Registering with the OAR

Online Application

Please note: Incoming first-year student requests are reviewed and processed after May 1.

Follow these steps to submit the online application for services:

1. Go to and complete the Disability Request Form.
2. Please enter your Bucknell ID and email if known.
3. You will be prompted to upload documentation. If you do not have documentation at that time, you or your provider can send via email to OAR@bucknell.edu or fax to 570-577-1826.
4. If you have documentation to upload select "+Add Item" and include the document title and then choose the file you would like to upload. Please Note: the file size must be less than 2048kb. Please scan documents using the naming convention “Last Name, First Name Documentation” and provide a brief description.
5. You must click on the “I’m not a robot” in order to then click on “Submit”.
6. Confirmation of your application status will be sent to your Bucknell email account.

Documentation delivered directly to OAR by you or your healthcare providers will be uploaded by OAR staff to your Accommodate portal.

The Director reviews all information/materials and assesses the status and necessity of the request within approximately 10 business days. You will receive notification regarding your application status to your Bucknell email account. This notification will include instructions regarding the next steps that should be taken to complete registration.

To complete registration, you will attend a meeting with the Director of the OAR. During this meeting, your needs will be discussed and reasonable accommodations will be determined. You will also receive information regarding procedures for using accommodations during this meeting.

Please call the OAR if you have questions regarding the registration process.

Documentation Requirement

To determine necessary accommodations the Director of the OAR considers the following four factors: intake interview, supporting documentation, specific nature of the disability, and the functional limitations of the disability.

The following information identifies the documentation required to be submitted to the OAR:

All Disabilities (Except Learning Disabilities)

The specific reporting format is left to the professional, but the requested information must be clearly presented, easily discernable, and mirror the information captured on the Disability Accommodation Request Form. Quality documentation should adhere to the following:

1. A qualified professional must conduct the evaluation. The name, title and professional credentials of the evaluator, including information about license or certification as well as the area of specialization, employment and state/province in which the individual practices should be clearly stated in the documentation. It is not considered appropriate for professionals to evaluate members of their own family.
2. The documentation must include a clear diagnostic statement that describes how the condition was diagnosed, provide information on the functional impact, and detail the typical progression or prognosis of the condition.
3. The documentation must include a description of the diagnostic criteria, evaluation methods, procedures, tests and dates of administration, as well as a clinical narrative, observation, and specific results. When appropriate to the nature of the disability, having both summary data and specific test scores within the report is essential (ex. for learning disabilities).
4. The documentation must be recent (within past 5 years) and age-appropriate so as to determine the need for accommodations and/or services based on the individual’s current level of functioning in the educational setting. The diagnostic report should include specific recommendations for accommodations and/or academic adjustments as well as an explanation as to why each accommodation/adjustment is recommended. The evaluators should describe the impact the diagnosed disability has on a specific major life activity as well as the degree of significance of this impact on the individual. The evaluator should support recommendations with specific test results or clinical observations.
5. It is the responsibility of the student to obtain their documentation and to upload documentation into the OAR online portal Accommodate. If assistance is needed, please contact the OAR office at 570-577-1188. Any correspondence regarding the adequacy of the submitted documentation will be sent to the student’s Bucknell email account. It is the student’s responsibility to obtain additional information or clarification if requested.

Learning Disabilities

This policy specifies the procedures to be followed and the information that should be contained in documentation of a student’s Learning Disability (LD). Learning disability documentation (e.g., psychoeducational report) should adhere to the criteria established by the university for full consideration:

1. Psychological assessment (minimally, an individual intelligence test such as the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale [WAIS], Woodcock Johnson Tests of Cognitive Abilities, or Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales) with subtest and composite standard scores included.
2. Educational assessment (minimally, a test such as the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement or the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test [WIAT]) with subtest results for reading, writing and math, regardless of student background.)
3. If the student also has a dual diagnosis with AD(H)D, additional behavioral measures may be helpful to support the diagnosis.
4. The report should include the professional's credentials and contact information, standard scores, composite scores and a summary of the results which supports the clearly stated diagnosis, description of functional limitations impacting learning for each recommended accommodation.
5. Please note: Screening instruments such as the WASI (Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence) or WRAT (Wide Range Achievement Test) and child-normed tests such as the Wechsler Intelligence Scales for Children (WISC) may not be sufficient for full approval, but if available, may assist in providing provisional accommodations. A copy of an IEP or 504 Plan alone is also not sufficient to establish full eligibility unless it includes items 1-4 above.

The OAR office does not provide psychoeducational/neuropsychological testing services. Please see our list of providers in the local area below:

Dr. Dianna Banks
23 North Derr Drive
Suite 26
Lewisburg, PA 17837
Phone: 570-299-3793
http://www.mybankstherapy.com/

Dr. Kathleen Bergeson
11 Reitz Boulevard, Suite 101
Lewisburg, PA 17837
Phone: 570-524-0881
http://www.kathleenbergeson.com/index.htm

Dr. Brad Wilson
Geisinger Medical Center
100 N. Academy Ave.
Danville, PA 17822
Phone: 570-271-6396 or 800-275-6401