Rights & Responsibilities

Policy Statement

Thomas Jefferson University is committed to providing equal education opportunities to all students, including students with disabilities, in accordance with section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act.  Thomas Jefferson University will provide reasonable accommodations to all qualified individuals with disabilities to allow equal access and full participation to all University sponsored activities and programs. 

Definitions

Disability: Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, the term "disability" means:  

a)    A physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities of [an] individual;

b)    a record of such an impairment; or

c)     being regarded as having such an impairment.

Reasonable Accommodation: An adjustment to an academic program that enables an otherwise qualified individual with a disability equal access to participation in University-sponsored programs.  “Reasonable” accommodations are those that neither impose an undue financial or administrative burden on the University nor fundamentally alter the service, program or course being offered.

Documentation: Sources of information used for providing evidence of a disability and/or evaluating requests for accommodations.

Technical Standards: The essential skills and characteristics required to complete a particular degree program. These requirements apply to classroom, laboratory and clinical/fieldwork environments.  Students must be able to meet a program’s Technical Standards at all times during the course of study, with or without reasonable accommodations.

Role of Student/Staff

Student Responsibilities:

• Identify the need for accommodations to the Student Accessibility Services

• Fill out the Student Intake Form

• Meet with a member of Student Accessibility Services to review the intake form and discuss accommodation requests

• Provide documentation of diagnosis and requested / suggested accommodations from a qualified professional 

• Engage in a dialogue, if necessary, with Student Accessibility Services personnel and other school representatives toward identifying mutually acceptable reasonable accommodation(s)

• Use the Accommodation Letter provided by Student Accessibility Services to communicate official approved accommodations to faculty

• If necessary, meet with faculty or other relevant Jefferson personnel to determine appropriate means of providing the accommodation

• Communicate with a member of Student Accessibility Services if any complications arise in regards to the accommodation or if accommodation needs change

Student Accessibility Services Responsibilities:

• Meet with the student to gain insight into the disability and requested accommodations

• Review documentation and determine need for additional documentation

• Collaborate with the student and the student’s academic program in an effort to identify reasonable accommodations

• Communicate decisions about reasonable accommodations and procedures for implementation to the student

• Provide the student with the official Accommodation Letter

• Work with student in an ongoing manner regarding any changes or complications in regards to the accommodation

Faculty Responsibilities:

• Provide the accommodation(s) listed in the official Accommodation Letter

• If necessary, meet with the student to determine appropriate means of providing the accommodation

• Refer all students requesting accommodation to the Office of Student Accessibility Services

• Communicate with a member of Student Accessibility Services if complications arise in regards to the accommodation or if a student requests an accommodation without providing an official Accommodation Letter

Accommodation Requests

Reasonable accommodations are determined through a collaborative, individualized, and interactive process involving the Office of Student Accessibility Services, student, and academic department.  All accommodation requests must be supported by appropriate medical documentation to help Student Accessibility Services in establishing disability, understanding how the disability may impact a student, and making informed decisions about reasonable accommodations.

Recommendations by properly credentialed professionals will be considered as part of the collaborative process toward identifying appropriate reasonable accommodations.  These recommendations may be adopted when they provide equal access to services, courses and programs and are considered to be reasonable in nature. Student Accessibility Services may substitute another reasonable accommodation, if it is considered to be as effective as the one requested or recommended.  Documentation of a specific disability does not translate directly into a specific accommodation or set of accommodations.   Reasonable accommodations are determined on a case-by-case and course-by-course basis according to the unique experience of the student and the course and/or program.

The technical standards of a program or course (if applicable) are taken into consideration when determining reasonable accommodations.  Students entering or progressing in an academic program must be able to meet the program’s technical standards, with or without reasonable accommodations.

Documentation Standards

Students who wish to request reasonable accommodations must submit supporting documentation acceptable to the Office of Student Accessibility Services in the form of medical records or psycho-educational/neuro-psychological reports that establish a disability, detail the current functional impact of that disability, and confirm the need for each accommodation requested. A diagnostic statement alone is not sufficient to establish eligibility for accommodations. The documentation must be thorough enough to demonstrate whether and how a major life activity is substantially limited by providing a clear sense of the severity, frequency, and pervasiveness of the disability and functional limitations.  Changes in the functional impact of a condition (e.g., result of growth, development) may warrant updated  documentation. Specific documentation standards can be found on the university website.

Storage and Circulation of Disability Information

All accommodation request documentation provided by a student will be maintained by the Office of Student Accessibility Services.  The documentation will be kept private and will be distributed only to persons who are involved in evaluating the accommodation request or implementing accommodations.  Persons who receive accommodation documentation will be instructed to neither discuss nor distribute it to anyone who is not involved in evaluating or implementing the accommodations.

Timeframe

Accommodation requests should be made as soon as possible after admittance or the need for an accommodation is known.  Once appropriate documentation is provided it can take up to four weeks to finalize accommodations.

Appeal Process

In most instances, the reasonable accommodations determined by the Office of Student Accessibility Services are acceptable to the student.  If a student disagrees with the outcome from Student Accessibility Services regarding a request for an accommodation, the student may submit an appeal within five (5) business days of the decision to a University Appellate Authority. A University Appellate Authority may be the immediate supervisor of the professional staff member, Dean of Students, Vice Provost of Student Affairs, or their Designee(s). 

The basis of the appeal should be one of the following criteria:

1. New or Additional Information: Information that was not available at the time of the review of the accommodation request is now available and could reasonably be expected to have altered the outcome of the request.

1. Reconsideration of the Original Documentation: Student is requesting reconsideration of the original documentation provided with their accommodation request.

1. Improper Procedure: Student Accessibility Services did not follow their published process and procedure. 

To initiate this process, a student can submit their appeal request through the Accommodations Request Appeal Form. The appeal request form should be filled out in its entirety, including the following information: specific accommodations that were requested and denied, a statement why the accommodation is reasonable and necessary, how alternative options are insufficient, how the requested accommodation(s) will not fundamentally alter the course or create an undue burden, and any relevant supporting documentation from a licensed healthcare provider.

Upon receipt of the appeal, the Appellate Authority will review the appeal submission as well as the student’s documentation and original request for accommodations. After review an appeal outcome notification will be sent within ten (10) business days of the decision to the student via their official University email address.

These appeal procedures do not prohibit students from requesting new or modified accommodations based on a change in circumstances, such as new courses or activities, new medical conditions or disabilities, or changes to existing medical conditions or disabilities. Requests for new or modified accommodations should be submitted to the Office of Student Accessibility Services.