How to register with the disAbility Service and start receiving Reasonable Accommodations

Applications for reasonable accommodations with the Disability Service can be broken down into 12 easy steps.

Applications for reasonable accommodations with the Disability Service can be broken down into 12 easy steps and most of the process takes place online at my.tcd.ie, your student portal, where you can also complete your registration for your chosen course and see your course and exam timetables.

Please note that if you have already applied for reasonable accommodations with the Disability Service in previous academic years there is no need to re-apply but please notify the Disability office by emailing askds@tcd.ie.

Steps to complete your application for Reasonable Accommodations

There are a range of supports available for disabled students in Trinity. To access these supports, the Trinity disAbility Service require you to submit evidence of your disability. The evidence of disability you provide is used to assess the impact of your disability and ensure you get appropriate support. It will be assessed by disability professionals in Trinity who have expertise and an in-depth knowledge of the impact of disability in the academic environment.

Evidence of Disability

When submitting your evidence of disability documentation, please submit documents that have been written by the appropriate medical professional for your disability as per the table below. If you are unable to access the appropriate medical professional, we encourage students to meet with the College Health Service, the Student Counselling Service, or their own private medical practice submitting the evidence of disability form for them to complete. Please note that evidence of disability must be provided in English. More information can be found here.

Support for students with a temporary disability

Students who experience a temporary disability may avail of temporary exam accommodations if they can provide appropriate medical documentation.

Type of Disability	Appropriate Documentation	Type of Professional	Age of report
ADHD	Evidence of Disability Form OR Existing report	Consultant Psychiatrist OR Psychologist OR Neurologist OR Paediatrician	No age limit
Autism Spectrum Disorder	Evidence of Disability Form OR Existing report	Consultant Psychiatrist OR Psychologist OR Neurologist OR Paediatrician	No age limit
Blind/Vision Impaired	Evidence of Disability Form OR Existing report	Ophthalmologist OR Ophthalmic Surgeon	No age limit
Deaf/Hard of Hearing	Evidence of Disability Form OR Existing report	An audiogram from an Audiologist OR ENT Consultant OR a Letter from a Deaf School Principal Confirming Attendance	No age limit
Developmental Coordination Disorder - Dyspraxia	Evidence of Disability Form OR Existing report	Occupational Therapist OR Neurologist OR Physiotherapist OR Paediatrician	No age limit
Mental Health Condition	Evidence of Disability Form OR Existing report	Consultant Psychiatrist OR Specialist Registrar	Less than 5 years old
Neurological Condition	Evidence of Disability Form OR Existing report	Neurologist OR Other relevant Consultant	No age limit
Physical Disability	Evidence of Disability Form OR Existing report	Orthopaedic Consultant OR Other relevant Consultant appropriate to the disability/ condition	No age limit
Significant Ongoing Illness	Evidence of Disability Form OR Existing report	Relevant Consultant/ Specialist appropriate to the disability/ condition	Less than 5 years old
Speech and Language Communication Disorder	Evidence of Disability Form OR Existing report	Speech and Language Therapist	No age limit
Specific Learning Difficulty (Dyslexia / Dyscalculia)	Evidence of Disability Form OR Existing report	Psychologist OR Special Educational Needs (SEN) Teacher and countersigned by Principal/Deputy Principal.	No age limit

Please do not begin your application until you have these documents ready to upload.

Steps On How to Apply for Reasonable Accommodations

To Start:

Login to my.tcd.ie with your Trinity username and password – these are the details you were given to complete your Trinity course registration.

Find the My Disability Service tab

Once you access my.tcd.ie, click on the ‘My Disability Service’ tab on the top of the screen under the Menu. You will be brought to the Disability Service Application page to start your online application process.

Start your Reasonable Accommodation Application

Step 1: Start Your Application

Read the information provided and then click on the ‘Proceed’ button to continue with your application.

Step 2: Upload Your Evidence of Disability

You are required to upload your Evidence of Disability to support your application. You must select the type of evidence of a disability that you are uploading from the dropdown menu at the bottom of the page.

Please check what evidence of disability applies to you on the Disability Service Forms - Trinity disAbility Service | Trinity College Dublin form.

For all DARE students, please upload the evidence you submitted to the CAO.

