Student support systems haven’t always kept up with the growing range of needs on today’s campuses. For example, at least one in five students with ADHD don’t receive school services, even when they face serious academic or social challenges. As needs continue to grow, many schools rely on tools and processes that were added over time. However, they don’t always work well together for accessibility or student support. To address these gaps, many colleges are turning to accommodation management solutions.
Table of Contents
- Disconnected Processes Slow Down Accommodation Requests
- Poor Cross-Campus Coordination Creates Gaps in Support
- Inconsistent Review Processes Hurt Fairness and Follow-Through
- Old Processes Struggle to Handle Complex or Ongoing Needs
- Build a Stronger Approach to Accommodation Management
Disconnected Processes Slow Down Accommodation Requests
Students often jump between emails, forms, and office visits, which makes it easier for information to get lost or delayed. A connected accommodation workflow can help keep the process clear and connected, making it simpler to move requests forward.
No Central Way to Manage Accommodations
The Challenge: Managing accommodations can be a scattered and confusing process. Students might need to email staff, submit forms by hand, or visit different offices just to get started. Details often land in different inboxes or paper files, making it unclear what has been approved or what comes next. Without a single place to manage everything, important information can be missed or duplicated.
The Solution: A centralized accommodation system, such as Orchestrate AMS, brings everything together in one platform. Students can submit requests, upload documents, and message staff all in one place. Staff can review, approve, and report in real time. AMS also connects with key campus systems, including SIS and single sign-on, to ensure accurate and secure records. That keeps the process organized and helps offices respond more efficiently and consistently.
Delays Due to Paper-Based or Email-Only Systems
The Challenge: Relying on paper forms or scattered email threads slows everything down. It’s easy for documents to get lost, stuck in an inbox, or sent to the wrong person. Students are often left waiting without knowing whether their request is moving forward.
The Solution: Going paperless improves both speed and reliability. A digital system like AMS keeps everything in one place, so requests are easier to track, update, and process. Students stay informed, and staff save time by handling fewer manual tasks and missed communications. Centralized storage and tagging also help ensure the right documents are available when needed.
No Easy Way for Students to Track Their Own Request Status
The Challenge: After submitting a request, students often don’t know what’s happening behind the scenes. They may not know if their form was received, which step it is in, or when to expect a decision. This causes stress and leads to follow-up messages that further slow the process.
The Solution: Dashboards make the accessibility process easier to follow. With a quick login, students can check the status of their request, view messages, and see what actions are still needed. That builds trust and helps students feel more in control of the process. AMS portals maintain consistent updates and eliminate guesswork for both students and staff.
Poor Cross-Campus Coordination Creates Gaps in Support
Multiple departments are often involved, and even small gaps in communication can slow progress for students. These gaps often happen after a request is approved, when teams must rely on forwarded emails or outdated information to stay updated. A well-connected system helps staff stay aligned, ensuring that accessibility accommodations are shared, applied, and followed through as intended.
Lack of Real-Time Communication Between Departments
The Challenge: Even when an accommodation is approved, it doesn’t always reach the right people in a timely manner. Faculty, housing, and testing services may not be aware of the changes, especially if information is shared manually, forwarded between inboxes, or stored in separate tools that do not stay in sync. That can lead to delays, missed follow-through, or inconsistent support for the student.
The Solution: With a shared platform, coordination is easier because each department can view the details they need when they need them. Orchestrate AMS provides real-time visibility, allowing faculty and staff to stay updated without requiring extra outreach. Departments work from current, accurate information, reducing mistakes caused by missing or outdated records. That helps students receive clear, timely, and more dependable support across campus.
Staff Are Unprepared to Implement Accommodations
The Challenge: Even when accommodations are approved, faculty and staff may not know how to apply them. Without clear instructions or up-to-date information, they may misunderstand what is required. This can lead to missed steps, confusion, or uneven support, especially when accommodation management varies across different courses or services.
The Solution: Managing accessibility requests within a single unified system helps keep everyone informed of what each student needs, including class-specific or service-specific details. With shared visibility and communication tools, it’s easier to coordinate adjustments required to support those requests. In turn, that means better compliance and a more consistent experience for students.
No Audit Trail for Accommodation Decisions
The Challenge: When schools cannot demonstrate how decisions were made, it creates problems not only for the staff and students, but also with compliance laws. If someone asks why a request was denied or delayed, there may be no clear record of the reason. Staff may struggle to recall past decisions, and students may lose trust in the process if there is no clear documentation.
The Solution: Audit logs provide a clear record of actions taken. Each time a staff member reviews, updates, or approves something, the system saves it automatically with a date and time, creating a reliable trail of actions and decisions. Orchestrate AMS includes built-in audit tracking, helping schools stay transparent and protected during reviews or compliance checks.
