UI&U DISABILITIES PROCEDURE

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) (Section 504 & Title II)

Procedures

In order for a Union Institute & University learner to receive accommodations for a disability, she or he must have a written Educational Profile (EP). Learners who wish to receive accommodations for a disability should use the following process to contact the ADA coordinator (Section 504 & Title II); adacoordinator@tui.edu; 802-828-8740/TDD 800-486-9968; 440 E. McMillian St, Cincinnati, OH 45602

Learner Reporting: In order for a learner to have an EP, he or she must first disclose that he or she has a disability.  There are two ways to make such a disclosure:

• The Academic Support Survey Regarding Disabilities Form:  Upon acceptance to any UI&U program, a learner is sent a disclosure form with his or her admissions package upon which she or he may report a disability to the ADA coordinator. The learner returns this form to the program office coordinator who then forwards it to the ADA coordinator.

• Verbally or in writing to the ADA coordinator who will provide the learner with an Academic Support Survey Regarding Disabilities Form.  The learner will fill out the form and return it to the ADA coordinator.

Faculty/Staff Reporting

• If a learner divulges to a faculty/staff member that she or he has a disability and the learner does not have an Educational Profile, the faculty/ staff must inform the learner immediately that she or he should contact the ADA coordinator for a preliminary assessment.

• The faculty/staff member who makes the referral should document it with a phone message, a dated note, or e-mail sent to ADA coordinator and keep a copy of the documentation.

• The faculty member cannot make accommodations unless there is an Educational Profile on record for that learner with the ADA coordinator. Faculty members should not attempt to determine if a learner has a disability; that diagnosis should be done by a qualified diagnostic professional. In order for accommodations to be in place, the learner needs to complete the entire process outlined in the "Evaluation and Feedback" section below.

Evaluation and Feedback

Upon receipt of a signed Academic Support Survey Regarding Disabilities Form indicating that a learner has a disability, the ADA coordinator will send the learner a Disability Documentation Form.  The learner will take the form to his or her health care provider (MD, DO, State Licensed Psychotherapist and etc).  All Education Profiles and subsequent accommodations come from the recommendations of the health care provider; it is critical that the form be complete when the health care provider sends it to the ADA coordinator.
 
When complete documentation is received relating to a disability:

• The ADA coordinator will request a meeting with the learner (this may be accomplished by e-mail) to discuss documentation and accommodations. If the documentation is not sufficient, the learner will be so informed by the ADA coordinator.  The two most common reasons for needing additional information are:
  
  • The health care provider does not make specific recommendations that can be used as academic or physical accommodations.

  • The individual signing the Disability Documentation Form is not a recognized medical professional. (Any learner may contact the ADA coordinator for documentation criteria for the various disabilities: physical, psychological, learning, and attentional.)

• If the learner chooses, an Educational Profile (EP) will be developed by the ADA Coordinator which will list accommodations for learning in the educational setting. An EP outlines accommodations for the learner’s disability in the learning environment of UI&U.

• Upon written release by the learner (e-mail is accepted), this EP is provided to university personnel, especially faculty, advisors, and program coordinators, as listed by the learner. The learner is then urged to meet with or contact the faculty member/advisor as soon as possible to develop a semester plan for accommodations.

• Decisions about specific adjustments not listed in the EP can be made by the advisor and learner; it would be helpful to send a written copy to the ADA coordinator for inclusion in the learner’s file. Decisions about changes to specific accommodations can only be made by the ADA coordinator in consultation with the learner and an addendum will then be made to the EP.

Voluntary Nature of this System

• Learners are not compelled to report disabilities; this is a voluntary process. Similarly, they are not compelled to follow up on referrals to the ADA coordinator, nor to seek and pay for professional assessments, nor to release the plan for accommodations.

• If a learner informs a faculty member that she or he is disabled in any way and that certain accommodations are required, that faculty member cannot make those accommodations unless the entire process outlined in the "Evaluation and Feedback" section is complete.

• Sometimes a learner wants nothing to do with documenting a disability and refuses to look into it further.

• Unless the learner voluntarily completes these actions, Union Institute & University cannot make accommodations for the learner.