If you do not have appropriate evidence of your disability, you should forward the Evidence of Disability form to your medical consultant/specialist to be completed.
Once you have selected the evidence of disability to upload, then click ‘Proceed to Upload Document’.

Once you have selected the evidence of disability from the dropdown list provided click 'Upload Document’ to find and upload your document.

Scan and save your Evidence of Disability as one document on your computer as this will assist you when uploading it.

Step 3: Select Your Disability/Disabilities and Support Requirements

You will be asked to indicate the primary disability that relates to your application with the disAbility Service.

You will be provided with a dropdown menu of 12 categories and will be asked to select the disability that applies to you and impacts on you the most. If you have a secondary disability, please select the category from the second drop down menu under Secondary Disability. This may not apply to you as you may only have one disability, and if so select 'None'. If you have more than two disabilities, indicate the two that impact on you the most.

In addition, supply a brief note (max 500 characters) in the text box to describe the impact of your disability and click on the 'Continue' button.

Step 4: Trinity Reasonable Accommodation Policy

The Reasonable Accommodation Policy outlines your rights and responsibilities as a student with a disability in availing of the supports provided by the disAbility Service in Trinity. It is an important document, to read the Trinity Reasonable Accommodation Policy in full you should click on this link.

You need to confirm that you have read it and whether you agree to it. Tick ‘Yes’, if you have fully read it and agree to the points outlined within this document.

It is important to be aware that if you do not agree to the points outlined within the above linked policy, then you will be unable to continue with the application process and fully apply for reasonable accommodations with the disAbility Service. This will delay your application to receive Reasonable Accommodations.

If you have queries about the Reasonable Accomodation Policy, please contact a member of the disAbility Service staff for more information.

Step 5: Read and Agree Consent to Disclose Disability Information

The next step requires you to read and agree to Trinity Consent to Disclose and Share Disability Information. This consent to disclose disability information form explains how we manage your information. 

Once you have read the ‘Trinity Consent to Disclose Disability Information form’ you need to confirm that you have read it and whether you agree to it. Tick ‘Yes’, if you have fully read it and agree to the points outlined within this document.  

It is important to be aware that if you do not agree to the points outlined within the Trinity Consent to Disclose Disability Information form, then you will be unable to continue with this application process. This will delay your application to receive Reasonable Accommodations.

If you have queries about the Trinity Consent to Disclose Disability Information form, please contact a member of the Disability Service staff for more information.

Step 6: Supports

In order for us to ensure we can support you to the best of our ability, please indicate what your disability-related support needs are in the text box.

You do not need to know the exact names of the supports available. Instead, focus on:

How your disability affects your studies.
Any challenges you think you might experience in lectures, tutorials, labs, placements, assessments, exams, or accessing course materials.
Any supports that have helped you previously.
Any adjustments you feel would reduce barriers and support your learning.

When you’ve finished, click ’Next’.

Step 7: Exam Supports

Choose ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ in the dropdown menu regarding whether you’d like to receive exam accommodations.

Please describe any supports you have received in the past for exams, if any.

Deadlines:
Please be aware of the deadlines for each semester and the reassessment period for the application and updating of exam accommodations.

Trinity has set examination deadlines for each semester and reassessment period as follows:

Semester 1 assessments and Foundation Scholarship assessment: last Friday in October annually
Semester 2 assessments: last Friday in February annually
Reassessments: last Friday in June annually

Step 8: What Happens Next?

Once your application has been reviewed, we'll recommend a range of supports to help you get started. These may include exam accommodations, course accommodations, and information about other supports and services available through the disAbility Service.

You'll have the opportunity to review these supports and either approve them or let us know if you have any questions or concerns.

Once your supports have been approved, you'll be invited into the disAbility Hub, where you can learn more about your approved supports and explore the additional services and resources available to you.

If you have any questions at any stage of the process, please contact us at asksd@tcd.ie. We're here to help.

Click ‘Next’.

Step 9: Submit Application

To finish your application for reasonable accommodations, please click on the ‘Submit Application’ button.

Your application for Reasonable Accommodations is now complete and all you need to do is wait to hear from a member of the disAbility Service who will contact you regarding next steps.

You will receive an in-tray message to your my.tcd.ie portal to confirm that you have completed all the steps required.