Determining Eligibility and Applying for Accommodations

Intent: To determine student eligibility for disability related accommodations and support services offered by the Department of Disability Services (DDS) to students who have selected to self-identify as a person with a disability and who are requesting accommodations and support services.

Accountability: The Department of Disability Services, the ADA/504 Coordinator and students who have selected to self-identify as a person with disability requesting disability related accommodations and support services.

Applicability: Admitted students enrolled full or part-time at Monmouth University, admitted Monmouth University students attending New Student Orientation, or students enrolled in programs administered through Monmouth University who select to self-identify as an individual with a disability and have requested DDS accommodations and support services.

Definition(s):

• ADAAA: Information about the ADAAA on the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission website.
• Disability: Under Sec. 12102 of the ADAAA: the term “disability” means, with respect to an individual, a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities of such individual; a record of such an impairment or being regarded as having such an impairment. Major life activities include, but are not limited to, caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, eating, sleeping, walking, standing, lifting, bending, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating, and working.
• Accommodation: The Department of Disability Services (DDS) uses the term “accommodation” to define auxiliary aids or services. Under Section 36303 of the ADAAA Amended, “A public accommodation shall take those steps that may be necessary to ensure that no individual with a disability is excluded, denied services, segregated or otherwise treated differently than other individuals because of the absence of auxiliary aids and services, unless the public accommodation can demonstrate that taking those steps would fundamentally alter the nature of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations being offered; or would result in an undue burden (i.e., significant difficulty or expense).
• Modification: DDS uses the term “modification” to define requests that change established academic requirements without fundamentally altering the nature of the course. Examples of modifications may include but are not limited to:
  • Up to two (2) additional absences
  • Extended deadline on up to two (2) assignments
  • Extended deadline for up to two (2) assessments

Course modification requests require an additional interactive process between the student, DDS and faculty.

Procedure: 

Determination for student eligibility for accommodations and support services provided by the Department of Disability Services (DDS) requires the following administrative steps:

1. Students are granted full admission to the University.
2. Students self-identify as needing a disability-related accommodation and provide DDS with sufficient notice of need. Preferably at the time of Intent to Enroll for incoming freshman or transfer students, and at the time of registration during the semester in advance of need for Monmouth University students who have already matriculated and are currently enrolled in academic courses.
3. Students complete the Confidential Registration form (CRF): Fill out the CRF Form
4. Students provide documentation verifying:
   1. Diagnosis
   2. Identification of specific functional limitations posed by their disability as it pertains to the educational environment
   3. Description of the current impact of their disability as it pertains to the educational environment
   4. A clear description of the reasonable academic accommodation(s) requested
   5. An indication of the level of need for the requested accommodation(s) in the educational environment
5. DDS staff will review the Confidential Registration Form, including submitted documentation of disability, which may include students’ self-report and information from external or third parties for the purpose of determining functional limitations and reasonable accommodations.
6. Once all forms and documentation are received and reviewed, DDS will contact the student to schedule a New Student Appointment. During the New Student Appointment, the interactive interview process will take place. Students requiring accommodations for their New Student Appointment should indicate need when scheduling.
7. New Student Appointments may be conducted in person or virtually via Zoom.
8. Based on all the information gathered and analyzed, the DDS Disability Specialist will determine disability status and eligibility for DDS accommodations and services.

Determination of Disability and Provision of Academic Accommodations and Support Services:

Authority to Determine Disability Status:

The University has designated DDS as having the responsibility/authority to determine disability status for the provision of academic and non-academic related accommodations and support services to students with disabilities.

Disability status means an individual with a disability that meets one or more of the following criteria:

1. Any person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities of such individual;
2. Any person who has a record of such impairment;
3. Any person who is regarded as having such impairment; or
4. Being regarded or treated as having or having had such an impairment that has not presently disabling effects but may become a qualifying impairment in the future.

