Disability Services

• Identify and coordinate reasonable accommodations.
• Promote an accessible and inclusive campus environment.
• Encourage student independence.

All forms are available at the Disability Services Office located in Raugust Library (Office 120). If you require assistance in completing a form, or would like to make the request orally, please contact DisabilityServices@uj.edu.

Accomodation Request Process

1. Request accommodations
   • Any student with a disability who believes they need an accommodation must self-identify to the Disability Services office. To begin this process, students can complete the UJ Application for Accommodations form.
2. Provide supporting documentation
   • In most cases, students will be asked to provide documentation from a relevant professional to verify that the student has a disability.
   • Additionally, documentation should include information on the disability-related impacts, limitations, or barriers that a student experiences in the academic/campus environment. This information is valuable in helping Disability Services understand the connection between a student’s disability, the barrier(s) described by the student, and the requested accommodations.
   • Students may have their provider complete UJ’s Documentation of Disability form, or they may submit documentation in another format. The use of UJ’s specific form is not required.
   • More information on documentation criteria is available in UJ Disability Services Policy below.
3. Meet with Disability Services Staff
   • Determining appropriate accommodations is an individualized, interactive process involving collaboration between the student and Disability Services staff. This meeting provides an opportunity to discuss student requests and individual needs in greater detail and to learn first-hand about the student’s experiences.  The interactive process, including consideration of supporting documentation, provides an opportunity to identify how the student’s disability-related limitation(s) results in a barrier to access or limits opportunity relative to the experience of other students without a disability.

Combined, these steps are designed to be an interactive process and exchange of information with the student.

Information gathered from supporting documentation and from the interactive process with the student are all considered when making accommodation determinations. Course or program specific information may also be gathered depending on the nature of the student’s limitations and requested accommodations.

Emotional Support Animal Request Process

Although the University of Jamestown generally restricts residents from having animals in University housing, the University will consider a request by a resident with a mental health disability for a reasonable accommodation to these restrictions to allow the presence of an emotional support animal (ESA).

The process to request an ESA as an accommodation in university housing includes the following:

1. Complete the Request for Emotional Support Animal form and submit to Disability Services.
2. Provide supporting documentation
   • Such documentation can be provided by a licensed health professional who is familiar with both the student’s disability and disability-related need for the animal.
   • University of Jamestown provides the form Documentation for ESA as a courtesy to students and providers, but the use of this specific form is not required.
3. Review by Disability Services
   • Disability Services will review your application and documentation and notify you in a timely manner if additional information is needed or if your ESA is recommended for approval.
4. Review Owner Responsibilities with Residence Life
   • Disability Services will notify Residence Life if your ESA is recommended for approval. Information shared is only related to the animal and does not include information related to the student’s disability.
   • Students must complete all steps above and review and agree to ESA Owner Responsibilities prior to bringing the animal into University housing.

General Information

A person with a disability includes any person who:

1. has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities
2. has a record of such an impairment, or
3. is regarded as having such an impairment

For More Information

• United States Justice Department’s ADA Website

Reasonable Accommodations

Reasonable accommodations are modifications or adjustments to the tasks, environment or to the way things are usually done that enable individuals with disabilities to have an equal opportunity to participate in a program or services. They do not alter standards or essential requirements of a course/curriculum nor cause undue hardship to the parties involved. A modification is not mandated if it would “fundamentally alter” the goods, services, or operations of the public accommodation.

Student needs will vary according to the individual course requirements and the nature of the disability. Accommodations may consist of changes in policies, practices, services
or location and the use of auxiliary aids. The student’s preferences are considered but are not determining.  Other factors taken into consideration include:

• If the proposed accommodation is logically connected to the impact of the student’s disability and the barriers to access the student experiences in the academic/campus environment.
• If the proposed accommodation will logically address the impact of the disability.
• If the proposed accommodation will effectively remove the identified barriers to access.
• If the proposed accommodation is necessary to provide an equal opportunity to participate in/benefit from programs or services similarly to non-disabled peers.
• That the proposed accommodation does not lower an essential program standard, fundamentally alter an essential program element/requirement, or pose an undue administrative or financial burden.

Campus Housing Accommodation Considerations

The Accommodation Request Process outline above also govern requests for accommodations related to the residential/campus housing setting. As is the case for academic accommodation requests, a medical diagnosis alone and/or provider recommendation for a specific accommodation does not necessarily establish the need for a requested accommodation. Engaging in this process does not guarantee a specific outcome or accommodation.

There are additional important considerations in regard to accommodation requests in the residential/campus housing environment:

• Due to the nature of the shared community living experience of residing in a residence hall, no student can be guaranteed to be completely free of discomfort, distraction, or the need to adapt routines.
• All students living on campus are expected to navigate their own preferences and needs whether using personal strategies and/or campus resources (RA’s, roommate agreements, etc). Residential accommodations are appropriate when they are required to meet a disability-related need or remove an environmental barrier that cannot be managed through personal strategies or existing campus supports.
• Housing accommodations do not include specific roommates or specific residence hall units on campus. Housing accommodations are focused on fostering equitable access to campus services by removing an identified barrier, not providing a specific outcome.
• An accommodation is not designed to be a treatment for a disability, nor are accommodations determined purely on the basis that a student may have an ability to benefit from a granted request as opposed to a disability-related need.
• Approved accommodations are also subject to university housing availability. If a request is made once a student already resides in campus housing, UJ cannot guarantee that the approved accommodations can be provided during that same term. Similarly, if a request is made after the housing application cycle has begun for the upcoming academic year, UJ cannot guarantee that the approved accommodations can be provided at the start of the upcoming year.

Area Resources

Students with disabilities are encouraged to contact state Vocational Rehabilitation officials and/or other county, state, or federal agencies whose missions include the provision of services to students/individuals with disabilities. These agencies can provide a wide variety of services including funding for special equipment and diagnostic examinations.

Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) is a state and federally funded program that assists eligible individuals with disabilities in improving their employment and educational opportunities. VR is available if you have a documented disability which is an impediment to work, have a goal to work and need help to do your best at work or school. Services are tailored to your specific needs and may include: evaluation, vocational guidance and counseling, training, job search and development, accommodations or information and referral. Services are free and confidential. If you are interested in services you can contact VR through their website at https://www.hhs.nd.gov/vr or call the Jamestown area office at (701) 253-6388.

Academic and Residential Forms/Documents

• UJ Application for Accommodations
• Documentation of Disability
• UJ Disability Services Policy
• Non-Discrimination Statement

Emotional Support Animal Forms/Documents

• Request for Emotional Support Animal
• Documentation for Support Animal
• UJ ESA Housing Policy
• Assistance Animal Appeal
• Non-Discrimination Statement