Applying to Duke: How To Apply: Information for Students with Disabilities

ADMISSIONS PROCESS

Duke University is committed to the equality of educational opportunities for all qualified students. Students with disabilities (including learning disabilities, hearing or visual impairments, mobility impairments, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorders, psychiatric impairments or chronic health disabilities) who apply to Duke can choose whether or not to disclose their disability to us. Our office is prohibited by law from making inquiries about a student's disability in the admissions process. We will not require you at any point in the admissions process to disclose if you have a disability.

Some students choose to include information about their disability in their admissions application, sometimes because they feel it is an important element of their experiences as a student up to that point, and sometimes because they want to share with us how they have overcome an obstacle that not everyone has had to face. We always appreciate any significant information a student wishes to share with us and consider that information in understanding a student's achievements. We evaluate a student's accomplishments within the context of any opportunities or challenges presented to that student. We do not, and could not, use information about a disability to deny admission to a student.

There is no separate admissions process at Duke for students with disabilities. All students who apply to Duke, including those who have a diagnosed impairment/disability, are evaluated using the same criteria.

If you have questions or require additional information, please contact the Admissions Office at (919) 684-3214 and ask for the admissions officer responsible for students with disabilities.

Accommodations at Duke

• All students have the right to request reasonable accommodations at Duke. Students requesting consideration for reasonable accommodations must have an impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities and should contact the Student Disability Access Office to request consideration for reasonable accommodations.
• We recognize that students with disabilities sometimes find the transition from secondary education to post-secondary education difficult due to the differences in the level of services and accommodations provided at post-secondary institutions. Not all students who received accommodations in high school will be found to be eligible to receive accommodations at Duke.
• In primary and secondary education, a student's parents and school staff often bear the responsibility of evaluating, supporting, and providing accommodations to the student. At the post-secondary level, it is the student's responsibility to identify that he/she has a diagnosed impairment/disability and to follow the appropriate procedures to request consideration for reasonable accommodations.
• Please be aware that Duke is not required to approve any accommodation that would change the fundamental nature of a course or a curriculum. Course substitutions and/or waivers will not be granted for requirements for a major or college curriculum; this includes the foreign language requirement of Trinity College.
• For additional information about accommodations and resources at Duke, we encourage you to contact the Student Disability Access Office.