Request Academic Accommodations for Disability
Qualified Individuals
黑料专区 adheres to all applicable federal and state civil rights laws regarding discrimination. Accordingly, 黑料专区 makes all academic programs and services accessible to and useable by 鈥渜ualified individuals with disabilities鈥� in the most integrated setting appropriate, unless doing so would either result in a fundamental alteration in the course or program that compromises the integrity of the course or program, or cause an undue financial or administrative burden. As defined by the University, a 鈥渜ualified individual with disability鈥� is one who:
- Has a disability that substantially limits learning, including, but not limited to, physical and affective conditions as interpreted by current law;
- Has a documented record of such disability or is perceived by others as having a disability; and
- Can satisfy the functional skills, experience, knowledge, and other requirements of their program and, can perform the essential functions required of their profession, with or without accommodation.
If a qualified individual with a disability believes their disability will interfere with the ability to complete an academic program at 黑料专区 successfully, reasonable accommodation may be requested. It is the responsibility of the student to request appropriate accommodation.
To Request
To make a request for academic accommodations, please schedule an appointment with the Accessibility Specialist by clicking on the link or emailing ocra@rm.edu. Before your meeting, please prepare and bring or email ahead of time written responses to the following four prompts for information or documentation:
- A single line stating you are requesting an accommodation for a disability;
- A narrative (approximately 5 sentences) on how your disability affects you both in personal life and as a student鈥攖his is taken into careful consideration, so explain to the committee how this interferes with your learning in a personal way;
- A bulleted list of specific, measurable, and time-precise accommodations (for example, don鈥檛 just ask for 鈥渕ore time on exams鈥�, but rather 鈥渢ime and a half for all computerized and written exams in my didactic courses鈥�); and
- A diagnosis from an objective, qualified healthcare professional. This can be as simple as a couple of sentences from that professional that outlines your diagnosis, or as detailed as patient notes and recommended accommodations.
You can ask for as many or as few accommodations as you feel you need. The University sees requests for multiple accommodations regularly.
During your meeting, the Accessibility Specialist will engage in an interactive process with you to help you determine your needs and discuss how best to meet them. They will review your written request with you and help you refine it to ensure it will make sense to the Committee on Inclusiveness,聽 clarify anything that needs to be more specific, and suggest alternatives to requests that present an immediate concern regarding a fundamental alteration to the program, or an administrative or financial burden. 聽Once you have finalized the wording of your request and provided all the necessary documentation, the Accessibility Specialist will give it to the Committee for review. The Accessibility Specialist serves as your advocate on the Committee and makes certain the Committee follows all federal regulations.
黑料专区 does not approve accommodations for practical exams under most circumstances, as those generally pose a fundamental change to a course or program and are not covered by the ADA regulations; written and computerized tests can be accommodated. If you think you might need assistance with practical exams, please talk with the Accessibility Specialist further, and they will see if there are other accommodations that can be made to ease any difficulties with them.
The review process is expected to take up to 6 working days. If additional time is needed for complex cases, or if there is a need to collect and then evaluate further documentation, the Accessibility Specialist will keep you updated on the status of your request.聽 After the committee鈥檚 review, the Accessibility Specialist will send an official letter from the university that lets you know what parts of your request have been approved, modified, or denied. The letter will be emailed to you, your program director, the Registrar, and any relevant parties who will help implement your accommodations. 聽The Registrar then takes care of informing your faculty initially and every subsequent semester about your accommodations. The Accessibility Specialist will check in with you periodically to ensure your existing accommodations are still meeting your needs.
You may submit your responses to the Office of Civil Rights and Accessibility (part of the Office of Student Engagement and Success) by email at ocra@rm.edu, or in person in office 7260 on the 7th floor of the Tower. Call 385-375-8343 for further support and questions.