Student Disability and Accessibility Center

Assistive technology is available for on campus use for anyone with a CSUMB.edu login. A list of available assistive technology, video tutorials, and campus locations offering assistive technology is at CSUMB's Center for Academic Technology's (CAT) webpage.

Other Resources for Online Learning

There are other hardware and software available through Student Disability and Accessibility Center (SDAC) that students may find useful. Consult SDAC's  Assistive Technology for Online Learning webpage and your SDAC Advisor by appointment.

Tips and Tools for Online Learning may assist any CSUMB student.

Open Sessions for Access Tools

SDAC invites you to participate in a resource offered by our team: Open Sessions for Access Tools. Our goal for this program is for you to meet with an SDAC staff member to discuss various recommendations and tips regarding technological tools and software that may help contribute to your success at CSUMB.

Please remember that Open Sessions for Access Tools are used for recommendations and tips about tools for online learning such as:

• Informing about online tools for note-taking applications (Glean, etc.)
• Options for text-to-speech software (Kurzweil 3000, etc.)
• Tips for staying organized when learning online

Schedule for Open Sessions for Access Tools

Open Sessions for Access Tools will occur weekly on Mondays and Thursdays from 3pm-4pm during the Fall & Spring semesters.  Students are free to drop in to an Open Session whenever they are offered by joining this zoom meeting.  Please contact SDAC to receive information on attending a session.

SDAC can provide accommodations related to helping students’ success in the classroom environment. Students can be approved for equipment loans for use during the semester. Additionally, some classrooms have furniture that may not work for some students, so SDAC also offers furniture alternatives as an accommodation. Contact SDAC immediately after course registration if you may need different furniture or or an equipment loan.

Some equipment available for loan include:

• Digital Recorders
• Smart Pens
• Assistive Listening Devices

Alternate Furniture options include:

• Adjustable Height Tables
• Adjustable, Ergonomic Chairs
• Separated Tables and Chairs

Students who are pregnant or experiencing related childbirth health concerns have certain rights under Title IX. To learn about services that are available from Title IX and SDAC, please click here.  Please contact SDAC as soon as possible to schedule an appointment with an SDAC Advisor to discuss your needs.

Additional resources:

Office of Civil Rights Resource for Pregnancy

Dept. of Education Resource for Pregnant and Parenting Students

CSUMB Student Parents: on-campus resources 

Campus Health Center: medical services

Care Team: additional assistance or resources, please contact the Care Manager, Joanna Snawder-Manzo.

CSUMB welcomes qualified applicants with disabilities. Applicants who do not meet CSUMB admissions criteria may appeal or request consideration of special circumstances such as disability.

How to apply

Follow the Admissions Appeals Process .

Explain why you think you should be admitted to CSUMB, and how you think you will be successful completing CSUMB requirements (tools and strategies you have learned to use in compensation for the functional effects of your disability, how you will stay motivated as the workload and complexity of assignments is substantially greater than in high school, etc.)

In your letter, authorize Admissions to consult with Student Disability and Accessibility Center (SDAC) about your application. Keep a copy of your letter.

Allow Admissions 6-12 weeks after receipt of all documents to process Special Admissions applications. 

Some students with disabilities may be eligible for course substitutions on the basis of disability.  Course substitutions are evaluated on an individual basis and are possible for students with verified disabilities in the area of foreign language and mathematics. Course substitutions are only granted for those students who have already demonstrated good-faith effort in completing college level foreign language or math coursework with accommodations.

To petition for course substitution in these or other subjects, please schedule an appointment with a Student Disability and Accessibility Center (SDAC) Advisor.

Prospective and enrolled CSUMB students are urged to fulfill the Math GE requirement through community college remediation courses and supportive services and/or extended time to complete CSUMB MATHCOM courses (such as STAT 200 and MATH 100). Students are also urged to use the tutors available through the Cooperative Learning Center rather than petitioning for course substitution.

Petitions process

The petition process will follow these steps:

• Review your eligibility for course substitution
• Consult the CSUMB academic requirements for your proposed degree in the CSUMB Catalog year for your specific entry to CSUMB 
• To confirm information or if you have questions, consult your Academic Advisor 
• Prepare documents for your SDAC appointment, including:
• Establish the specific type of academic work for which you seek an alternate pathway
• Documentation of your disability, related to learning or request a form from SDAC for your disability specialist or psychiatrist to complete
• Write your petition describing your exceptional circumstances, history of academic difficulties experienced in a particular subject or area of learning and your history of using disability accommodations while attempting to learn that academic subject. You do not need to disclose a diagnosis. Rather, specify the barriers to your learning, &/or demonstration of your learning, and your functional limitations. 
• Unofficial copies of your non-CSUMB transcripts
• Meet by appointment with an SDAC Advisor to:
• Review the petition. 
• SDAC will consider writing a letter of support on your behalf to the administrators in the course substitution approval process.  
• If SDAC recommends course substitution, you may be referred to the following academic departments to help you consider which course(s) might be good to propose as substitutes. 
• For foreign language substitution: School of World Languages and Cultures Chair, College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. (Bldg. 504), Rm 2420.
• For math substitution: University College and Graduate Studies, Administration Building (Bldg 1) Rm 105
• You will be notified by the academic department about the outcome of your petition - typically within 6 weeks. If your petition is denied, please contact your SDAC Advisor to discuss possible alternatives.