The resources you need, wherever you need them.
In addition to academic accommodations, the McBurney Center offers several additional academic assistance services for affiliated students. UW-Madison also offers a variety of other resources through many different entities that may be of use to students with disabilities. If you are looking for resources about a disability-related concern that you can’t find on this page, you can always contact us, and we will do our best to connect you with the right resources.
On this page:
- Study and Learning Skills Specialists (SLSS)
- McBurney Center Ambassador Program
- Career Accessibility & Readiness Program
- Counseling Psychology 115: Transition to College for Incoming Students
- Scholarships
- Housing Accommodations at UW
- Personal Care Assistance Resources
- Transportation Services
- Health Resources
- Basic Needs Student Support
- Release of Information (ROI)
- Policies and Grievances
Study and Learning Skills Specialists (SLSS)
The Study and Learning Skills Specialists (SLSS) program provides specialized tutoring and study skills training to eligible students registered with the McBurney Center who have received a referral from their Access Consultant. SLSS focuses on improving study skills overall, as opposed to subject-specific content. Students can schedule individual sessions to focus on learning new strategies, or they can meet regularly if they find it to be helpful. SLSS topics might include the following:
- Time management and procrastination
- Notetaking tips and techniques
- Exam preparation and study methods
- Organizing papers/projects
- Strategies for reading, memorization, and focus
To schedule an appointment with SLSS, please contact us at the front desk.
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How do I get started with SLSS?
SLSS is available to students affiliated with the McBurney Center who are approved to receive it as a disability-related accommodation. Talk to your Access Consultant about a referral to SLSS. If you aren’t yet affiliated with the McBurney Center, start by applying for accommodations.
How long are appointments?
Initial appointments are typically 1 hour, and follow-up appointments are 30 minutes.
What happens during a SLSS meeting?
A student staff tutor will start by getting to know you. They will gather some information on your current study methods and what your goals are for connecting with SLSS. They will review specific strategies for you to try on your own, and provide you with study materials for you to reference as well.
How often can I schedule an appointment?
We find it works best to schedule enough time between appointments for you to try out the strategies covered in your previous session. This can be every week, every other week, or once a month.
Are there other options available for tutoring outside of SLSS?
Yes! UW-Madison has an extensive network of learning centers on campus, for subject-specific tutoring, like chemistry, and more generalized topics, like writing.
McBurney Center Ambassador Program
The McBurney Ambassador Program is part of the Transition Services Program effort to assist incoming first-year students with disabilities on campus. First year students who choose to participate will have the opportunity to match with an upperclassman McBurney Center Ambassador who has at least one year of experience using accommodations. Ambassadors will assist new students in finding a sense of community among other students with disabilities, generating understanding of how to navigate resources at UW-Madison, and offering opportunities to get involved in campus life.
To get involved as a mentor or mentee, you can contact the transition coordinator.
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What are the goals of the program?
- Provide a safe space for students to discuss disability and other transition-related topics through peer-to-peer interaction.
- Create a greater sense of community among peers.
- Assist in fostering relationships between first year students and upperclassmen to create insight into University resources and opportunities.
- Provide an opportunity for students to share personal experiences in order to help ease the transition process for new students.
What are some of the things I can expect if I sign up?
- Each mentee will receive a weekly email from their ambassador.
- Each mentee will have the opportunity to communicate with their mentor one-on-one throughout the year to discuss any obstacles or victories they have faced during their transition to UW-Madison.
- McBurney Ambassadors will plan occasional group activities for their mentees and will highlight other campus wide events of interest.
Career Accessibility & Readiness Program
The Career Accessibility and Readiness Program at the McBurney Center offers consultation to support the transition from college to career, all while helping students identify, explore, and advocate for career accessibility. This program is available to students who are or were recently affiliated with the McBurney Center. Our primary appointment topics include the following:
- Disability Disclosure: Understand how to disclose a disability in the workplace and develop strategies to communicate with colleagues and employers.
