New to Our Office

New to Our Office

Whether you’re new to York University, or just new to Student Accessibility Services, our goal is to help you navigate the disability-related supports available that can help you succeed in your studies. 

How to Register

To be eligible to register with our office you must have a documented disability/medical condition and/or a history of academic accommodation (e.g. an IEP) related to a disability/chronic medical condition. To register, follow the steps below: 

 

  1. Collect your medical/psychological documentation.
  2. Upload an electronic copy of your documentation to our online Registration Questionnaire.
  3. Look for an email connecting you with an Accessibility Counsellor outlining next steps; you should hear back within five business days.

To have your academic accommodations in place for the start of the term, we recommend: 

If you want to register for... Submit your registration information by...
Winter 2025 exam period (April 8 to 25) February 28, 2025
Summer 2025 term April 20, 2025
Fall 2025 term July 20, 2025
Fall 2025 exam period  October 10, 2025
Winter 2026 term November 20, 2025
Winter 2026 exam period February 27, 2026
Summer 2026 term April 20, 2026

A note about documentation:

If you have experienced any barriers to receiving documentation, we are committed to working with you to find appropriate and creative ways of ensuring access to appropriate supports and services. If you have any questions or concerns about registration or documentation, reach out to sasreg@yorku.ca for support.

We recognize the historical and systemic disparities in educational systems and society can often have adverse consequences that further marginalize populations. They affect our students and their ability to provide documentation of a disability.   

What documents do I need to register?

To register for disability-related academic accommodations with Student Accessibility Services, you’ll need to provide documentation to help us understand your needs and determine the appropriate support. Documents you can submit include: 

An SAS Medical Form indicates how you are impacted by your disability. It is completed by your doctor or a qualified health care practitioner. This form can be used to register with SAS if you have: 

  • a chronic health or mental health condition; 
  • a brain injury or post-concussive syndrome; 
  • a physical or mobile disability;  
  • a sensory disability or impairment such as blindness or deafness; 
  • a neurodiversity, ADD (or ADHD) or autism. 

This report is provided by a regulated doctor or health care practitioner (e.g. a psychologist, psychiatrist, neurologist, etc.). It outlines disability-related impacts. This report can be used to register with SAS if you have: 

  • a chronic health or mental health condition; 
  • a brain injury or post-concussive syndrome; 
  • a physical or mobile disability;  
  • a sensory disability or impairment such as a visual impairment, Deaf, deafened or hard of hearing; 
  • a neurodiversity, ADD, ADHD or autism. 

This assessment form is required if you have been diagnosed with a learning disability/disorder. This assessment should have been completed within the last four years, unless you were at least 18 years old when you were tested. We will accept older assessments as a starting point to register with SAS. 

If you graduated from an Ontario high school in the last five years, you can request a copy of this form from your high school. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Student Accessibility Services (SAS) provides individualized academic accommodation planning to students with temporary and permanent disabilities. If you’re not sure whether this applies to you, use our digital flowchart to find out if SAS is the right place for you.

Critical incident support is available to students experiencing a personal or family emergency (for example: loss of housing, hospitalization, death of a loved one) through the Office of Student Community Relations.

No. Occasionally, students become ill or have personal/family emergencies and need special consideration to write a test or exam at a later date, or to hand in an assignment late. Please speak to your professor if you need special consideration.

Deferred standing is a formal arrangement with your course director and requires supporting documentation, where applicable. Find more information and how to apply for deferred standing.  

Resources

In addition to disability-related accommodations, York has many resources and services available to support your academic success, mental health and overall well-being. Whether you're looking for extra academic help, counselling services or wellness programs, these resources can make a positive difference in your university experience. 

If you would like to improve your study, time-management, writing or organizational skills for university-level studies, the following resources can help put you on the road to academic success:  

  • Learning Skills Services hosts workshops and individual sessions on academic skills development such as time management and critical thinking. 
  • The Writing Centre offers assistance with all aspects of university-level writing. 
  • Bethune College provides academic support to science and engineering students. 
  • The ESL Open Learning Centre helps students for whom English is not their first language. 
  • Study Hub has a comprehensive list of campus supports and information on how to find tutors and study groups. 

If you think your academic difficulties may be due to an undiagnosed disability, you can request a consultation with us to discuss the difficulties you are experiencing. If appropriate, we can suggest referrals for assessment and possible support. Student Accessibility Services does not provide psycho-educational, ADHD or mental health assessments. 

Stress, mood and anxiety can have a broad range of effects on academic success, from struggles with focus to trouble getting down to work.