The mission of AMDA's Disability Resource Center is to ensure that all students are afforded an equal opportunity to fully participate in and benefit from AMDA's performing arts education and diverse community of creative artists. We believe that disability is an integral part of the diversity of experience that fuels creative excellence. Therefore, it is our goal to remove access barriers to allow every student to reach their fullest potential.
To contact the DRC, please call or text (646) 823-5297, or email DRC@amda.edu. We do not have an office location on campus.
AMDA's Disability Resource Center provides support, advocacy, resources, and accommodation assessment for students with disabilities.
A person with a disability, as defined by the ADA, is someone with ‘a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities'. If you feel as though you have an impairment that impacts your ability to access your classes, your residence hall, or any other AMDA program or service, the Disability Resource Center is here to help.
The Disability Resource Center strives for full accessibility and inclusion for all students. Whether or not you identify as disabled, we want to hear from you if you notice ways in which AMDA can improve.
Assessment of disability accommodations
Tips, resources, and strategies to manage concerns that don't require accommodations
Staff support for student-led alliances surrounding disability rights, awareness, support, and/or advocacy
Assistance with developing self-advocacy skills and communicating with instructors and peers
Assistance for disabled students within AMDA meetings where extra support is requested
Referral to external resources to utilize after graduation from AMDA
Professional development opportunities for faculty and staff to understand accommodations and teach inclusively
One-on-one assistance with effectively incorporating student needs into unique courses and teaching styles
Information to reference in the Faculty Portal including FAQs, communication tips, resources for universal design, and a changing library of videos including performances involving disabled performers and talks by disabled panelists/speakers
Consultation regarding incorporating the needs of disabled students into curricula, programs, events, performances, and other AMDA programming
If you are a student with a disability and feel as though accommodations are needed for you to enjoy equal access to AMDA’s programs or services, the Disability Resource Center is here to support you. Please ensure you have fully read our Disability Accommodations Policy prior to submitting an accommodation request.
To make an accommodation request, please follow the steps below:
Have your healthcare provider fill out one of our provider forms. Usually, this will be the Disability Information Form. For accommodations exclusively for physical movement, it might be the Movement Modification Form. If you already have documentation, or your provider prefers to use their own form, that is fine, but please ensure that the documentation you submit is from a licensed professional who is experienced with your condition, is treating you for your condition, AND includes ALL of the same information as is asked for in the form. More detailed information about documentation requirements is included in the Disability Accommodations Policy document at the bottom of this page.
Fill out our online Accommodations Request Form. This form asks you to describe your disability, and any barriers you are experiencing, in your own words. It also asks you what accommodations you feel will best remove those barriers. Please be as detailed as possible, as this helps us approve the accommodation(s) that best provide equal access. If you don’t know what accommodations you need, that is fine. You may leave that section blank, and specific accommodations will be discussed with you in your access meeting. Please attach your provider form or other documentation to this form.
After you have completed and sent in these forms, we will contact you to schedule an access meeting. During this meeting, we will engage in what is called the interactive process, where we will discuss your individual situation and needs so we are able to determine what accommodations are appropriate. Your accommodations will be officially determined shortly after this meeting. Note that while the Disability Resource Center may confer or inquire with other staff in general terms in order to thoroughly explore all accommodation options, the office will NOT share your diagnosis or information from your documentation with anyone unless you expressly give us permission to do so.
To request to bring an emotional support animal (ESA) to live with you in the residence halls, you will need to have your mental healthcare provider fill out our ESA Verification Form. You will follow the same steps listed above for an accommodation request, but you will be submitting the ESA Verification Form as documentation instead.
Please ensure you have read AMDA’s full ESA Policy prior to submitting an ESA request.
AMDA follows the definition of the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act), which defines a disability as 'a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities'. It can mean visual or hearing impairments, using a wheelchair or crutches to get around, processing information differently, having difficulty maintaining focus, or any number of other limitations. If you are not sure whether you have a disability, you are welcome to contact the DRC to discuss.