- Reasonable Work Accommodations: Learn how to engage in the interactive process of requesting reasonable work-related accommodations.
- Disability Rights: Review key protections like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Rehabilitation Act, which safeguard disability rights and promote equitable employment opportunities.
- Self-Advocacy: Develop strategies and skills for proactive, accessible workplace advocacy.
When to Connect
Engaging with your respective career center can also provide constructive career guidance on transitioning from college to career. We recommend starting with these resources as soon as you begin considering your career choices, whether it’s for an internship or a job. Connecting early allows you to develop an understanding of disability disclosure, workplace accommodations, and self-advocacy strategies before you enter the job market. Our services are designed to complement those offered by your school or college’s career center, so we encourage you to utilize both resources for a comprehensive approach to career preparation.
Scheduling an Appointment
Start by completing the self-referral application linked below. After you have submitted the application, our transition consultant or the front desk staff will contact you to arrange a 60-minute intake appointment. Please let us know in advance if you can’t attend, need to change the meeting format (in-person, video call, phone), or need to request accommodations for this meeting. You can also email our transition consultant directly.
Students can also sign up for the Career Accessibility and Readiness Newsletter for more transition-to-career resources.
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How do I get started with the Career Accessibility and Readiness Program?
Students must first apply for accommodations through the McBurney Center. After that, students and recent alumni should fill out the self-referral application. Once submitted, our team will contact you to discuss available scheduling options.
Can recent graduates and alumni access this service?
Yes, so long as they were connected with the McBurney Center.
How long are initial intake appointments?
Initial meetings are typically scheduled for 60 minutes, with the option to schedule follow-up sessions.
What topics could my appointment include?
In general, we are open to discussing any topic related to fostering accessibility in your career, job, or professional environment including:
- When, where, how & why to request accommodations
- Navigating the interactive process
- Strategies for self-disclosure
- Identifying suitable accommodations
- Addressing disability stigma in the workplace
- Requirements for reasonable documentation
- Communication strategies for accommodation requests
- Disability rights and protections
- Disclosure on written application materials
- Additional resources
How can I contact my respective career center?
UW-Madison offers the following specialized career service centers:
- UW Madison Career Services (Handshake)
- Advising & Career Center – School of Human Ecology
- SuccessWorks at the College of Letters and Science
- School of Education Career Center
- PharmD Career Services and Professional Development Resources
- School of Nursing Career Services
- School of Business – Careers
- College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Career Services
- Engineering Career Services
What’s in the Career Accessibility and Readiness Newsletter?
Our monthly newsletter for students with disabilities offers transition-to-career resources, opportunities, and guidance. We invite your input! Please share any topics or insights you would like featured through our form’s suggestion section.
Counseling Psychology 115: Transition to College for First-Year Students
This one-credit course is designed to assist incoming first-year students with disabilities during their transition to UW-Madison. Students will learn about campus resources and how they can utilize them for stress management, study skill development, community connection, career exploration, mental health support, and much more.
Scholarships
The McBurney Center general scholarships are available to current and incoming UW-Madison undergraduate, graduate, and professional students whose disabilities have been verified through the McBurney Disability Resource Center and who will be enrolled in the incoming Fall semester.
UW-Madison Housing Accommodations
The McBurney Center is the campus entity responsible for collecting and reviewing all disability documentation as it relates to disability-related housing accommodations for University Housing. Questions related to that process can be directed to the McBurney Center, while questions about the housing accommodations themselves are best answered by contacting University Housing directly. For detailed instructions on how to apply for housing accommodations, consult the information below.
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Who is eligible for University Housing Accommodations?
Students, live-in employees, program participants, and those people living with them who have documented long-term or permanent disabilities or serious medical conditions may request University Housing accommodations. To be eligible for housing accommodations, the person must have a disability, the disability must necessitate adjustments to the living environment, and the request process must be completed before room assignments are made.
University Housing will work to fill accommodation requests for students who acquire a disability or medical condition after room assignments are made, however, some accommodations may be limited by housing availability.
