Office of Disability Resources Providing Reasonable Accommodations for Students with Disabilities Sarah E. Howard

Primary Goal Provide reasonable accommodations to students with documented disabilities in an effective and efficient manner, and to assist students with disabilities in building self-advocacy skills

Definition of Disability As defined by the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 “With respect to an individual, a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities of such individual; a record of such an impairment or being regarded as having such an impairment…”

Definition of Impairment Major life activities include, but are not limited to, caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, eating, sleeping, walking, standing, lifting, bending, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating and working

Definition of Impairment (continued) … also includes the operation of a major bodily function, including but not limited to, functions of the immune system, normal cell growth, digestive, bowel, bladder, neurological, brain, respiratory, circulatory, endocrine, and reproductive functions

What is a Reasonable Accommodation? An academic adjustment that or auxiliary aid which does not cause a fundamental alteration in the nature or core function of the program or impose an undue financial or administrative burden to the institution

Accommodations Provided Classroom Note taking assistance Use of laptop Recordings of lectures and discussions Interpreters Textbooks and course materials in alternative forms Preferential seating Use of assistive technology

Accommodations Provided (continued) Testing Extended time Distraction-limited environment Scribes Use of calculator Use of assistive technology

If Reasonable Accommodations are not Provided You could be breaking the law Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act is a federal law designed to protect the rights of individuals with disabilities in programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance from the U.S. Department of Education

If Reasonable Accommodations are not Provided (continued) The Office of Civil Rights (OCR) enforces Section 504 in programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance from the Department of Education

Reasonable Accommodations Providing reasonable accommodations is not just the responsibility of the Office of Disability Resources (ODR) It’s a Partnership It’s Everybody’s Responsibility Everyone has a Role to Play

Reasonable Accommodations (continued) Provide equal access to learning without lowering academic standards, changing the fundamental purpose of the program, lowering the expectations from students

Questions?