THREE STEPS TO MANAGE BARRIERS

Register with Accessibility Services

Consider registering with Accessibility Services as soon as you identify you will need an accommodation. Registering as early as possible will contribute to set up your accommodations on time.

We encourage you to ideally register six weeks before your classes begin, and for accommodations that may require additional time, such as Braille textbooks or particular physical access needs, we recommend registering at least four to six months before the start of the course or program.

Registration steps

If you have recently applied or been accepted to BCIT, or are currently needing accommodation for a course or program, follow these three easy steps to ensure a smooth and successful process to register with Accessibility Services.

STEP 1

Prepare medical documentation

To be eligible for Accessibility Services, you will need to submit comprehensive, updated medical documentation from the appropriate treating professional confirming a diagnosis(es), the functional limitations you experience, and how they impacts your learning at BCIT.

*If you have a learning disability, additional medical documentation may be required.

Required Medical Documentation

STEP 2

Submit it on our online portal

After organizing your medical documentation, log into our online portal using your BCIT A0# and authentication password.

Complete the Student Intake and Self-Assessment form.
Upload your medical documentation.

STEP 3

Schedule an appointment

After completing the above steps, please wait two business days and then contact us at 604.451.6963 OR accessibility@bcit.ca to schedule an intake appointment with a Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist (VRS).

During your intake appointment, you and your VRS will discuss how your disability impacts your studies, and review possible accommodations, services and supports that are available to you so a customized plan to support your needs can be developed.

Documentation

The collection and review of medical documentation is to verify that a disability exists as well as to identify the related functional limitations. A diagnosis of a disorder in and of itself does not automatically qualify an individual for accommodations; documentation must also support the related need for accommodations and/or services by stating the functional limitations and impact on studies.

Find here all the important information about the required documentation:

You are encouraged to ask your regulated health professional(s) to use the BCIT Medical Form [PDF], which guides doctors in providing the specific information which we require to determine your eligibility for accommodations and services in a post-secondary setting. If you have different doctors for different disabilities, please have each doctor fill out a separate BCIT Medical Form.

* A functional limitation is any restriction to a person’s ability to perform daily activities necessary to participate in post-secondary studies.

If you choose to submit documentation other than the BCIT Medical Form, it will need to meet these criteria.

Completed by a professional, registered health practitioner qualified to diagnose the condition.
Confirms you have a disability/diagnosed health concern.
Provides information regarding your functional impairments (refer to BCIT Medical Form [PDF] if unclear).
Identifies how your limitations specifically impact your participation in post-secondary studies.
Obtained within the last three years*

*You may be required to provide updated documentation in some cases, in order to assess and adjust necessary accommodations, or as required by specific program licensing boards (i.e. ITA exam).

If you have a learning disability, you are required to provide a copy of your current psycho-educational or neuro-psychological assessment, completed by a registered Psychologist or Psychological associate. This assessment must have been completed within the last five years, or at age 18 or older.

An outdated psycho-educational assessment that clearly outlines the impact of limitation(s) triggered by disability and/or health conditions in a Post-Secondary setting may be accepted for registration purposes while you arrange for an updated assessment.

Documentation must include:

verification of disability or medical condition
current functional limitation
duration, severity, prognosis
medication and side effects
impact on studies and daily activities

We recognize that there may be medical, physical, or mental health conditions that pose temporary barriers to a student’s academic performance. Every student with a diagnosed, disabling condition (whether permanent or temporary) is encouraged to register with Accessibility Services. Access to our services, even temporarily, requires medical documentation from a Regulated Health Care Professional outlining the functional limitations resulting from the disability or health condition and anticipated date of recovery.

Please note that a brief medical issue that is common to the general population (such as a flu virus) and requires academic consideration should be discussed with an instructor who will then advise the student of the appropriate BCIT policy (e.g. exam deferral, make-up exam) and accommodate the student.

Check out our confidentiality and guiding principles to learn more about how Accessibility Services manage the information.

If you are unsure of what you need to present to our office, contact Accessibility Services to arrange for a brief consultation meeting.

Register with Accessibility Services

Plan ahead

Registration steps

Prepare medical documentation

Submit it on our online portal

Schedule an appointment

Documentation

BCIT Medical Form

Alternative in-depth assessment report

Documentation for learning disabilities

Documentation for temporary disabilities

Additional considerations

Not sure what to submit?