Student Accessibility Services

PROCEDURE FOR REQUESTING AND IMPLEMENTING ACADEMIC
ACCOMMODATIONS

An academic accommodation includes the provision of certain auxiliary aids and/or modifications of policies, practices, or procedures that will allow the student with a disability to meet the requirements of the course or program. The University will not permit academic accommodations and/or auxiliary aids that would fundamentally alter academic requirements that are essential to the instruction pursued by a student or to any directly related licensing requirements, would cause undue hardship on the University, or would jeopardize the health or safety of others.

Examples of academic accommodations may include, but are not limited to, arranging for priority registration; reducing a course load; substituting one course for another; providing note takers, recording devices, sign language interpreters, extended time for testing; and equipping computers with screen-reading, voice recognition, or other adaptive software or hardware. Students who seek to obtain academic accommodations and/or auxiliary aids must:

• Step 1- Call 513-244-4623 or email studentaccessibilityservices@msj.edu to schedule an intake meeting with the Specialist. If an in-person intake meeting is not possible, a phone intake meeting may be scheduled.
• Step 2- Prior to or at the scheduled intake meeting, provide the Specialist with “Adequate Documentation” of the student’s disability or disabilities as defined in this policy.
• Step 3- Collaborate with the Specialist to discuss reasonable academic accommodations and/or auxiliary aids that will reduce or remove the barrier(s) resulting from the disability or disabilities identified in the Adequate Documentation. Each request for academic accommodations is handled on a case-by-case basis.
• Step 4- Determine, through collaboration with the Specialist, the reasonable and appropriate academic accommodations for the student that will be formalized in an Accommodation Letter approved by the Specialist. The Accommodation Letter states a student’s academic accommodations but not a student’s disability diagnosis. A copy of a student’s Accommodation Letter is available from the Specialist prior to the start of any course.
• Step 5- Provide the Accommodation Letter to any course instructor when the student determines that an accommodation(s) in that course may be needed. It is recommended that the student provide the Accommodation Letter to any course instructor within one week of the beginning of any course.
• Step 6- Collaborate with each course instructor to determine how the accommodation(s) set forth in the Accommodation Letter will be accomplished in the specific course. Following a collaborative process, the student must return the fully executed Accommodation Letter, signed by the student and the instructor for each course, to the Specialist.
• Step 7- Follow the Learning Center policy for each approved accommodation in each course to ensure that accommodations are implemented in a timely manner.
• Step 8- Contact the Specialist with any questions or concerns about implementing the accommodations set forth in the Accommodation Letter in any course.

“Adequate Documentation” is a prerequisite to any student receiving academic accommodations and/or auxiliary aids and requires:

• That the documentation be on letterhead and from a qualified diagnostician;
• A description of the nature and extent of the student’s impairment and the diagnostic tools used in the diagnosis;
• An explanation of the functional impact of the impairment, especially as it relates to the academic environment;
• Recommendations for reasonable academic adjustments and auxiliary aids; and,
• If the documentation provided is more than three years old, it will be evaluated by the Specialist to determine whether updated documentation is necessary.

If a student needs, or expects to need, an accommodation not supported by Adequate Documentation, the student should discuss evaluation needs with the Specialist. Please be aware that other institutions, licensing authorities, and testing agencies (which administer standardized tests such as the GRE and LSAT) may require different documentation of disabilities than the Adequate Documentation required by the University.

Students not satisfied with the result of the Academic Accommodations process should consult the Student Disability Grievance Procedure (at the end of this policy).

