Chapter 4 – Determining Reasonable Accommodations

Overview

A reasonable accommodation is a modification or adjustment to a course, program, service, or activity. This enables a qualified student with a disability to have an equal opportunity to access and use services that are available to students without disabilities. To determine reasonable accommodations, the university has a responsibility to obtain information from appropriate university personnel regarding essential standards or learning outcomes for courses, programs, services, and activities.

Reasonable Accommodations

Reasonable accommodations are determined by examining:

  1. The barriers between the impacts of the documented disability and the campus and/or educational environment.
  2. The possible accommodations that might reduce and/or remove barriers and impacts.
    • Whether or not the student has access to the course, program, service or activity without an accommodation.
  3. Whether or not essential elements of the course, program, service, activity or facility are compromised by the accommodations.

Accommodation Request Analysis

In reviewing accommodation requests, the following analysis is used:

  1. Does the student have a documented disability?
  2. Does the disability substantially limit one or more major life activities that impact them in the UTA environment (academics, housing, services, and activities)?
  3. Does the student meet the University's departments or programs’ academic and technical standards?
    • Is the request reasonable? (All of the following requirements must be satisfied for the request to be considered reasonable.)
    • The accommodation does not fundamentally alter the nature of the program or activity
      1. The accommodation does not alter or remove essential requirements
      2. The accommodation does not lower academic standards or learning outcomes
      3. The accommodation does not present an undue financial or administrative burden on the university
      4. The accommodation does not pose a threat to the safety of others or the public