Preamble and Policy Statement:

Heritage University serves an extremely diverse community with equally diverse and compelling needs. Working within the constraints of a limited budget, the University seeks to meet these needs as best it can, while keeping in mind that additional costs, no matter how worthy the cause, are inevitably passed along to students, with the undesirable consequence of limiting their access to the benefit of higher education.

Consistent with this preamble, Heritage University is committed to providing qualified students with disabilities an equal opportunity to access the benefits, rights, and privileges of University services, programs and activities in the most integrated setting possible, in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, State of Washington Laws of 1994, ch. 105, Revised Code of Washington (RCW) 49.60, and Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 51.30.

The purpose of this policy is to establish clear guidelines for seeking and receiving reasonable accommodations under ADA/504.

Scope:

Reasonable accommodations under this policy include, but are not limited to (a) academic adjustments, such as flexibility in test-taking arrangements; (b) adjustments in nonacademic services and other rules; and (c) auxiliary aids and services.

Heritage University will make those modifications to its academic practices that (1) are necessary to ensure that those practices do not discriminate, or have the effect of discriminating, against a qualified student with a disability, based on that disability and (2) do not impose an undue hardship on the University, reduce the quality of the educational program, or require alteration of essential program requirements.

Appropriate academic adjustments/reasonable accommodations will be provided to qualified students with disabilities for recruitment, the application process, enrollment, registration, financial aid, course work requirements, academic counseling, and nonacademic programs and services.

A. The Americans With Disabilities Act states:
"No individual shall be discriminated against on the basis of disability in the full and equal enjoyment of goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations of any place of public accommodation .." and goes on to state ". . . an individual with a disability shall not be denied the opportunity to participate in such programs or activities that are not separate or different."

B. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act states:
"No otherwise qualified, handicapped individual in the United States shall solely, by reasons of his/her handicap, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance."

Definitions:

A. "Reasonable accommodations" in University programs and services are modifications of those programs, policies, practices, and procedures that can reasonably be accomplished with the resources available to the University, to enable qualified students with disabilities to have an equal opportunity to benefit from and have access to Heritage University programs and services.

B. A "qualified student with a disability" is one who, with or without reasonable accommodations, meets the academic and technical standards required for admission to, participation in, and/or fulfillment of the requirements of University programs or activities.

C. A "student with a disability" is a student who (1) has a physical, mental or sensory impairment that substantially limits one or more of his/her major life activities, (2) has a record of such an impairment or, (3) is perceived to have such an impairment, or a student who has an abnormal condition that is medically recognizable or diagnosable.

D. "Undue hardship" is any excessively costly, extensive, substantial, or disruptive modification to Heritage University. "Fundamental alteration" is a modification that substantially alters the nature of operation of Heritage University or any of its programs or services. "Direct threat" is a significant risk to the health or safety of the students, faculty, and staff of Heritage University, a risk that cannot be eliminated by a modification of policies, practices, or procedures, or by the provision of auxiliary aids or services.

E. "Program accessibility" means that all programs and services are operated in a manner that ensures that persons with a disability have an equal opportunity to participate and benefit from those programs and services.

F. "Core Services" are those services listed in State of Washington Laws of 1994, ch. 105, that are necessary to ensure students with disabilities are reasonably accommodated at the University.

G. "Course Substitution" is the replacement of a specific course required for a degree program with another course that measures the same learning objectives/skills as the required course.

Obligations of the University:

A. Comply with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, RCW 49.60 and WAC 51.30.

B. Notify students of the University's policy of nondiscrimination on the basis of disability and of steps the student may take if he/she believes discrimination has taken place. This notice shall be included in all formal correspondence that communicates decisions or policies adversely affecting the student's status or rights with the institution of higher education. This notice shall include the phone numbers of the United States Department of Education, U.S. Office of Civil Rights, and the Washington State Human Rights Commission.

C. Make available to all students information on the services available to disabled students, including the name of the contact person, the locations of the offices providing services to disabled students, and the process for accessing those services.

D. Work with the student, faculty, and staff on a case-by-case basis, to select and provide reasonable accommodations/ core services appropriate for each qualified student with a disability.

E. Develop procedures to protect the confidentiality of information regarding the nature and extent of the documented disability.

G. Not make pre-admission inquiry as to whether the applicant has a disability, except as provided by law.

H. Work collaboratively with eligible students to determine what accommodations are reasonable, and appropriate, and can be provided without undue hardship to the University.

To identify the accommodations that are reasonable based on the nature and extent of a student's disability, the University may require specific documentation from the student's physician or other qualified professional.

Obligations of Students:

The University is obligated to provide reasonable accommodation, without undue hardship to the University, to a qualified student with a known disability. Reasonable accommodations for individual students are determined on a case-by-case basis. A student who seeks accommodations under this policy is responsible for documenting the nature and extent of the disability. The University will work collaboratively with the student in determining the appropriate accommodations

To ensure that needed accommodations are provided in a timely manner, the student shall:

A. Provide timely notice and documentation of the nature and extent of the disability, and the accommodations requested, to the Director of Student Life. Some accommodations may require considerable time to arrange; therefore, requests for accommodations should be received by the University six weeks prior to the beginning of the semester for which the request is made. Lack of advance notice may delay the availability of an accommodation;

B. Provide such additional documentation on the nature and extent of the disability as the University may require to determine appropriate accommodations. Such documentation may include, but is not limited to, identification of tests administered, test results, description of the covered disability, and recommended accommodations;

C. Cooperate with representatives of the University to develop an appropriate curriculum plan and reasonable accommodations;

D. Promptly notify the University of any problems encountered in receiving the agreed-upon accommodations.

Disability Services for Students:

A. The Director of Student Life is responsible for the coordination of services to qualified students with disabilities requiring reasonable accommodations.

B. The Director of Student Life is committed to a reasonable approach in the identification of students with disabilities, including contacting all students who voluntarily self-identify during the University admission or orientation process.

C. Information regarding a disability will be kept confidential unless the student signs a Release of Information form, with a notarized signature.

D. The Director of Student Life and the student's academic advisor/department chair will assist and advise each qualified student with a disability who requests accommodations under this policy in developing an instructional plan, identifying those reasonable accommodations appropriate for the student, and ensuring that the agreed-upon accommodations are provided.

Reasonable Accommodations - Examples by Categories:

The process of selecting reasonable accommodations for each qualified student with a disability shall be made on a case-by-case basis, appropriate to the nature and extent of the student's disability, but without undue hardship to the University.

A. Academic modifications.

1. flexibility in timelines for completion of courses, certification, and degree requirements;

5. flexibility in credits required to satisfy institutional eligibility for financial aid.

B. Auxiliary Aids and Services.

1. flexible procedures in the admissions process, early registration, or priority registration;

2. qualified sign language, oral and tactile interpreters, or other technological alternatives;

4. textbooks and other educational materials in alternative media that the University may own or acquire;

6. release of syllabi, study guides, and other appropriate instructor- produced materials in advance of general distribution and access beyond the regular classroom session to slides, films, overheads, and other media, and taping of lectures.

C. Access.

1. ongoing review and coordination of efforts to ensure campus accessibility, including barrier-free design, signage, identification of hazards of mobility barriers, maintenance of access during construction, snow and ice clearance, and adequate disability parking for all facilities;

2. facilitating physical access to programs and services including relocating classes, activities, and services to accessible facilities;

3. referral to appropriate on-campus and off-campus resources, services and agencies; and

4. accessibility to tutoring, mentoring, peer counseling, and academic advising, if available on campus.