While living on campus, I would typically order items online and have them delivered to me instead of going to physical stores. Since I have low vision and an unpredictable chronic illness, ordering items online in college required less energy than making an off-campus trip, and I could also save money in many cases as well. However, I would still have to go to the college mailroom to pick up items— I couldn’t just have them dropped off outside of my building or brought to the dorms. Here is an overview of how I get mail in college, what to expect from college mailrooms, and low vision accommodations that can be helpful for students who need extra help getting their mail.
About my college mailroom
When I first started attending my college, the mailroom consisted of several rows of student mailboxes, each labeled with a number. Students had their own key to open the mailbox and could retrieve their own letters, envelopes, or very small packages. If a student had a package, they would get an email alert and would pick up their item(s) from the mailroom window by showing staff their ID and confirmation email.
After a year, the mailroom was redone to better accommodate students receiving packages. Now, students would receive an email whenever they received a package and be given a locker number and code to type in so that they could retrieve the package on their own. Letters and mail could be retrieved by going to the mailroom window and showing staff their student ID- no email alert was sent out if there was new mail, the student was expected to check this on their own.
Related links
- Adapting Keys For Vision Loss
- School Lockers and Low Vision
- How I Organize Emails In College With Low Vision
Using assistive technology in college mailrooms
To unlock the package locker, I would have to type in a 4-6 digit code on a small keypad, which was challenging for me to see. As a student with low vision, I use assistive technology and accessibility tools multiple times a day, including in the college mailrooms. Examples of assistive technology for retrieving mail can include:
- Using a video magnifier to enlarge the package keypad
- Asking a visual assistance app to help me find a particular package locker
- Enlarging package labels with a magnifier, or using OCR to have them read out loud
- Using Invert Colors/inverted display on a magnifier to improve contrast on keypad
- Opening packages with adapted scissors or another tool
- Checking my email with large print displays
For the most part, I use my phone as assistive technology in the mailroom to make things easier to see, specifically my phone camera. Since I often go to the mailroom after class, my eyes are more fatigued and I often rely more on technology than my own eyes when navigating these spaces.
Related links
- iOS Magnifier and Low Vision Accessibility
- How I Use My Phone As Assistive Technology In Class
- How To Use Invert Colors With Low Vision
- Disability Accommodations For Fluctuating Eyesight
- iPhone Accessibility Settings For Occipital Stroke
- All About Visual Assistance Apps For Visually Impaired
Disability accommodations available for the mailroom
While Disability Services accommodations are primarily used for classroom accommodations, students can talk to their college’s mail services coordinator or mailroom about additional disability accommodations they can put in place. Some examples of accommodations include:
- 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
Before the start of my freshman year, I sent an email to the mail services coordinator listed online and asked if I could have my mailbox in a location that was not on the top or bottom row, since I would have trouble reaching these areas due to my disability. I disclosed that I had a file with Disability Services for low vision and a neurological condition, and they were happy to accommodate this.
Once my college switched to the package lockers, I asked that the mailroom refrain from putting items on the top row/bottom row of the lockers and gave my mailbox number, and rarely had any issues with packages being in an area I couldn’t reach.
What about having items mailed to the dorm directly?
As nice as it is to be able to grab packages from a doorstep, this is not an option for students living in on-campus housing for security reasons, and students are not permitted to use their dorm address as their mailing address. All packages and mail must be picked up from the mailroom, though there may be options for having an authorized person bring items directly to the student.
Related links
- Dorm Room Disability Hacks For Chronically Ill Students
- Campus Deliveries: College O&M
- Why You Should Get A Disability Services File
- How To Create A Disability Services File
- How To Come Up With Sample Accommodations
Carrying packages back to my dorm
Since I use a blindness cane (white cane) to navigate my college campus, I can’t really carry a package with two hands, and there are cases where I need to have both of my hands free. Some of the most common ways I would carry packages back to my dorm include:
- Putting them inside my backpack
- Using a tote bag/reusable bag
- Asking a friend to go with me to the mailroom to carry something
- For larger items, I used a small handcart that I had purchased for my dorm and could push behind me
Since boxes can often be bulky, I would typically remove items from their original box before leaving the mailroom and put them in the box recycling area, a large basket near the entrance/exit. However, if I ordered an item that shipped in its own specific box that the customer must use for returns (e.g. shoes), I would keep the item in its original packaging for the walk back to my dorm.
Related links
- Ten Weird Things I Brought to College
- My Favorite Shoes For Chiari Malformation
- Dorm Room Disability Hacks For Chronically Ill Students
- Clothing Shopping Tips For Sensory Processing Issues
- Ten Things To Know About Going To College With A Blindness Cane
Authorizing another person to pick up packages
When I had to miss school due to an illness or injury, I would send a message to the mail services coordinator asking if I could authorize another person to pick up packages on my behalf when the items were behind the mailroom window. I had to include the authorized person’s name and student ID number, as well as how long I authorized for them to pick up my items (e.g. for the two weeks I was gone). Some examples of people I’ve authorized include my resident advisor, my brother who went to the same college as me, and friends who lived nearby.
Once the package locker system was implemented, I would typically just send the package code to a trusted person so they could go pick it up, but would still contact the mailroom if I needed someone to pick up a large item that was not in a locker (such as when I got a new cane).
Related links
- Tips For Siblings Going To The Same College
- Options For Attending College Classes Remotely
- Tips For Taking Online Classes As An On-Campus Student
Receiving mail in an accessible format
I have difficulty reading small print, so whenever possible I would find ways to make sure that letters and other mail I received was in an accessible format. For example, many banks, city/state organizations, blindness groups, and similar companies allow users to request written correspondence in large print, braille, or digital/audio formats, and students may be able to choose the same methods for receiving official university mail.
Of course, there are also several options for reading mail with assistive technology— I have several posts on this topic linked below!
Related links
- A to Z of Assistive Technology for Reading Digital Text
- Reading Handwriting With Assistive Technology
- Tips For Writing Letters To Visually Impaired Recipients
- Tips For Choosing Greeting Cards For Visually Impaired Recipients
A note on grocery delivery
Many college mailrooms are not set up for grocery delivery services as they do not have refrigerators or other ways to keep food fresh. When I received grocery delivery from local stores, I would write down the delivery address as a Starbucks near my dorm that had an area which cars could easily access. I’d meet the delivery driver outside with my handcart so that I could get my items inside as soon as possible.
Related links
- Campus Deliveries: College O&M
- Managing Chronic Migraines in College
- Assistive Technology For Medication Labels
Other tips for navigating the college mailroom with low vision
- When ordering items online, place the mailbox number on the Address 2 line— college mailboxes are not P.O boxes
- Before ordering clothes, shoes, or other accessories, I would see what they look like with other items by importing them into the Stylebook app. Learn more at How I Use The Stylebook App With Low Vision
- Want to learn more about how I get around campus with a white cane/blindness cane? Browse Orientation and Mobility archives
Published June 24, 2020. Updated January 2025