RESIDENCE HALL ACCOMMODATION PROCEDURE
For students who choose to live on campus in the University’s Residence Hall, residential life is an important aspect of the University experience. Learning to share space and demonstrate consideration of others is part of residential life, though in some cases, a disability may necessitate an accommodation to a living arrangement. All requests for disability-related Residence Hall accommodations (regardless of whether the request is based on a physical or
psychological disability) must be submitted in writing each year to the Specialist and must include the following:

• Step 1- Completed Housing Application submitted by the student to the Office of Residence Life.
• Step 2- Completed Medical Documentation Form from a qualified professional describing the physical or mental impairment that substantially limits or restricts a major life activity such as walking, seeing, or hearing, as well as that impairment’s current impact on the student. The medical provider should include an explanation of the medical necessity of housing accommodations, how the student’s impairment impacts the student’s housing requirements, how the housing accommodation will ameliorate the impact of the impairment, and possible alternatives if the recommended configuration is not available.

Following a student’s completion of the Housing Application submission and Medical Documentation Form, the student should schedule an intake appointment with the Specialist, by calling 513-244-4623 or emailing studentaccessibilityservices@msj.edu. At the intake meeting, the Specialist and student will discuss the Medical Documentation Form, the student’s Housing Application, and the requested Residence Hall accommodations. After the intake appointment, the Specialist will determine whether the student is a qualified student with a disability and a Residence Hall accommodation is a medical necessity.

The Specialist will forward the determination on disability-related Residence Hall accommodation requests to the Office of Residence Life. If a student’s request for a disabilityrelated Residence Hall accommodation is not granted, the student’s Housing Application will be reviewed in accordance with the standard Residence Hall room assignment protocol. If any Residence Hall accommodated housing is determined to be necessary, the Office of Residence Life will evaluate the student’s Housing Application to determine if the requested Residence Hall room assignment can be filled. The following circumstances may affect the assignment of a requested room:

Timing of the Request

• Was the request for a Residence Hall accommodation made at the time the student’s Housing Application was submitted?
• Was the student’s Residence Hall accommodation request made before the Housing Application deadline?
• Was the Residence Hall accommodation request made as soon as was reasonable after the student was diagnosed as having a disability? In considering this question, the date of diagnosis, date of submission of documentation, and date of receipt of Housing Application will be considered.

Feasibility and Availability

• Is space available that conforms to the student’s requested accommodation/configuration?
• Can space be adapted to conform to the requested configuration/accommodation without creating a safety hazard (electrical load, emergency egress, etc.)?
• Are there other adjustments or aids that would provide a benefit equivalent to the configuration/accommodation the student has requested?

Students not satisfied with the result of the Residence Hall Accommodations process should consult the Student Disability Grievance Procedure (at the end of this policy).

SERVICE ANIMALS PROCEDURE
Service animals assisting individuals with disabilities are permitted in all University buildings and facilities and at all activities, except as described below. 

Definition: A service animal is defined by the ADA as any guide dog, signal dog, or other animal individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including (but not limited to) guiding individuals with impaired vision, alerting individuals with impaired hearing to intruders or sounds, providing minimal protection or rescue work, pulling a wheelchair, or fetching dropped items. If an animal meets this definition, it is considered a service animal.

The Specialist is permitted to ask the following questions only in any instance of the presence of a service animal in a University building:

• Is the animal a service animal required because of a disability?
•  What work or task has the animal been trained to perform?

• If the service animal’s behavior or condition is disruptive or poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others. Some examples of problem behaviors or conditions include barking, aggressiveness or unruliness, lack of cleanliness, or illness.
• In areas where the presence of the animal fundamentally alters the nature of the program or activity (e.g. some lab settings, food preparation areas, etc.).

Owner/Partner Responsibilities:

• A student who utilizes a service animal on campus is encouraged to register with the Specialist, by calling 513-244-4623 or emailing studentaccessibilityservices@msj.edu, and to provide documentation, as appropriate, of the student’s status as a person with a disability. However, students who utilize service animals are not required by law to register with the Specialist.
• Service animals must meet all requirements for the presence of animals in public places. This includes vaccinations, as well as licensure and ID tags as mandated by state or local ordinances (http://www.hamiltoncountyauditor.org/dogs.asp). 
•  Service animals must be in good health.
• Service animals must be under the full control of the owner/partner at all times.
• All costs of care and responsibility for the well-being of the service animal are the sole responsibility of the owner/partner.
• Owner/partner who is not physically able to pick up and dispose of animal feces is nonetheless responsible for making all necessary arrangements for assistance in waste removal. Under no circumstances is the University responsible for the removal of service animal waste on its property.

