Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

We Are Here for You.

The Center for Prehospital Care is committed to providing equal access to all programs and co-curricular activities for qualified applicants and students living with permanent or temporary disabilities. 

Definition of “Disability”

As stated in the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendment Act (ADAAA), a disability is defined as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. This includes people who have a record of such an impairment, even if they do not currently have a disability.

General examples of disability categories include, but are not limited to:

  • Learning challenges
  • Cognitive issues (e.g., ADHD, traumatic brain injury)
  • Hearing or vision loss/impairment
  • Mobility difficulties

Types of Accommodations

Accommodations are personalized to meet the needs of each student based on the information specified in their current, verifiable medical documentation.

Examples of accommodations include but are not limited to:

  • Extended time for exams and quizzes
  • Note taking support
  • Distraction reduced testing environment

Any accommodation granted by UCLA is strictly for activities within the control of UCLA and may or may not be honored by other agencies, such as NREMT, or hospitals/EMS agencies with whom the student performs a clinical or field rotation.


New Requests

To request accommodations, the following should be submitted to dkarim@mednet.ucla.edu at least 2-3 weeks before the start of the course. Please be advised that accommodations are not retroactive and not guaranteed if submitted late. 

Your request and documentation will be reviewed by team members from the Center for Prehospital Care and the UCLA Center for Accessible Education to determine your eligibility for services.

You will receive notification from the Center for Prehospital Care once a decision has been made—typically within 2-3 weeks, provided all documentation submitted is complete.

The Center for Prehospital Care will subsequently notify your instructor(s) of all approved accommodations. Details of your medical documentation are held in strictest confidence and will not be shared with the instructors or staff members.

For Current Students

If you have received an approved accommodation that is less than three years old, it is not necessary to resubmit medical documentation for each course, unless your documentation will be three-years-old by your next enrollment. Contact our office at dkarim@mednet.ucla.edu with your full name and UCLA student ID if you have questions regarding the status of your documentation.