UT Austin disability services (D&A)
Testing accommodations D&A offers
D&A sets yours one student at a time, so yours may differ.
- Extended time · Not for exams without a time limitTime and a half or double
- Reduced-distraction room · Quieter, not guaranteed silentQuieter space
- Calculator · Instructor approves the modelAllowed
- Computer for essay exams · Campus Testing Center or an approved personal computerType your answers
- Spell check · Basic dictionary or spell-check deviceAllowed
- Assistive technology · Usually reserved through RegisterBlastATEC Lab
Exam accommodation deadlines
Posted by D&A and the Campus Testing Center.
- Instructor schedules your test in RegisterBlast · Before the test date5 business days
- You reserve your seat at the Campus Testing Center · Before your test3 days (72 hours)
- Placement exam accommodation request · Before the exam5 business days
- Instructor doesn’t answer after you reach out · Then contact your access coordinator5 business days
Drop-in hours and test locations
- In-person drop-ins · No appointment. Mon, Wed, Thu 10 a.m.–12:30 p.m. and 1:30–4 p.m.Fri 10 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
- Virtual drop-ins · Appointment required. Mon, Wed, Thu 9–10 a.m. and 12:30–1:30 p.m.Fri 9–10 a.m.
- Campus Testing Center · Sanchez Building (SZB), Suite 5.102, 1912 Speedway512-471-0222
- ATEC Lab · Student Services Building, Room 3.220. Email for lab questions[email protected]
- Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services · Interpreting and captioning requests[email protected]
- D&A phone and fax · Phone 512-471-6259Fax 512-475-7730
How do I register with D&A?Send documentation, meet your access coordinator, then request letters.
Send your documentation by email, fax 512-475-7730, or in person at SSB 3.200G. Include your name, UT EID, email, and phone number. D&A contacts you if it needs more, and sends booking steps if you’re eligible.
After you meet with an access coordinator, request accommodation letters for your instructors in the D&A Student Portal. Incoming students submit documentation after accepting admission. D&A usually answers email within 1–3 business days.
What documentation does D&A need?A report that verifies a disabling condition. Guidelines vary by type.
Your documentation has to verify eligibility under Section 504, the ADA, and the ADA Amendments Act, and describe significant limits in one or more life activities. D&A has guidelines for ADHD, autism, brain injury, hearing loss, learning disabilities, physical or medical, psychological, temporary, and visual disabilities.
A past accommodation alone doesn’t prove current need. D&A makes the final call.
What accommodations can I get?Class, testing, housing, and more. They’re set per student.
Examples in class include slides or notes, stepping out for 5 to 10 minutes, recording lectures, volunteer notes, and flexible attendance or deadlines. D&A also lists housing and dining accommodations, Deaf and hard of hearing services, and course load reduction.
Some registered undergraduates can get priority registration. It runs the first day of registration, 2–5 p.m. and 6 p.m. to midnight. Graduate and law students already register before undergraduates.
How do I get accommodations on exams?Request your letters each semester, then book through RegisterBlast.
Request accommodation letters in the D&A Student Portal at the start of each semester. Instructors don’t have to provide accommodations until they get your letter. Most accommodated tests are held at the Campus Testing Center, which your instructor books and you reserve a seat in.
Placement exams use a separate request, and approval doesn’t carry over to your classes. If an instructor won’t provide an approved accommodation, contact D&A.
What if my injury or illness is short-term?D&A formal accommodations start at four weeks or longer.
If your condition is expected to last four weeks or longer, you may be eligible for formal accommodations. For shorter injuries, talk to your instructors. They can give extra time or a computer on exams without a letter. D&A doesn’t send class absence notices. Student Outreach and Support reviews that documentation.
Is D&A the same as SSD?D&A is UT’s current name. The portal address still says ssd.
UT’s office is Disability and Access. The student portal’s web address still starts with ssdportal, which is why you may still see “SSD.”
For stress, anxiety, or other support, see our counseling page.
SourcesUT’s Disability and Access and Testing and Evaluation Services
Checked November 12, 2026. Hours, steps, and deadlines come from UT’s own pages.
- D&A: How to register
- D&A: Contact us
- D&A: Testing accommodations
- UT Testing and Evaluation Services: Campus Testing Center
- UT Testing and Evaluation Services: Test registration for students using accommodations
- D&A: Using your accommodations
- D&A: Documentation guidelines
- D&A: Academic accommodations
- UT Disability and Access
- D&A: Temporary accommodations