How do I request disability-related housing accommodations for University Housing?
Youm will need to follow the standard University Housing contract and assignment process for all students by the deadline listed in your My UW Housing portal (Step 1a. OR 1b) AND, in parallel, request disability-related housing accommodations (Step 2.) through the McBurney Center so that accommodations can be considered in your assignment. The MyUW Housing portal includes a place for you to indicate if you need disability-related housing accommodations.
Step 1a. Undergraduates: Completing the Standard Steps for University Housing Residence Halls
- Students who are offered a housing contract should complete the steps outlined for them in their My UW Housing portal.
- Review residence hall information.
- Some resources include the Residence Hall Comparison, Residence Hall Information, Dining Locations & Hours, Residential Learning Communities, and the Campus Map (search for “residence hall”), for more information and locations.
- Consider a General Residential Hall Tour.
- If you have a significant mobility limitation that requires accommodation, tours of some of the halls and rooms can be arranged. Please be aware that very few residence hall rooms have private bathrooms.
- University Housing will contact you or your McBurney Center Access Consultant with any questions about your housing accommodations during or after the hall assignment process.
Step 1b. Undergraduate Students with Families and Graduate Students: Completing the Standard Steps for University Housing Apartments
- Read more about the University Apartments.
- Apply Online for University Apartments as soon as you are interested in studying at UW-Madison. It is important to apply early as the University Apartments usually fill up quickly.
- If you become eligible for a lease, University Housing will contact you or your McBurney Center Access Consultant with any questions about your housing accommodations during or after the apartment assignment process.
Step 2. Completing the Accommodation Request Steps for University Housing
Students are encouraged to complete the following steps by May 1. Accommodations for requests made after May 1st may be limited by housing availability.
- Indicate in your MyUW Housing portal that you need disability-related housing accommodations
- Follow the McBurney Center instructions to Apply for Accommodations and indicate you are requesting University Housing accommodations. Students are encouraged to start the application process by April 1.
- After the appropriate documentation has been submitted and you have completed the initial meeting, your McBurney Center Access Consultant will determine your eligibility for services and make a recommendation to University Housing regarding your housing accommodation requests. All recommendations are made on a case-by-case basis and through an interactive process. Early contact with both University Housing and the McBurney Center is crucial in order to fairly assess your needs and identify reasonable housing accommodations.
- New freshman living in the residence halls are encouraged to register for and attend the McBurney Center MOST orientation program so that they can move in early.
Under what circumstances could a housing accommodation be denied?
Requests are generally denied for three reasons:
- Documentation does not indicate a substantial limitation to a major life activity (i.e., the student does not have a disability).
- The disability-related need does not require an alteration to the living environment. For example, students with AD/HD, learning disabilities or psychological disabilities who request a private room in order to have a quiet study area can have that need met through use of the libraries and other spaces around campus that are suitable for quiet study.
- A student makes a late request for a room that is no longer available. For example, University Housing has wheelchair accessible rooms; however, all rooms are assigned during the room selection process. Once the assignments are made, students are not then reassigned or denied housing to accommodate a late request. To avoid this situation, it is imperative that you contact University Housing and the McBurney Center as soon as you believe you will need a housing accommodation.
Remember, housing assignments will be based on disability-related needs, not requests to live in a specific residence hall. Not all residence halls are able to accommodate students in the same way. If a student’s top choices for residence halls are already filled or are unable to meet the student’s disability-related needs, the student will be assigned to another residence hall. For instance, if a student with a mobility disability is requesting a specific centrally located dorm due to mobility concerns and that dorm is either full or is not equipped with other accessible amenities, the student may be placed in another centrally located dorm that can accommodate their needs.
How do I request air conditioning as a disability-related accommodation?
University Housing will install air conditioner units for students who require air conditioning for disability-related reasons and who are not assigned to a room with central air through the same process as other housing accommodations.
Students who do not have an approved accommodation can fill out a form in MyUW Housing to agree to the terms and conditions to bring their own air conditioning unit from a list of approved AC units if living in a residence hall without central air or air conditioning.
