The Cleveland Institute of Art is dedicated to ensuring that all students have equal access to the educational experience at CIA and recognizes the contribution students with disabilities make to our diverse community. The Accessibility Services office provides accommodations to students with disabilities, including learning disabilities, mental health diagnoses, sensory impairments, mobility issues, and chronic health conditions. 

We work in close partnership with students and faculty to determine appropriate accommodations, and we look forward to working with you. Please don’t hesitate to contact our office (disabilityservices@cia.edu) with any questions or concerns. 

New Accommodations Request (for new students or returning students who are newly requesting) 

Step 1: Complete CIA's Intake Form and return to disabilityservices@cia.edu 

Step 2: Submit provider verification of your disability to disabilityservices@cia.edu (see below for additional information about documentation) 

Step 3: Share your official accommodations letter with your faculty via email  

Step 4: Renew your accommodations each semester 

The Wellness and Accessibility Services (WAS) office reviews documentation on a case-by-case basis. All documentation provided to our office is secured, and a specific disability is never disclosed to faculty or staff without prior consent. 

Students with a disability must be otherwise qualified and meet the same academic standards for admission as any other student. In order to receive disability-related accommodations, students must disclose the disability and supporting documentation to WAS. 

The Cleveland Institute of Art does not provide personal services including, but not limited to: 

• Transportation; 

• ADD coaching; 

• Resource room -type support/in-class aides; 

• Assistance with the application for admission; or 

• Specialized tutoring for students with learning disabilities.   

In order to best prepare for students’ arrival on campus, CIA appreciates as much advance notice as possible of requests for accommodations. CIA does not provide retroactive accommodations. 

In accordance with guidelines established by the Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD), the documentation of a disability should include the following: 

•     A clear, specific diagnosis; 

•     Credentials of the licensed professional providing the diagnosis (who has no personal relationship with the individual being evaluated); 

•     An explanation of the current manifestations or functional limitations of the disability; 

•     A description of current and past accommodations, services and/or medications and their effects; and 

•     Recommendations for accommodations or support services that relate directly to the current functional impact of the disability. 

All documentation must be submitted on official letterhead of the professional/service provider describing the disability. An Individual Education Plan (IEP) and/or a 504 plan from secondary and elementary schools, along with a psycho-educational evaluation team report (ETR) completed by a psychologist or school psychologist, constitute acceptable documentation. Either document is acceptable, but both are preferred. Alternatively, psycho-educational assessments from a private psychologist and/or medical evaluations or reports are also acceptable documents. Individual “learning styles,” “academic problems, “and “test difficulty or anxiety,” in and of themselves, do not constitute a learning disability. 

If you do not have the documentation detailed above, please use our Disability Verification 26-27.pdf as an alternative way to provide acceptable documentation.  This must be filled out by your doctor or licensed therapist/counselor. 

Documentation can be emailed to DisabilityServices@cia.edu.