Policy and Guidelines Applying to Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability

Policy Statement  (Audio Format)

It shall be the policy of Edgewood College to ensure that no qualified person shall, solely by reason of disability,[1] be excluded from participation in, or be denied the benefits of, employment, program, or activity operated by Edgewood College.

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Part I—Policy Implementation

A.         Disability disclosure  (Audio Format)

A student, applicant for admission, an employee, or applicant for employment may disclose the presence of a disabling condition and request the accommodations he/she believes are requisite for obtaining equal access to, participation in, employment, or benefits of Edgewood College programs and activities by completing an Edgewood College Application for Accommodations available in the Disabilities Services Coordinators Office for students or the Human Resources office or the ADA Coordinator for employees.

B.           Accommodation Requests  (Audio Format)

An employee who wants to request an accommodation completes the Staff/Faculty Disability Accommodation Request Form and gives it to his or her supervisor/Chair or Human Resources.  In considering the request, the department chair or unit director must consult with the appropriate Dean, Director, or ADA Coordinator prior to making an initial decision to honor or deny the request. The employee may consult with the ADA Coordinator.  This form is available in Human Resources or from the ADA Coordinator.

A student who wants to request an accommodation completes the Student Accommodation Request and submits it to the Disabilities Services Coordinator. This form is available at the Student Resource Center in 206 DeRicci.

C.         Confirmation of a Disability  (Audio Format)

It is the responsibility of the student or employee to provide medical or other diagnostic documentation of his or her disability as requested by Human Resources or the ADA Coordinator for employees or Disabilities Services Coordinator for students. Students or employees may be required to participate in additional evaluation of limitations prior to receiving requested accommodations.  Additional evaluation or documentation will be the employee or students responsibility.  For additional information about documentation please refer to the Disability Documentation Guidelines.

Each student shall be expected to make timely and appropriate disclosures and requests (at least 8 weeks in advance of a course, workshop, program or activity for which accommodation is requested), and to engage in appropriate levels of self-help in obtaining and arranging for accommodations or auxiliary aids, including applying for funding for specialized support services from the State of Wisconsin-Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. 

D.         Coordination of Services  (Audio Format)

Accommodation requests of the employees will be coordinated by the ADA Coordinator located in 206 DeRicci, Student Resource Center. 

Requests for student academic or facility related accommodations will be coordinated by the Disabilities Services Coordinator located in 206 DeRicci, Student Resource Center. 

E.         Appeal of Denied Accommodation Requests  (Audio Format)

If a student or employee who is denied requested accommodations wishes to appeal the decision, he/she may do so in accordance with the procedure set forth in G below.

F.         Institutional Documentation  (Audio Format)

All requests for and subsequent college response to requests for accommodations will be documented by the Disabilities Services Coordinator for students and the ADA Coordinator for employees. It will be the responsibility of the ADA Coordinator to prepare an annual report to be submitted to appropriate administration and planning offices.

G.         Section 504/ADA Grievance Procedure  (Audio Format)

A person may file a complaint with the ADA Coordinator if a person believes that Edgewood College has inadequately applied the principles and/or regulations of Section 504 or the ADA in some way or in some manner has been discriminated on the basis of a disability.  The complaint will be reviewed by the ADA Grievance Committee.

1.      Informal Procedure  (Audio Format)

The person who believes he/she has a valid basis for complaint shall discuss the concern with the ADA Coordinator for employees or with the Disabilities Service Coordinator for students, who shall in turn investigate the complaint and reply to the complaint in writing within ten (10) business days. If this reply is not acceptable to the complainant, he/she may initiate formal procedures according to the steps listed in section G2.
 

2.      Formal Grievance Procedure  (Audio Format)

Step 1: A written statement of the grievance shall be prepared by the complainant (student or employee) and signed. This grievance shall be filed with the Human Resources office or the ADA Coordinator for employees or the Disabilities Services Coordinator for students within ten (10) business days of receipt of the written reply to the informal complaint. The ADA Grievance Committee shall further investigate the matter of the grievance and reply in writing to the complainant within fifteen (15) business days.
 
Step 2: If the complainant wishes to appeal the decision of the ADA Grievance Committee, he/she may submit a signed statement of appeal to the President of Edgewood College within five (5) business days after receipt of the ADA Grievance Committee response to the grievance. The President or his/her designee shall meet with all parties involved, formulate a conclusion, and respond in writing to the grievance within ten (10) business days.

Any student or employee who invokes the right to grieve the policy will not be retaliated against, during, or after the grievance process. 

The ADA Grievance Committee will consist of 3-5 individuals knowledgeable in the area related to the disability and the grievance.

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Part II— Program Accessibility

A.         General  (Audio Format)

To the extent of the law, qualified persons may not be denied the benefits of or excluded from participation in any College program or activity because College facilities are inaccessible or unusable by persons with disabilities.

B.         Existing Facilities  (Audio Format)

Each program or activity should be operated so that, when reviewed in its entirety, it is readily accessible to qualified persons with disabilities, through means such as:

1.         Reassignment of classes, staff, or services to accessible buildings, or 

2.         Redesign of equipment or facility after individual case review.

Providing one or two accessible outside entries to a building makes entrance to the building itself accessible; it is not required that every outside entry be accessible. Structural changes in existing facilities are not required where other methods provide program accessibility.

Priority will be given to methods that offer programs and activities to persons with disabilities in the most integrated setting appropriate.

If sufficient relocation of classes or activities is not possible using existing facilities, structural alterations to ensure program accessibility should be made. Students may not be excluded from a specifically requested course offering or activity because it is not offered in an accessible location. Every section of a specifically requested course or activity, however, need not be made accessible.

