Accessibility and Advocacy Resource Office (AARO)

1. Complete: Accessibility and Advocacy Resource Office | Request Form
2. Attach AARO Accommodations Provider Form and/or other documentation to the Request Form (See below for documentation requirements).
3. Review of accommodations begins once both the AARO Request Form and supporting documentation have been submitted. AARO staff may connect with students to determine reasonable accommodations, so please check your student email often and watch for notifications.

Documentation Requirements

Documentation may include one or more of the following types of documents, which may be combined to address the above required information: 

• IEP/504 plan
• Medical records
• Full evaluation/diagnostic report (e.g. ETR, MFE)
• Cognitive/learning assessments (e.g. Weschler Adult Intelligence Scale, Woodcock-Johnson III)

All documentation must contain the following:

• specific diagnosis (or diagnoses)
• description of the limitation(s) and/or impact(s) of the condition(s)
• outline the accommodations requested
• address how the accommodations directly reduce or alleviate those condition(s), limitation(s), and/or impact(s)
• professional healthcare letters must be on official letterhead with legible name, signature, address, and contact information
• Please submit documentation in pdf form

As part of Indiana State University’s Culture of Care, the Accessibility and Advocacy Resource Office (AARO) provides a supportive and distraction-reduced testing environment for students with approved testing accommodations.

Students who are approved for testing accommodations, including extended time, may take their exams and quizzes in the AARO Testing Center. All exams are proctored by AARO staff to ensure a secure and supportive testing experience.

Location: Basement of Normal Hall
Hours of Operation: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

We are committed to creating equitable access and a testing environment that supports student success.

Request for Testing Accommodation

As part of our Indiana State University’s Culture of Care and commitment to inclusivity, we strive to create an environment where individuals with disabilities are supported and able to fully participate in all aspects of campus life.

Service animals are welcome on campus in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). A service animal is individually trained to perform specific tasks for a person with a disability, and those tasks must be directly related to the individual’s disability. Service animals are permitted in University buildings and classrooms where the public is normally allowed to go.

While not required, students are encouraged to voluntarily register their service animal with the Accessibility and Advocacy Resource Office (AARO) to help ensure a smooth campus experience.

To report an accessibility issue, you can call the Office of the Dean of Students during business hours, 8:00 to 4:30 Monday-Friday, at 812-237-3829. Accessibility issues may include out-of-order elevators, accessible doors failing to open, or blocked/slippery ADA ramps. Please be as specific as possible regarding the accessibility concern.

You can also email AARO at isu-AARO@indstate.edu with accessibility concerns.

Once notified of a concern, AARO staff will reach out to appropriate staff to address the issue.

• ISU Writing Center
• Math Tutoring Lab
• Student Success and Advising Center (SSAC)
• Student Counseling Center

The Accessibility and Advocacy Resource Office (AARO) works collaboratively with Residential Life to ensure students with documented disabilities have equal access to campus housing.

Students requesting housing accommodations must complete the AARO Request Form AND submit appropriate supporting documentation. Housing accommodations may include, but are not limited to, single-room consideration, accessible room features, assistance animal approval, or other disability-related housing adjustments.

Because housing assignments are made on specific timelines, students are strongly encouraged to submit accommodation requests as early as possible to allow for review and coordination with Residential Life.

AARO staff engage in an interactive process with each student to determine reasonable accommodations based on documented need and available housing options.

Requests received by the Priority Deadline of June 30th will be processed first; submissions received after this date will be reviewed after all applications submitted by June 30th have been processed.

Under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, housing accommodations are considered reasonable when they ensure students with disabilities have equitable access to the same residential opportunities available to all Indiana State University students.

The purpose of accommodations is to reduce or eliminate disability-related barriers to access — not to guarantee a particular outcome, ensure success, or provide an unfair advantage. While Indiana State University is committed to supporting student success, students remain responsible for fulfilling all academic and institutional requirements.

Housing accommodations are appropriate when a disability directly affects a student’s ability to access or fully use university housing. Reasonable accommodations are designed to provide equal access to residential programs and services and do not alter essential requirements, policies, or student responsibilities.

Examples of reasonable housing accommodations that may be available include, but are not limited to:

• Accessible rooms and bathrooms designed for use with wheelchairs or other mobility devices
• Visual alerts (e.g., strobe lights or lighted doorbells) for students who are deaf or hard of hearing
• Room placement near a shared restroom to address chronic medical or health-related needs
• Assignment to a first-floor or lower-level room for students with visual or mobility-related disabilities

1. Complete: Accessibility and Advocacy Resource Office | Housing Request Form
2. Attach AARO Accommodations Provider Form (required) and other documentation to the Request Form (See below for documentation requirements).
3. Review of accommodations begins once both the request form and supporting documentation have been submitted. AARO staff may connect with students to determine reasonable accommodations, so please check your student email often and watch for notifications.

Documentation Requirements for Life on Campus Accommodations (Non-ESA)

To determine eligibility for housing accommodations, Indiana State University requires documentation that is sufficient to establish: (1) the presence of a disability, and (2) the disability-related need for the requested housing accommodation(s). Documentation is reviewed on a case-by-case basis through an interactive process.

Required Documentation Must:

Be provided by a qualified professional who is licensed or otherwise credentialed to diagnose and/or treat the condition (e.g., physician, psychiatrist, psychologist, licensed therapist, audiologist, or another appropriate specialist).

Documentation should include:

1. A clear diagnosis or description of the disability or medical condition
   • Including relevant functional limitations related to the residential environment.
2. Current impact of the disability
   • How disability affects the student in daily life, particularly within a housing setting.
3. Connection to the accommodation(s) requested
   • A clear explanation of how the disability creates a barrier in university housing and why the requested accommodation is necessary to mitigate that barrier.
4. Duration of the need
   • Whether the accommodation is expected to be temporary, ongoing, or variable in nature.

Important Notes:

• Documentation that only confirms a diagnosis without describing functional impact or housing-related barriers may be insufficient.
• A general recommendation (e.g., “student should have a private room”) without an explanation of disability-related need may require additional clarification.
• The University may request additional information or clarification when documentation is incomplete, outdated, or does not clearly support the requested accommodation.
• The University may request that you seek and try alternatives (e.g., quiet hours agreement, mediation with roommate, room change, or placement considerations) before the request for single-room accommodation is approved. It is best to start with Residential Life to seek a resolution before making a request for housing accommodations.
• Please submit documentation in pdf form.

Interactive Process

Indiana State University engages in an interactive process with students to determine reasonable accommodations. Students are encouraged to participate in this process and may be asked to discuss how their disability impacts their housing needs, so please check your student email often and watch for notifications. Once all documentation is received, housing accommodation requests will then be reviewed by a committee within 1-2 weeks.

Nutrition | Indiana State University

Students are encouraged to first explore the variety of meal options available through Sycamore Dining (Sodexo) to determine whether their dietary needs are already being met within existing campus dining services. Many dietary preferences and common food restrictions can be accommodated through current offerings.

However, in some cases, Dining Services may not be able to meet a student’s medically related dietary needs within normal service. When this occurs, the Accessibility and Advocacy Resource Office (AARO) can assist through the interactive accommodation process. Additional medical documentation may be required in order to evaluate the request and determine whether a specific meal plan accommodation is appropriate.

This process is intended for students with medically documented diagnosis(es) who require special dining accommodations or have medically prescribed diet plans as part of treatment for a medical condition. Students seeking this type of accommodation should Accessibility and Advocacy Resource Office | Housing Request Form.

AARO and Dining Services work collaboratively to support students with medical needs related to dining on campus, reflecting our shared commitment to student access, inclusion, and care.