Frequently Asked Questions - Students

Many of your questions may be answered in our DSP Student Handbook

Some of the questions students frequently ask are also answered below.  

Resources for Housing Accommodations:

Provides accessible housing to meet the needs of everyone.Berkeley Housing Accomodations(link is external)

Oversees nondiscrimination laws that require housing providers to grant requests for reasonable accommodations and modifications in housing, programs, and activities.
...

Reading Strategies/Resources:

Helps improve your understanding, recall, and retention of textbook material.SQ3R - Survey, Question, Read, Recall, Review(link is external)

A video tutorial about the SQ3R Reading Method.
SQ3R Video Tutorial(link is external)

A video detailing...

Resources for Legal Support:

Advises currently registered Cal students regarding their legal questions, rights, and obligations.UC Berkeley Student Legal Services(link is external)

Works to advance the civil and human rights of people with disabilities through legal advocacy, training, education, and public policy and legislative development.
Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF)...

Note Taking Strategies:

A system for taking, organizing, and reviewing notes.Cornell Note Taking(link is external)

A note-taking method for iPad users.
The "Box-Method"(link is external)

Writing:

Helps students build confidence in their writing and enhances their ability to express rich ideas thoughtfully.College Writing Program - Writing Across Berkeley(link is external)

Writing worksheets, resources, and workshops that help students develop their writing skills.
...

Study Skills:

The Learning Scientists make scientific research on learning more accessible to students, teachers, and other educators.The Learning Scientists(link is external)

Study skills guides for students that provide everything you need in order to learn effectively.
Education Corner - Study Skills for Students(...

Resources for Academic and Learning Support:

The UC Berkeley Library provides special assistance to library users with disabilities in their use of the library and its resources.UC Berkeley Library - Disability Resources(link is external)

The Student Learning Center is the premier undergraduate academic support unit at UC Berkeley.
Student Learning Center...

Community-based Disability Resources:

Provides disability-related information, resources, and programs in the City of Berkeley.
City of Berkeley - Disability Resources(link is external)

A list of ADHD/LD providers that administer testing.
ADHD/LD Testing Referrals(link is external)

The...

Resources for Financial Support:

The Basic Needs Center serves as a space for students to create community and access coordinated basic needs services.
UC Berkeley Basic Needs(link is external)

CalFresh is California's food stamps (SNAP) program.
CalFresh(link is external)

Social Security offers an online disability...

What do I have to do in order to prove that I have a disability?

Disability documentation must verify two things: (1) the presence of a diagnosed disability or medical condition and (2) the current impact of the diagnosed disability or medical condition. For detailed information about documentation requirements and for forms that you can give to your medical providers to fill out, see Documentation.

If you have already sent us documentation but we conclude that it either is not sufficient to support a disability diagnosis or does not give us the...