ESTABLISHING ELIGIBILITY
An individual who has requested a reasonable accommodation must provide documentation from a certified health care provider that is sufficient to establish the existence of the qualifying disability and the need for the accommodation.
The information provided must describe the nature, severity, and duration of the impairment; the activity or activities the impairment limits; the extent to which the impairment limits the individual’s ability to perform the activity or activities; and substantiate the need for the reasonable accommodation. The applicant or employee must bear the costs associated with obtaining and providing this information to the University.
The University may require an applicant or employee to undergo further testing or evaluation by a certified health care provider to verify or further establish the claimed disability or the need for an accommodation. The cost associated with such an evaluation will be at the University’s expense.
The need for a reasonable accommodation may, and often does, change. Therefore, a staff or faculty member who receives a reasonable accommodation may be required to establish his or her eligibility for an accommodation annually or more frequently, as may be appropriate.
DISABILITY ACCOMMODATIONS
PROCESS AND PROCEDURES
To request a reasonable accommodation, a University employee should complete and submit a Disability Accommodations Form to his/her immediate supervisor, chairperson or Dean. If the need for a reasonable accommodation or the form of the accommodation cannot be resolved at this level, the employee should contact the Chief Officer of Human Resources.
An applicant who seeks a reasonable accommodation for the job application process should contact the Chief Officer of Human Resources.
The employee must provide medical documentation via the Disability Accommodations Health Care Provider Release Form, from a certified health care provider to the Chief Officer of Human Resources (see Establishing Eligibility section, above).
The Chief Officer of Human Resources will review all accommodation requests, along with the supporting documentation, from employees and applicants. To the extent permitted by law, consultation with the individual’s health care provider, the University’s own medical professionals and such other University personnel, including General Counsel, may be conducted in order to fully evaluate the accommodations request.
Once the Chief Officer of Human Resources makes a final determination in favor of providing a reasonable accommodation, the employee, applicant, appropriate supervisor, chairperson or Dean will be notified. The designated department shall implement the accommodation and such funding for a reasonable accommodation will be handled in the same manner as any other departmental expenditure.
If accommodations other than the one requested by the employee or applicant are determined by the University to be reasonable, the University will, as may be appropriate, consider the employee or applicant’s preference. The final determination as to the reasonable accommodation to be implemented will remain with the University.
When it is determined that an accommodation will not be offered, an explanation will be provided to the individual in writing.
CONFIDENTIALITY
All information and documentation acquired in relation to requests for a reasonable accommodation will be kept confidential to the extent required and permitted by law. Confidential information will only be made available to others on a need-to-know basis.
COMPLAINT PROCEDURE
If a University employee believes that he or she has been discriminated against on the basis of a disability, please refer to the internal complaint process set forth in the University’s Unlawful Harassment Policy. If an applicant believes that he or she has been discriminated against on the basis of a disability, a complaint may be filed with the Chief Human Resources Officer.
At any time, an individual may pursue other remedies available under applicable, federal, state or local law.