Inconsistent Review Processes Hurt Fairness and Follow-Through
Without the right system, some accommodation requests are processed quickly, while others are delayed or overlooked. These inconsistent processes can impact both student and employee accommodations, making it a challenge for everyone.
Manual Tracking of Accommodation Timelines and Renewals
The Challenge: Some accommodations are temporary or need regular updates. When deadlines are tracked by hand, buried in spreadsheets, or hidden in individual inboxes, it becomes easy to miss them. That can leave students without the necessary adjustments at the start of a new term or exam period.
The Solution: Automation and centralization help prevent these gaps. A unified system like Orchestrate AMS alerts staff to upcoming deadlines and keeps timelines visible at a glance. Students can view the accommodations they’ve applied for and identify which steps still require attention. That keeps support running smoothly and helps prevent last-minute issues.
Unreliable Review Process for Accommodation Decisions
The Challenge: When requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis, without the support of technology, it can lead to uneven outcomes. One student may receive quick approval, while another with a similar need might face delays, extra steps, or unclear expectations. Without clear and consistent steps, decisions can seem unpredictable, harder to justify, and less trustworthy for students.
The Solution: Standardizing the review process helps create fairness and transparency. A digital system can guide staff through each step, support peer review when needed, and document the decision-making process with clear records that show how each decision was made. This gives students more confidence in the outcome and makes it easier for staff to stay consistent.
Difficulty Navigating Modified Course Loads
The Challenge: Some students require fewer classes due to a health condition or disability. However, the process for requesting a lighter course load isn’t always clear. Some teachers handle it outside the usual accommodation management system, which can lead to delays, confusion about next steps, or uneven adjustments across classes. In some cases, students may drop courses they could have kept if they had received the proper assistance.
The Solution: Managing accessibility needs is easier when the system keeps teachers involved and can handle requests for modified course loads. With clear instructions and built-in guidance, students can more easily ask for changes and understand what information they need to provide. Staff can review and approve everything in one place, making the process easier to follow and more reliable.
Old Processes Struggle to Handle Complex or Ongoing Needs
Not every student’s needs are short-term or easily defined. Supporting students with mental health challenges, chronic conditions, or complex needs takes flexible systems and a proactive approach that adapts as needs change.
Limited Support for Mental Health and Long-Term Conditions
The Challenge: Accommodation management often focuses on short-term needs, like a broken limb or a one-time illness. However, long-term challenges are common, with 60% of college students meeting the criteria for at least one mental health condition. When systems aren’t built to handle long-term support, students may struggle to stay connected with the help they need, lose track of follow-ups, or miss important updates over time.
The Solution: Management systems can support long-term accommodations with tools for regular check-ins, flexible planning, automated reminders, and documented updates. This helps staff stay engaged over time and gives students support that adjusts to their ongoing needs.
Systems That Can’t Support Unique or Complex Needs
The Challenge: Some students need more than just extra time on tests or note-taking help. They may have multiple conditions, need flexible class formats, or require support that doesn’t fit a standard checklist. When old systems are too rigid, it becomes harder to adjust plans or support students when circumstances change mid-term.
The Solution: Flexible accommodation platforms let staff make needed adjustments and provide upfront communication even with unique or changing needs. That makes it easier to support a wide range of requests without forcing every case into the same process or relying on manual workarounds.
Students Don’t Know Accommodations Are Available
The Challenge: Many schools wait for students to ask for help before taking action. But, not all students know what to ask for or that they qualify for support at all. Some miss deadlines, while others never realize accommodations are an option or feel unsure about how to begin the process. That can leave them without the help they need.
The Solution: A proactive approach can help teachers identify students who may qualify and reach out to them early with clearer guidance on what to do next. Educating staff and students on accessibility and accommodation availability can increase the usage of those services. And with a unified system to help track requests, progress, and the latest status, staff can act sooner and keep the process moving more effectively.
Build a Stronger Approach to Accommodation Management
Every gap we discussed represents a missed opportunity to support students and staff more effectively. As campuses work to provide more responsive and accessible services, having the right system in place makes that possible. Modern accommodation management platforms, such as Orchestrate AMS, are designed to address the same challenges that hinder older systems.
Orchestrate AMS connects departments within a single accommodation management system. Disability services, housing, dining, testing, and other areas operate within the same system, utilizing shared information and a consistent process. To make that possible, AMS includes:
- Connected workflows that keep departments aligned.
- Portals for students, faculty, and staff.
- Real-time updates and shared visibility.
- Centralized documents with tagging and version control.
- Dashboards, reporting, and audit trails.
Together, this supports a more connected approach that brings direction and consistency, touching every part of campus life. When information, communication, and follow-through move together, accessibility support becomes something schools deliver with intent rather than guesswork. AMS helps campuses reach that point with a process designed to last.