How do I request a service or assistance animal?
Eligibility to have an assistance animal accompany a student in University Housing is determined by the McBurney Center through the same process as other accommodations. All the information on service animals can be found at the UW-Madison Office of Compliance website, including the information on assistance animals in university housing.
How can I contact University Housing with more questions?
For more information regarding University Housing and disability-related accommodation requests, please visit University Housing’s “Accommodation Requests” page.
Private (“Off-Campus”) Housing and Accommodations
The resources listed below are for students who will not be living in UW-Madison Housing. Students who need disability-related housing accommodations are encouraged to visit rental units before signing a lease to ensure their individual accessibility needs can be met. Please note that housing options listed as “private residence halls” are not owned by UW-Madison and are outside of our accommodation process.
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Resources for Private Housing Listings
- Campus Area Housing Listing Service – Listings provided through UW-Madison’s Visitor and Information Programs. The free interactive search tool has a checkbox for “Disability Access” found by clicking on the “All Filters” button on the main search page.
- Tenant Resource Center’s Housing Vacancy List – Tenant Resource Center UW-Madison office
- MadisonRent.com – Go to “Advanced Search”, click on “View all amenities”, and select “Handicap Accessible”.
Resources for Accessible Private Housing
Access to Independence is Madison’s Independent Living Center. They provide many services, including housing information. They have handouts with tips on locating accessible housing in the Madison area. They are happy to answer students’ specific questions and assist with the accessible housing search, and often get notices from local housing providers advertising accessible units. Ask to speak with one of their Independent Living Specialists.
Personal Care Assistance Resources
Students requiring person care for activities of daily living (ADLs) are encouraged to contact the Aging & Disability Resource Center (ADRC) of Dane County for information about personal care options in the Madison area, including IRIS (Include, Respect, I Self-Direct), Family Care, and Family Care Partnership Program. The ADRC is readily available by both phone and email, and they can provide info on funding options, applying for services, local agencies, and transferring services between regions.
Students should apply for and begin planning for personal care services as soon as they have been admitted and decide to attend UW-Madison, as the process can take several months and may include wait lists or transferring services/programs. Some students use programs that permit them to hire their own staff for care, while other students work with personal care agencies that provide the staffing.
Students working with a program where they hire their own personal care staff can contact Access to Independence for resources on managing personal care workers (e.g. advertising, hiring and supervisory issues). Students commonly recruit personal care staff by posting openings on the Non-UW Positions Student Jobs site.
For students living in UW Housing residence halls, the McBurney Center works with the student and Housing to facilitate card access for personal care staff.
Accessible Transportation Resources
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Overview of UW-Madison Accessible Transportation
UW-Madison provides a variety of accessible transportation options. For an overview of all the options available, consult the UW-Madison Accessible Transportation page.
Accessible Circulator Shuttle: UW Transportation Services
UW Transportation Services’ Accessible Circulator Shuttle provides wheelchair accessible transportation from campus building to campus building, Monday through Friday, during Fall and Spring semesters. The shuttle is intended to supplement campus bus and paratransit service for riders with disabilities, whether temporary or permanent. Service is available to UW students, employees, visitors, and affiliates. No pre-registration is required to use this service.
Before choosing this option, consider whether the service hours, days, and boundaries will meet all your needs. You may want to combine this service with other transportation options.
Accessible Parking Permits: UW Transportation Services
Students with a permanent or temporary state Department of Transportation (DOT) disabled parking license plates or identification card can purchase a UW-Madison accessible parking permit at any of the Transportation Services Customer Service office locations. A two-month temporary UW accessible parking permit is also available for purchase with a doctor’s note.
The Accessible Parking Help Center might also be useful.
Before choosing this option, think about your class schedule and classroom locations. Some areas of campus, such as the Bascom Hill area, have limited parking and spaces may be filled early in the day, necessitating walking from a more distant lot or catching the campus bus.
