Before my first day of freshman year at my university, I had talked to over three dozen staff members either in person or over the phone to make sure that everything would be set up and ready to go before I arrived on campus. While I am grateful that I had so many people that were able to help with figuring out how to navigate different situations and departments on-campus, the average student likely won’t have to talk to that many staff members in their entire college career, let alone before the first day!
To help other students with disabilities and/or visual impairments, I’ve compiled a list of ten staff members to meet before starting college that can be helpful with navigating different situations that may arise before the first day of class. Instead of thinking of this post as a checklist or list of must-haves, think of it as a “road map” that can help students to address individual access needs proactively and independently.
Disability Services Access Specialist
The Disability Services access specialist or disability coordinator approves student disability accommodations for the classroom, housing, or other campus services such as transportation. Disability Services accommodations can often be approved before the first day of class, making it possible for students to ensure that their access needs will be met and that they have time to procure accessible materials or digital content.
Related links
- Ten Questions to Ask When Choosing a College
- Ten More Questions to Ask When Choosing A College
- How To Create A Disability Services File
- Why You Should Get A Disability Services File
- How To Get Disability Accommodations In Community College
- Common Classroom Accommodations For Low Vision
- Using Disability Transportation Services In College
- How To Request Accessible Textbooks In College
Assistive Technology Specialist
The assistive technology specialist (sometimes referred to as an accessibility specialist) provides copies of accessible textbooks, introduces students to different tools they can use in the classroom, and can also assist both students and professors with web accessibility issues that may arise from the course website. They are helpful for providing solutions for accessing specific types of content and providing information about software accessibility.
Related links
- What To Know About College Assistive Technology Specialists
- What I Wish I Learned About Assistive Technology Before Starting College
- What I Wish I Learned About Assistive Technology Before Starting Grad School
- Ten Questions To Ask When Buying Digital Textbooks
- How To Request Accessible Textbooks In College
- Reporting Accessibility Issues: College O&M
- Why I Study Assistive Technology
- MyLab Math Accessibility and Low Vision
Testing Coordinator
The testing coordinator approves and provides testing accommodations for students such as extended time, large print, use of assistive technology, and others. They often work in a testing center and serve as a proctor for students that require accommodations for taking tests, quizzes, or other timed assignments so that students can get the accommodations they need outside of the classroom. They are also in charge of accommodations for math placement tests, language placement tests, and other testing that may be required before registering for classes.
At the colleges and universities I have attended (including those where I was a visiting student), math placement tests in recent years have been offered using an online adaptive learning system called ALEKS. I share more information about ALEKS accessibility below— the testing coordinator may need to configure accessibility settings for the student or provide an alternative test.
Related links
- What To Bring To The Disability Services Testing Center
- How To Use Guided Access For Testing
- ALEKS Accessibility For Visual Impairment
- CLEP Exams and Low Vision
- Math Test Accommodations For Low Vision
- How To Create An Accessible Formula Sheet
- How I Receive Accessible Quizzes and Tests in the Classroom
- Testing Accommodations For Low Vision Students
- Remote Testing Accommodations For Low Vision
Special Populations Housing Coordinator
While their exact job title might vary, the special populations housing coordinator handles disability-related housing accommodations and modifications. They can assist approved students with selecting on-campus housing, or handle appeals if accommodations are denied. They may be affiliated with either Disability Services or Housing and Residence Life (ResLife), but they do not handle maintenance requests or make other modifications to dorms— they just approve accommodations.
Related links
- How To Choose A Dorm And Pick College Housing
- Dorm Room Disability Hacks For Chronically Ill Students
- How To Create A Custom Dorm Skill With Amazon Alexa
- Managing Chronic Migraines in College
- Decorating My Dorm Room With Low Vision
- Tips For Keeping A Dorm Room Clean With Chronic Illness
- Disability and Classroom Accommodations For POTS
- Disability and Classroom Accommodations For Chiari Malformation
Resident Director
The resident director is a paid full-time staff member that typically lives in the same building that they work in— this is different from the resident advisors/community assistants, which are typically students. Resident directors can provide additional assistance when dealing with roommate or suitemate conflicts, share emergency building information, issue maintenance requests, or respond to other issues that a resident advisor might not be able to handle on their own. They can answer more specific questions about building accessibility or amenities such as laundry.
Related links
- Tips For Doing Laundry In College With Low Vision
- Dealing With Dorm Fire Alarms: College O&M
- What If I Lock Myself Out Of My Dorm?
- What If I Get A Housing Violation?
