College accommodations, beyond board exams

Exam accommodations at the school level are relatively well-documented; what happens once you're applying to or attending college is a different, less-signposted process. It starts with a different office and, often, a different mindset — you're the one making the request now, not a parent on your behalf.

At the college itself, the right starting point is the institution's Equal Opportunity Cell or Disability Cell — where one exists, otherwise the Dean of Students' office. Submitting your disability certificate or UDID alongside a written request for specific accommodations is what triggers it; common provisions include roughly 20 extra minutes per hour in exams, scribes or readers, separate exam rooms, and accessible-format materials. For entrance exams like JEE, NEET, or CUET, the same request happens earlier — during registration on the exam portal, where PwD category selection unlocks a 5% seat reservation and a 5-year age relaxation alongside exam accommodations.

Quality varies significantly by institution — a Disability Cell existing on paper doesn't guarantee it functions well in practice. It's worth reaching out to the cell directly before applying, not after enrolling, to get a realistic sense of what support actually looks like there.