disabled student with an academic accommodation required by law. Representatives of that office will inform the instructor if recording is mandated. If recording is not otherwise permitted by the instructor for other students, the accommodated student may be obliged to sign a written nondisclosure agreement.

Further details can be found in our Academic Affairs policy AA111.

For our Instructors

If you are approached by a student who discloses a disability, please know that you are prohibited by law from discussing possible accommodations or providing medical or other counsel to the student. Instead, please refer the student to speak with our Office of Disability Services at the contact information below.