Disability Accommodation

The UNT Dallas College of Law (COL) provides accommodation to qualified students with disabilities in accordance with state and federal laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

Eligibility

Students are eligible for accommodation and/or auxiliary aids and services if they have a documented disability and the functional limitations of the disability require such accommodation and/or auxiliary aids and services.

• Newly accepted and currently enrolled students are responsible for initiating a disability-related request for accommodation or auxiliary aids and services with the Assistant Dean of Students prior to the time when the accommodation or auxiliary aids or service will be needed.
• Prospective students may request reasonable accommodation (for testing, campus tours, or orientation) at any time during the application process by submitting an oral or written request to the Assistant Dean of Students using the Disability Accommodation Request form.

Request for Accommodation and/or auxiliary aids and services

• Students must submit a request for accommodation and/or auxiliary aids and services to the Assistant Dean of Students using the Disability Accommodation Request form. In addition, students must provide relevant and complete written documentation of a disability for which accommodation is requested, including:
• A diagnostic statement from an appropriate professional identifying the disability, date of the current diagnostic evaluation, and the date of the original diagnosis.
• A description of the current functional impact of the disability.
• Treatments, medications, assistive devices, or services currently prescribed.
• The relevant credentials of the diagnosing professional(s) such as medical specialty and professional licensure.

Guidelines and forms for completing documentation are available on the College of Law website.

• Documentation Guidelines
• Disability Accommodation Request form
• Physical Disability Documentation form
• ADD/ADHD Documentation form
• Psychological Disability Documentation form
• Documentation Requirements for Other Learning Disabilities

Determination

A determination of whether accommodations or auxiliary aids or services are appropriate will follow after an individual assessment of a student's written documentation and a personal meeting with the student. Among the factors to be considered in determining appropriate accommodations or auxiliary aids and services are:

• The nature of the student's disability.
• Accommodations, auxiliary aids, or services that have worked for the student in the past.
• Whether the requested accommodation, auxiliary aids, or services will allow the student to effectively access and participate in the course or academic program.
• Whether the requested accommodation, auxiliary aids, or services will alter the essential requirements of the course or program.

The College of Law is not required to alter or modify a course or academic program to the extent that it changes the fundamental nature of that course or program. Decisions regarding accommodations or auxiliary aids and services may require consultation with College of Law faculty or administrators to consider the fundamental nature of a course or academic program.

Notification

The student will be notified in writing of the status of the request and the proposed date for a final determination.

Accommodations or auxiliary aids and services requiring cooperation of faculty

Certain accommodations or use of auxiliary aids and services may require cooperation from a faculty member who teaches a class in which a student is enrolled.

• As early as possible in a semester, a student who has been approved for accommodation or use of auxiliary aids and services should seek a confidential meeting with the faculty member to show the faculty member the written approval of the accommodation, aids, or services, and to make arrangements for implementation of the approved accommodation, auxiliary aid, or services. 
• The faculty member may not disclose the student's disability to any other student or faculty member without the consent of the student. Faculty members may not deny an approved accommodation without consulting the Assistant Dean of Students to consider alternate means to accommodate a student's disability.

For more detail on Disability Accommodation, see UNT Dallas Policy 7.004.