04.190 Disability Accommodations for Students

Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs

Revised and Reformatted May 7, 2007; supersedes former Policy I

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990

EEO/AA policy

Disability Services

Policy Details:

1. Purpose

   The University of North Carolina Wilmington is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to enable qualified students with documented disabilities to accomplish their educational goals.

2. Responsibility

   Reasonable accommodations are provided based on individual need as assessed through documentation. It is the responsibility of the student who desires a reasonable accommodation to notify the Office of Disability Services and to provide appropriate documentation. Students are not required to identify themselves as disabled if they do not want to avail themselves of accommodations.

3. Complaint and Appeal Procedures

   1. Any student who feels that he or she has been the subject of discrimination based on their disability or feels that the accommodations and services provided are inappropriate should seek resolution. The university has adopted internal procedures providing prompt and equitable resolution to disability complaints.

   2. Students with complaints concerning alleged discrimination or appropriate accommodation provision should make these complaints known to the Director of Disability Services. The Director will investigate the complaint and suggest solutions. Informal resolution is encouraged and should be attempted prior to formal filing of a grievance. The informal procedure affords all interested persons and their representatives an opportunity to respond and make modifications if necessary. If resolution is not achieved or if the individuals involved are not satisfied with the resolution, the student may notify the Dean of Students. The Dean will conduct an informal investigation and make recommendations as to the resolution of this complaint. This resolution is provided in written form and where appropriate, in a format accessible to the complainant. The Dean of Students provides the university’s compliance officer with a detailed account of the complaint and the results of the investigation and recommendations.

   3. Students not satisfied with the Dean of Student’s recommendations can file a formal ADA complaint with the university’s compliance officer. The complaint should be in writing and contain information about the alleged discrimination including the name, address, phone number of complainant, the identity of the individual(s) who is the alleged offender, and location, date and description of the problem. (A copy of the form is included below). Alternative means of filing complaints, appropriate to the documented disability will be made available. This complaint must be filed within 180 calendar days after the complainant becomes aware of the alleged violation.

   4. Within 15 calendar days after receipt of the complaint, the compliance officer will meet with the complainant to discuss the complaint and possible resolutions. Within 15 calendar days after the meeting, the compliance officer will respond in writing, and, where appropriate, in a format accessible to the complainant. The response will explain the university’s position and offer options for substantive resolution of the complaint. All written complaints received by the compliance officer and their responses will be retained for at least three years.

   5. The complainant shall be informed of the right to file a complaint with the appropriate state or federal agency. The use of the internal grievance procedure shall not be a prerequisite to other external remedies. Retaliation against a person who files a complaint of disability discrimination is prohibited under university policy and by state and federal law.