- Seven Things I Tell My College Suitemates About My Disability
- Managing Chronic Migraines in College
- How To Choose A Dorm And Pick College Housing
Academic Advisor
Each major has an academic advisor that can provide information about scheduling college classes, help students stay on track for graduation, and provide information about professors and recommend specific classes. For example, I wasn’t sure which professor to take for a required class, and my advisor was able to recommend someone who had prior experience providing accessible materials and teaching students with similar disabilities to my own, which made it easier for me to focus on learning and not on educating others.
Related links
- How To Explain Disability Accommodations To Professors
- How I Talk To Professors About Photosensitivity
- Tips For Taking Online Classes As An On-Campus Student
- Ten Questions To Ask When Changing Your Major
- How To Choose General Education Courses In College
- Finding College Classrooms: College O&M
- How To Schedule College Classes
- College Scheduling Hacks For Students With Chronic Illness
- Options For Attending College Classes Remotely
Student Support Specialist
Another job title that will vary depending on the college/university, the Student Support specialist can help students that are dealing with situations that may require staff or personal intervention. This is different from Title IX or campus security, though the Student Support specialist may work with one or both of these offices.
Some of the reasons a student might meet with a Student Support specialist include:
- Establishing a no-contact order with another student
- Roommate/suitemate conflicts that cannot be resolved by housing staff
- Reporting concerns about mental health, either for themselves or others
- Getting referrals to other offices on campus, such as academic retention or psychological services
- Attending other programs or events related to general health and well-being
Someone I know met with the Student Support specialist after they learned that a student they had a no-contact order against in high school was also a student at their college. They worked with the student to ensure that the no-contact order would remain in place and that they were in a dorm building with increased security measures (including not having their name on door decorations). Since students with disabilities are often at an increased risk for being harassed or targeted, I listed this staff member in case other students had to deal with a similar situation and were wondering who could help.
Related links
- Creating Accessible Bulletin Boards For College Dorms
- How To Create Dorm Door Signs and Decorations For Low Vision
- Online Safety For Visually Impaired Users: Safer Internet Day
Security/Police
While most students likely won’t need to call campus security or police on their first day of school, it is helpful to have their contact information and emergency applications documented so that students can receive alerts. Some campus security offices give students the option to self-disclose their disability so that this information is available when/if the student contacts them. For example, campus dispatch documented that I am legally blind and use a blindness cane/white cane after I ignored a campus security officer repeatedly waving at me to get my attention— they did this by asking for my student ID number and adding a note in the dispatch system saying that I am legally blind and cannot see more than a few feet in front of me.
Related links
- Dealing With Dorm Fire Alarms: College O&M
- How To Approach Someone with Low Vision Without Scaring Them
- Ten Things To Know About Going To College With A Blindness Cane
- Accessible Maps and Wayfinding Tools For Low Vision
- Using GPS Apps On College Campuses: College O&M
Student Health
Students that have a long-term or chronic illness may want to speak with Student Health Services to share records, set up infusions or get medication locally, document allergies or treatment plans, or request accessible forms for students with disabilities. They can also provide referrals or information about local urgent cares or medical systems, which can be useful for getting after-hours care.
Related links
- Supporting Patients With Low Vision In Medical Environments
- How To Store Emergency Medical Information For Android and iOS
- Filling Out Medical Forms With Low Vision
- Managing Chronic Migraines in College
- Modifying Assignments To Remove Flashing Lights
Mail Services Coordinator
The mail services coordinator is in charge of the college mailroom, and can help with implementing any accessibility strategies, such as:
- Not putting packages on the top/bottom level of the package lockers
- Permission to pick up packages at the mailroom window, which minimizes students having to bend over
- Authorizing someone else to pick up mail/packages
- Assistance with typing in package codes (go to the mailroom during business hours)
- Adding braille or tactile labels to a student mailbox
I have an entire post on accessing college mailrooms with low vision linked below that can provide more information— email is generally the best way to get in contact with the Mail Services coordinator for on-campus students.
Related links
- College Mailrooms and Low Vision
- Campus Deliveries: College O&M
- How I Organize Emails In College With Low Vision
- School Lockers and Low Vision
Other staff members to meet before starting college
- Admissions and Orientation offices can provide disability accommodations for attending pre-semester events or events for prospective students. I recommend reaching out to them via email or phone.
- Do you use a mobility aid or have trouble walking? Disability Services can provide more information about transportation services around campus— learn more in Using Disability Transportation Services In College
- Did you get dropped from all of your classes for no clear reason? While I hope no one else can relate to that experience, I did document how I handled it and what staff members I spoke to in What If I Get Dropped From All My College Classes?
- I send emails to my professors before the start of the semester— learn more in How To Explain Disability Accommodations To Professors
Published June 14, 2017. Updated January 2025