Students may seek, or DDS may have a need to refer, to the campus ADA/504 Coordinator for certain disability needs or situations, including allegations of disability-related discrimination.

Temporary Disability:

The University is not required to provide accommodations to students with temporary disabilities; however, DDS may consider providing reasonable accommodations on a case-by-case basis for a limited time frame.

Interactive Process:

Determination of a disability and the provision of accommodations and support services require an interactive process between DDS and the student during the New Student Appointment. Students are required to provide DDS with sufficient notice of need at the time of admission into the University for incoming students, prior to or at the time of course registration for returning DDS students, or at the onset of a newly diagnosed disability.

Notice to DDS is provided by submitting a Confidential Registration Form (CRF) and providing documentation verifying the disability. Once the application and documentation are received, the student should schedule a New Student Appointment. The interactive process consists of the student self-reporting the experience of having a disability, including any strengths, limitations or barriers as it pertains to the educational environment. The student also articulates individualized needs and request(s) for reasonable accommodations and support services.

DDS has the authority to determine the presence of a disability, and in some situations, may be able to do so without corroborating documentation if the nature and extent of the disability is evident. When determining if the student’s disability is evident, in addition to professional judgment, DDS staff may consider how the disability impacts a major life activity on a case-by-case basis. If the nature and extent of the disability is evident, the student’s self-report may be sufficient to determine eligibility. When the disability is non-evident, DDS is permitted to request a reasonable level of documentation of disability to determine functional limitations as they pertain to the educational environment and to identify reasonable services and accommodations. 

Sources and Forms of Documentation:

DDS accepts the following typical sources of documentation for substantiating a student’s disability and request for particular reasonable accommodations:

1. Student’s Self-report: Students are a vital source of information regarding how they may be “limited by impairment.” Student narratives of their experience with a disability, barriers, and effective and ineffective accommodations are an important tool that, when structured by interview or questionnaire, and interpreted, may be sufficient for establishing disability status and a need for accommodation.
2. Observation and Interaction: The impressions and conclusions formed by higher education disability professionals during interviews and conversations with students, or in evaluating the effectiveness of previously implemented or provisional accommodations, are important forms of documentation. DDS staff may use their observations of students’ language, performance, and strategies as an appropriate tool in validating student narratives and self-report.
3. Information from External or Third Parties: Unless the existence of a disability and the need for accommodation is self-evident, some corroborating documentation is typically needed in addition to the student’s self-report, DDS observation and student interaction. Documentation from external sources may include educational or medical records, reports and assessments created by health care providers, school psychologists, teachers, or the educational system. All documentation must be submitted on the official letterhead of the professional describing the disability. The report must be dated and signed and include the name, title, and professional credentials of the evaluator, including information about license or certification.

Although DDS staff will first take into consideration the student’s self-report and information obtained during discussions with the student, the ADAAA acknowledges that DDS staff may have a need to request a reasonable amount of additional information from external or third parties for the purpose of determining functional limitations and to identify reasonable services and accommodations. DDS will ensure that the requested additional information or documentation from external or third parties will not be required to be extensive to the point of placing an undue burden on the student, however, should be sufficient enough to determine the student’s limitations and support the accommodation as being reasonable. Students are responsible for all fees associated with obtaining external documentation.

4. Documentation from external sources may include educational or medical records, reports and assessments created by health care providers, school psychologists, teachers, or the educational system. This information is inclusive of documents that reflect education and accommodation history, as well as teacher observations. External documentation will vary in its relevance and value depending on the original context, credentials of the evaluator, the level of detail provided, and the comprehensiveness of the narrative. However, all forms of documentation may be meaningful and will be reviewed by DDS for pertinent information.

Assessment Process for Learning Disabilities: To assess and verify Specific Learning Disabilities, DDS requires a copy of Psychological Testing, Educational Evaluation and Grade 12 IEP. Testing must be less than 4 years old, and student must be at least 16.5 years old when tested.