No. You do need documentation as part of a disability accommodation request, and for the DRC to assess official disability accommodations, but the DRC is able to support you in other ways if you do not have documentation. We can help you with practicing self-advocacy and communication skills, recognizing and building upon your strengths, developing strategies for issues you may be struggling with, understanding your rights under the ADA, finding local resources, and more.
No. Submitting documentation gives us the information we need in order to fully assess your request as part of our interactive process, but it doesn’t guarantee that your desired accommodation will be granted. Recommendations from providers are taken into consideration, but they are not prescriptive. If we identify a barrier to access, we will ensure that it is addressed through the most reasonable and appropriate accommodation.
You have the right to appeal an accommodation decision. You must appeal the decision within 10 calendar days of receiving your letter. A neutral third party will review your appeal and issue a decision within 15 calendar days. For more detailed information, please see the Catalog, in the section called 'Appeals Process'.
No. If you received accommodations in high school, you may notice that accommodations work differently in college. In college, you are responsible for self- identifying to the DRC, providing documentation of your disability, and requesting accommodations. The DRC will not seek you out unless you choose to self-identify. IEPs and 504s do not automatically follow you to college.
In addition, the accommodations you are eligible to receive are different. In high school, you may have been entitled to modifications of the curriculum; that is, you may have received individually designed instruction, been allowed to demonstrate different types of skills, or been given alternate assignments.
Colleges do NOT modify curricula or program outcomes; all students must be able to demonstrate the same knowledge, skills, and proficiencies in order to receive a degree or certificate. This means that you will still be learning, developing, and demonstrating the same course and learning outcomes as your peers.
Unfortunately, no. Accommodations cannot be made retroactively. To avoid this type of situation, it is in your best interest to request any needed accommodations as soon as possible after becoming aware that there is an access barrier.
No, and no. All information you submit to us for consideration of an accommodation request is kept confidential. The letter we send to your instructors includes only the accommodations you were approved for, and does not include specific information about your condition. It is your choice whether you want to disclose your disability to your instructors (or anyone else). The fact that you had accommodations will not appear anywhere on your academic record.
If this occurs, notify the DRC as soon as possible. We will address the matter with the instructor. In the event that the instructor has concerns about fundamental alteration of learning outcomes, we will ensure that you receive the accommodations for which you were approved until a final decision is made about whether the accommodations need to change.
Many of the common college accommodations you've probably heard of (extra time on tests, having a note-taker, the use of a computer for essay-writing, etc) may not apply to classes where grades are determined largely by performance. That means we at AMDA – both you and the DRC – have the opportunity to get creative! Your AMDA education is unique because of its emphasis on rigorous performance-based training and an industry-focused experience, so your accommodations may be unique too. There is no list of set accommodations that we choose from; accommodations are as diverse as your classes and tailored to each class's requirements, setting, and delivery method.
AMDA is committed to providing housing for as many students as possible, and to ensuring full access for every student who resides in the residence halls. The provision of a single room as a disability accommodation is not common.
AMDA residence halls are by definition a communal living environment, designed to provide students with a setting in which they can develop and practice important life skills such as self-advocacy, conflict resolution, negotiation, and respect for differing habits and values. Disability accommodations are approved when necessary to ensure equal access to AMDA programs. They are not approved to provide an environment free of stressors.
AMDA has several resources and support systems available to students who struggle with shared living spaces. These include Housing/RA support with roommate agreements, communication and boundaries; Quiet Rooms to provide solo space to decompress; study areas to provide alternative spaces to work; and a team of mental health counselors available to all students for short-term services.
Requests to the Disability Resource Center to be exempt from AMDA’s required meal plan are considered on the basis of disability, so the standard Accommodations Request Process should be followed. The Disability Resource Center does not hear requests based on dietary preferences, religious requirements, financial restrictions, or other reasons unrelated to disability. If the request is based on an allergy or other dietary restriction, documentation should directly address the following questions:
What specific food or ingredients are restricted
The type and severity of reaction to the food/ingredients on the list
Sensitivity of the reaction (i.e. how much is needed for a reaction to occur