Remodeling projects must be consistent with the "ADA Standards for Accessible Design" (ADADG) DOJ 28CFR Part 36 Revised as of July 1, 1994 and federal or state building codes or other methods which provide equivalent access to the facility or part of the facility.

C.         New Construction  (Audio Format)

New facilities, or parts of facilities, constructed for the use of Edgewood College must be designed and built so that the buildings and its parts are readily accessible to and usable by persons with disabilities. New construction must be planned in accordance with the ADADG and federal or state building codes or other methods which provide equivalent access to the facility or part of the facility.

D.         Off-Campus Programming  (Audio Format)

Programs not wholly operated by Edgewood College that require student participation in educational activities or internships (for example, in connection with student teaching assignments) should assure that these activities, as a whole, provide an equal opportunity for the participation of qualified persons with disabilities.

Since Edgewood College occasionally may hold classes, programs, or activities in private facilities, steps should be taken to use facilities which are accessible. Contractual or lease agreements should reflect efforts to ensure accessibility. It is the responsibility of the prospective employee or student to give sufficient advance notification of the need for any special accommodation or auxiliary aids (e.g., physical accessibility, interpreter, large print), in order for accommodations to be made.

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Part III—Academic Adjustments

A.         Academic Requirements  (Audio Format)

Academic requirements will be modified, as necessary, to ensure that they do not discriminate against qualified students with disabilities. These modifications should not affect the substance of the educational programs or compromise educational standards, nor should they intrude upon legitimate academic freedom. Modifications may include changes in the length of time needed for the completion of degree requirements, substitution of specific courses required for the completion of degrees, and adaptation of the manner in which specific courses are conducted.

Academic requirements that are essential to programs of instruction (e.g., a French major or minor taking a foreign language) or to any directly related licensing requirement (e.g., licensing for nursing or education) are not regarded as discriminatory.

B.         Program Examinations and Evaluations  (Audio Format)

Examinations or other procedures for evaluating students' academic achievement should be adapted to permit evaluating the achievement of students who have a disability; the results of the evaluation must represent the student's achievement in the program or activity, rather than reflecting the student's disability. It is the student's responsibility to request test accommodations at the beginning of each course for which accommodations are necessary. Academic and testing accommodations may include but need not be limited to: 

These services are coordinated by the Disabilities Services Coordinator, located in the Student Resource Center.

C.         Academic Support Services (Audio Format)

No qualified student or participant in a College program or activity will be denied the benefits of, excluded from participation in, or otherwise discriminated against because of the absence of educational support services. As long as no qualified person with a disability is excluded from a program because of the lack of an appropriate service, such support need not be on hand at all times. It is the responsibility of the individual to request the necessary accommodation or auxiliary aid in a reasonable amount of time to ensure appropriate services can be provided, preferably at least 8 weeks before classes, programs, or activities begin.

Prohibitions against the use of special equipment or accommodations such as tape recorders or braillers in classrooms, or dog guides in campus buildings, or other rules that have the effect of limiting the participation of qualified students in education programs or activities may not be imposed.

Students or participants in College programs or activities may be required to sign an agreement that they will not release tape recordings or transcriptions of lectures.

D.         Physical Education,* Athletics, and Similar Activities  (Audio Format)

Edgewood College may not discriminate on the basis of disability in physical education, athletics, and similar programs and activities. Qualified disabled students or participants in Edgewood College programs or activities should be provided with an equal opportunity to participate in physical education courses as offered, intercollegiate and intramural athletics or other similar activities. For example, a student in a wheelchair could not be denied the opportunity to enroll in a regular archery course, nor could a deaf person be excluded from participating in a wrestling course.

Students who cannot participate in regularly offered physical education courses or who cannot compete in athletic programs due to disability may be offered physical education and athletic activities that are separate or different, provided that the programs and activities are operated in the most integrated setting appropriate. If accommodation is not possible in a required course, substitution will be determined on an individual basis.

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 Part IV—Other

A.         Housing  (Audio Format)

Students with disabilities will be provided with comparable, convenient, and accessible on-campus housing/food service at the same cost as that provided to students who are not disabled.

B.         Financial Aid  (Audio Format)

Edgewood College will not provide less financial assistance to students with disabilities than is provided to non-disabled students, limit their eligibility for assistance, or otherwise discriminate against them. Financial aid awards should recognize the special needs of students with disabilities, including the possible need for reducing credit loads or extending the time allowed to complete graduation requirements.  Edgewood College follows all federal and state policies and guidelines governing financial aid requirements, eligibility, and disbursement.

C.         Employment  (Audio Format)

It is the policy of Edgewood College to administer all of its employment practices in a non-discriminatory manner. Edgewood College does not discriminate on the basis of handicap as prohibited by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 or the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state or local fair employment laws or regulations.

D.         Advising, Counseling, and Career Services  (Audio Format)

Personal, academic, or career counseling, guidance, and career counseling and guidance will be provided in an accessible setting without discrimination on the basis of disability.

E.         Extracurricular Activities  (Audio Format)

Before providing official recognition or assistance to campus organizations, the Dean of Students Office should receive assurance that the organization does not permit actions prohibited by these guidelines.

Compliance with Applicable Federal, State and Local Laws  (Audio Format)

This policy is subject to amendment. Edgewood College reserves the right to amend, add to, delete from, or modify this policy, and any others, for any purpose, including compliance with local, state, or federal law.

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References  (Audio Format)

Portions of this document are taken and modified with permission from the University of Wisconsin System Policy and Guidelines Applying to Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability, 1988 and 2001. 

• Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973

• The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990

• Part 104 Code of Federal Regulations - Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Handicap in Programs and Activities Receiving or Benefiting from Federal Financial Assistance.

May 1991: Updated January 10, 2006

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Policy Statement

Part I--Policy Implementation

Part II--Program Accessibility

Part III--Academic Adjustments

Part IV--Other

References