Documentation must support the request for accommodations, academic adjustments and/or auxiliary aids. If the initial documentation is incomplete or inadequate to determine the extent of the disability, the impact of meeting course standards or to determine if the requested accommodation is reasonable, DDS has the discretion to require additional documentation. A student requesting accommodations for the manifestations of multiple disabilities should provide evidence of all such conditions.

Responsibility of Obtaining Documentation of Disability:

In post-secondary education, the student, not the University, is responsible for obtaining and submitting all sources and forms of documentation. As such, the cost of obtaining documentation of disability is the sole responsibility of the student requesting DDS accommodations and support services. Any cost of obtaining additional documentation is also the student’s responsibility.

Provisions of Accommodations and Services:

DDS determines reasonable classroom accommodations to provide students with disabilities an equitable opportunity to access and participate in the University’s courses, programs, and activities. DDS accommodations and support services are intended to allow students to demonstrate their knowledge without fundamentally changing the target skill of the instruction given in the classroom or measured in testing situations. Accommodations do not reduce learning or performance expectations for students.

Reasonable accommodations are determined on a case-by-case basis by using multiple sources of information including the interactive process, supporting documentation and the nature of each course format and established academic standards. To determine reasonable accommodations, DDS may seek information from appropriate University personnel regarding essential standards for courses, programs, services, activities, and facilities. DDS has the authority to determine the provision of reasonable accommodations and is not required to provide the same type, level, or quantity of accommodations as previously provided to the student at other educational institutions. Reasonable accommodations are based on current functional limitations and not entirely on a diagnosis or professional recommendation alone. The final determination of appropriate and reasonable accommodations and support services rests with DDS. Examples of reasonable academic accommodation and services include but are not limited to:

• Extended test time
• Testing in a distraction-reduced environment

• Use of a reader or scribe

• Use of a computer, other auxiliary aid or assistive device

• Use of recording and/or note taking technology during lectures

• Preferential seating in a classroom

• Sign language interpreters

• Captioning services

• Textbooks in alternative format

Student preference for specific accommodations is given primary consideration; however, DDS has the right to select equally effective accommodations, adjustments, and/or auxiliary aids and services.

Course modifications differ from course accommodations in that they change the established academic requirements, without fundamentally altering the nature of the course. Course modifications require an additional interactive process between the student, DDS and faculty and include but are not limited to:

• Up to two (2) additional absences

• Extended deadline on up to two (2) assignments

• Extended deadline for up to two (2) assessments

DDS does not provide personal attendants, individually prescribed devices, readers for personal use or study, or other devices or services of a personal nature, such as tutoring and typing. However, upon request of the student, and with supporting documentation from an externally licensed professional, DDS may approve the presence of personal attendants to facilitate personal needs within the University classroom, programs or activities.

Once students are deemed eligible for DDS services and approved for specific accommodations, they will be given access to an online portal called Accommodate. Upon logging into Accommodate, students will have to read and sign Student Contracts, which document their responsibilities related to their accommodations as set by DDS. These Student Contracts will need to be read and signed each term the student selects to request accommodations and services.

Approved DDS accommodations are entered into Accommodate by DDS staff. To activate the approved accommodations and services, students are then required to make Semester Requests to activate those accommodation(s) for each listed course in which they determine a need.

Note: DDS approved accommodations will not be provided in the classroom if the student fails to place Semester Requests for approved accommodation(s) via Accommodate.

After students submit request(s) through Accommodate, DDS staff will approve the specific request(s) and electronically send a letter to notify faculty of approved student accommodations.

The faculty letter includes information regarding students’ eligibility for DDS services and approved accommodations. Disability specific information remains confidential. Under legal mandates, students with disabilities are not required to provide disability specific information to faculty. Students may make the personal decision to disclose to faculty or request DDS to place customized, disability-related information they wish to share with faculty within the letter sent to faculty.

In the event a student is deemed ineligible for services, the student may initiate an appeal process by contacting ADA/504 Coordinator.