Education at OHSU

Education at OHSU

Office for Student Access

Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

OHSU is committed to providing equal access to qualified students who experience a disability in compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, as amended in 2008 (ADAAA).

As defined by the ADA and ADAAA, a person with a disability has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. Some examples of major life activities include performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, sleeping, walking, standing, lifting, bending, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating, and working. A qualified student is a person who meets the academic and technical standards for admission and participation in a particular program of study, with or without reasonable accommodations.

The Office for Student Access determines which accommodations are approved and provides information and technical assistance to academic programs and Program Accommodation Liaisons who are responsible for implementing academic adjustments, auxiliary aids and/or program modifications, also known as reasonable accommodations.

Request a confidential consultation regarding disability accommodations

Students who have questions about the accommodation process (or are not sure if they have a condition that qualifies) but do not want to share information with their academic program yet should first schedule a consultation with the Office for Student Access using our Appointment Request Form. Information shared will be kept as confidential as possible except when disclosure is required by law. Students who want a confidential consultation regarding accommodations should wait to submit the OSA application and/or documentation. Please review the OSA Student Handbook for more information regarding confidentiality.

Ready to request academic and/or clinical accommodations?

Students are advised to contact the Office for Student Access as soon as possible to discuss accommodations, which may take time to implement and cannot be applied retroactively.

Here are the steps: 

  1. Review the OSA Student Handbook, which contains information about our policies, confidentiality, accommodation request timelines, and other important information.
  2. Submit an OSA Application for Accommodations and Disability Documentation. If you currently do not have documentation and/or have questions/concerns about your documentation please schedule an appointment so we can support you.  
  3. Complete a required initial appointment. Request an appointment using our Appointment Request Form.
  4. If you have questions or concerns call us at 503-494-0082 or email studentaccess@ohsu.edu.
This video, by the Access in Medicine (AIM) workgroup, introduces students with disabilities entering a health professions program to the accommodation process and how the process should work, helping them prepare to enter the program.

Meeks, L., Magee, E., Serrantino, J. (n.d.). Entering health professions programs as a student with a disability. Access in Medicine workgroup (AIM). https://www.docswithdisabilities.org/AIM

The Program Accommodation Liaisons (PALs) act as a resource within OHSU programs for both students and faculty. The PALs work in collaboration with OSA to implement disability accommodations for students with disabilities.

School of Dentistry: Jenna Wilkinson, B.S. 

School of Medicine: 

School of Nursing: 

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health: Emily Morris Kemmerer, M.Ed.

Chennettée Jelleberg, M.S., C.R.C, Director

Chennettée received her master’s degree in Counseling with a focus in Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling from Portland State University in 2015. She first began working with students as an intern at a student health center providing mental health counseling. After graduation she worked as a researcher at the Portland VA and OHSU. With the desire to engage with students again, she returned to higher education as an Access Counselor at the PSU Disability Resource Center before joining the Office for Student Access team in 2019 as the Student Support and Accommodations Coordinator before stepping into the role of OSA Director.

Staci Ganje M.A., C.R.C., Administrative Coordinator

Staci comes to higher education from the world of Vocational Rehabilitation. She has worked for over eleven years as a VR counselor in multiple states to help individuals with a variety of disabilities succeed in the workforce. She received her Master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from the University of Northern Colorado in 2010. She is the newest team member with the Office for Student Access and was hired in late 2021.

Additional Resources