Paratransit: Madison Metro
The UW student bus pass provides free paratransit services for students with permanent and temporary conditions who are eligible for paratransit. Madison Metro’s Paratransit Service provides wheelchair accessible, curb to curb service from one home/apartment/building to another, rather than from bus stop to bus stop. Some students only need to use paratransit under specific circumstances, such as during winter or icy conditions, when they may not be able to access the fixed-route bus service.
Students can email or mail their application to Madison Metro and should include a picture of the front and back of their UW bus pass. Students who need assistance filling out the form can contact their Access Consult. An application should be submitted as early as possible to allow Madison Metro time to process the application.
When using this option, consider much time you have between classes. While paratransit will pick you up and drop you off very close to the building, they may not be able to get you to your next class within the standard 15 minute class change times. Allowing at least 30 minutes for travel between classes using paratransit is more typical. Ride reservations need to be made as early as possible, but at least a day in advance.
Winter Weather Resources
UW-Madison has campus snow removal requests for accessibility for days when campus is experiencing inclement weather. The campus Accessible Circulator Shuttle can also pick up students/staff/visitors and drop them off at campus buildings.
There are also two no-step interior routes that connect buildings:
- From University Ave to the top of Bascom Hill ( Bascom Hall, Social Sciences and Ingraham Hall) via Chamberlin Hall, Sterling Hall, and Van Vleck Hall
- From University Avenue to Linden Drive, via Medical Sciences Center, Social Work, and the Middleton Building
A PDF of indoor routes on UW-Madison campus is available as well.
Health Related Resources
There are a range of useful services and resources available to students with disabilities through UW-Madison, including things such as Health Services, Mental Health Services, and Dining and Allergen resources.
Many of these resources are included in your student tuition and available to you at no additional cost.
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University Health Services
University Health Services (UHS) is the UW-Madison student health center, with a mission to enhance learning and student success by promoting, protecting, and restoring health and well-being. University Health Services offers high-quality medical care to all UW–Madison students. Most services at UHS are covered at no cost for all currently enrolled students and members of the UW–Madison Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP).
Mental Health Resources
UW-Madison provides a variety of mental health related services to students at no cost, including things like 24/7 crisis support, access appointments, individual and group counseling, and psychiatric services through Mental Health Services (MHS). MHS has mental health providers who understand the complexities of student life and offer an open, safe and confidential environment to help students through issues that may interfere with their development, well-being, and academic productivity.
MHS also offers no cost, informal, confidential consultations at locations around campus throughout the academic year called Let’s Talk. For more information about any of these resources, visit the UW-Madison Mental Health Services page.
Dining and Food Allergies
UW-Madison provides resources for students with dietary restrictions and food allergens should they need them. You can find those resources on the UW-Madison Nutrition and Allergens site, as well as the UW-Madison Guide to Nutrition and Allergens.
Basic Needs Student Support
Basic Needs Student Support is a UW-Madison resource that offers several options to students for meeting their basic needs, including things like food, health, housing, technology needs, and more. This isn’t a single resource, but rather a collection of resources that might be hosted by different entities.
Release of Information (ROI)
Most students who are currently enrolled or who have been enrolled in the last year can use McBurney Connect to efficiently complete an information release electronically.
- Go to McBurney Connect
- Select the “Student & Notetaker Portal Login” button and log in with your UW NetID
- Choose “Information Release Consents”
If you are no longer able to log in to McBurney Connect or have a questions about releases, please email the front desk. Please include the type of release you would like to request (i.e. From and To) and what type of information you would like to release so that we can send you the most relevant form.
Policies and Grievances
The Office of Compliance’s student ADA page outlines the process for students to formally appeal a denial of accommodation (instructional and non-instructional) decision made by an individual faculty member, an academic or administrative department, or the McBurney Disability Resource Center. Typically, students are encouraged to contact their Access Consultant to address any initial accommodation concerns, but more information on the full process can be found through the Office of Compliance site.
More resources students might find helpful include: