Registering with CAL

Step 1: Prepare your documentation

To register with CAL, you'll need to provide documentation of your medical condition or disability. Your medical docs are key in helping the CAL team make good decisions when developing an accommodation plan for you. 

Expenses related to obtaining documentation are your responsibility, however there may be resources available to help you with costs such as: 

• existing health plan coverage
• sources of low or reduced-cost medical assessment scaled to income
• federal grant funding (reimbursement program)
• Camosun Student Society assistance for students in financial hardship

A CAL instructor may be able to refer you to one or more of these sources.

Documentation does not need to have been created specifically for Camosun. If you have documentation that was obtained for another purpose (e.g., for another institution or for applying for disability grants), the Centre can accept a copy if it contains sufficient information.

While an IEP from high school is not in itself sufficient, it may provide enough information for CAL to implement interim accommodations until you can obtain more fulsome docs. Meeting with a CAL instructor to discuss and explore this would be an important step if this applies to you.

Medical documentation should be prepared by a professional qualified to diagnose in the area of your disability, should be recent (typically completed within the past 3-5 years) and provide: 

• the professional's name, title, phone number and address, official stamp or letterhead and signature/license number and date the medical was prepared
• a statement of the nature of the disability including the DSM or ICD code and expected duration
• an explanation of the functional impact(s) of the disability on your education
• students with specific learning disabilities should submit a Psycho-Educational Assessment completed by a registered psychologist, registered psychological associate or certified school psychologist

If you have a disability but don't have current medical documentation, or if you're not sure if your medical docs will be sufficient to register with CAL, please submit them and we will let you know if we require further documentation. We can often assist with some options for obtaining medical documentation and/or providing interim accommodations while you access further documentation.

Our recommendation is to complete the online pre-intake below and CAL will reach out to you to schedule a consultation appointment with a CAL instructor to discuss.

* Students who also wish to apply for provincial post-secondary disability grants can streamline the process of applying with the funder by requesting their medical assessor provide disability and functional impact information required by using one of these helpful downloadable forms:

• Brain Injury
• Hearing
• Mental Health (same form can also be used for ADHD and Autism spectrum)
• Permanent or chronic disability
• Visual
• Students with specific learning disabilities should submit a Psycho-Educational Assessment completed by a registered psychologist, registered psychological associate or a certified school psychologist.

Step 2: Submit an online pre-intake form

Scan your medical documentation and save it as PDF or .jpeg file(s) and be prepared to upload securely through the CAL pre-lntake form which you can access using your Camosun student number and password.

• for those who cannot login to the pre-intake form with a Camosun student login, please contact our front desk to discuss options for providing the required information to CAL.

Once we have reviewed your pre-intake info, we will contact you by email to schedule a phone, virtual or in-person appointment or request more information.

Note: If you submit pre-intake information to CAL but are not yet accepted to study at Camosun or do not have course enrolment confirmed, CAL may pause the intake process and request you let us know closer to the time that you will begin classes.

Your supporting documentation is confidential and kept securely with the Centre for Accessible Learning.  It is used for the purpose of determining eligibility for academic accommodation.

Step 3: Attend a 'prospective-to-CAL' or 'intake' appointment

At the intake appointment, we will discuss academic accommodations designed to lower disability-related barriers to accessing your course work and services you may be eligible for. Considerations of taking a reduced course load, funding options and other access-related educational issues may also be discussed.