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 Form 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.

In addition to the accommodations described on this page, the Accessibility Services office offers individual consultations to incoming students with documented disabilities. These intake meetings can be conducted in person or remotely. During the consultation, students and parents meet the Accessibility Services staff who will review the student’s disability documentation, establish accommodations and direct students to resources specific to the unique demands of the CIA experience. Please schedule your meeting HERE.

Students with qualifying documented learning disabilities may be eligible, on a case-by-case basis according to their individual needs, for accommodations that may include:

•     Extended testing time
•     Small-group testing environment
•     Note-taking assistance
•     Classroom breaks
•     Assistive technology

Students with specific medical or mobility-related issues can receive preferential scheduling and/or seating as well as specific in-class accommodations arranged with individual professors based on medical necessity.

CIA also has a Writing + Learning Center. This facility is available to all CIA students who need assistance with writing, learning and study strategies.