Service Animals in the Residence Hall:

• A student with a disability who requires the use of a service animal and who wishes to live in the University’s Residence Hall must give notification to the Specialist at 513- 244-4623 or at studentaccessibilityservices@msj.edu at least 30 days in advance.
• The student and the Specialist will meet to discuss any issues that may arise from the presence of a service animal in the Residence Hall.
• The service animal must undergo an annual examination by a licensed veterinarian and receive a clean bill of health. The student is responsible for submitting documentation of this examination to the Specialist at the beginning of each academic year during which the service animal resides in the Residence Hall.
• The student is responsible for any property damage caused by the service animal and for any non-standard cleaning costs.

Conflicting Disabilities 

An individual whose allergies/asthma/medical issues are triggered by the presence of the service animal should bring his/her concerns to the Specialist at 513-244-4623 or by emailing studentaccessibilityservices@msj.edu. The individual must provide documentation from a qualified professional attesting to his/her medical condition. The needs of both the service animal’s owner/partner and the individual with the medical condition will be considered in
resolving the issue as efficiently and effectively as possible.

Students not satisfied with the result of the Service Animals Procedure should consult the Student Disability Grievance Procedure (at the end of this policy).

TEMPORARY ILLNESS, INJURY, PREGNANCY OR RELATED CONDITION
MODIFICATION PROCEDURE
If a serious, but temporary, medical condition, or pregnancy or pregnancy related condition, results in a student anticipating missing more than one week of class (consecutive class sessions), the student may request temporary modifications—versus disability-related accommodations—of the requirements listed within the class syllabi during the period of this illness, injury, pregnancy or related condition. This policy does not guarantee that modifications
will be granted unless mandated by Title IX in the case of pregnancy or related conditions; granting of modifications is the decision of the course instructor. Students should begin this process as soon as possible after the onset of the serious illness, injury, or pregnancy or related condition, which is as follows:

• Step 1- Student notifies his/her instructors of the illness, injury, pregnancy or related
  condition.
•  Step 2- Student obtains medical documentation.
• Step 3- Once medical documentation is received, the student provides this medical documentation to the Specialist at studentaccessibilityservices@msj.edu. Next, the Specialist will notify the student’s instructors of the recommended and/or mandated modifications.
• Step 4- Each instructor will review the recommended modifications and notify the Specialist if the recommended modifications would be possible in the instructor’s course or how mandated modifications will be addressed. If recommended modifications are not possible, the student will be notified.
• Step 5- In cases of pregnancy or related conditions, the student should meet with her instructors after the completion of step #4 above. In cases involving temporary illnesses and injuries, once the student is physically able, the student will meet with each instructor who indicated that modifications would be possible to determine if the student could meet the essential requirements of the course. If so, the instructor and student will specify, in writing, how the course requirements will be met. If, during the discussion, the instructor determines that the student cannot complete the course requirements with the recommended modifications, or the modifications cannot be reasonably applied to the particular course, the student will be counseled by the instructor or advisor to drop the course, seek an incomplete, a withdrawal, or to request a Medical Leave under the University’s Medical Leave Policy. Any and all costs incurred in providing Temporary Illness/Injury Modifications (e.g. remediated clinical experience) shall be the sole responsibility of the student.

• Click here for our Academic Accommodation Form
• Click here for our Residence Hall Accommodation Form
• Click here for our Service Animal Form
• Click here for our Temporary Illness, Injury, Pregnancy or Related Condition Form
• Click here for our FERPA Waiver Form