Understanding the rights and responsibilities of all parties involved in the accommodation of post-secondary students with disabilities is of key importance.  The list below includes the rights and responsibilities of the University and its students with disabilities. These lists are not exhaustive, but both do provide a good overview.  Additional information taken directly from the Americans with Disabilities Act and relevant legislation can be found here.

Rights of Tulane University Students with Disabilities:

• Meaningful access to services, programs, and activities of the University.
• Expecting all disability-related information to be treated confidentially by all University faculty and staff.
• Expecting ODS and faculty to make a good faith effort to provide appropriate accommodations in a timely manner.
• Having the opportunity to meet privately with faculty and ODS staff to discuss accommodations or other disability-related concerns.
• Appealing decisions regarding accommodations to the Office of Institutional Equity.
• Reviewing their ODS file by appointment with ODS/ERC staff.
• Exercising the rights available to all other students of Tulane University.

Responsibilities of Tulane University Students with Disabilities:

• Self-identifying, registering their disabilities, and making disability-related requests with the Office of Disability Services (ODS) at the ERC in a timely manner.
• Requesting specific accommodations that may be needed in writing.
• Providing current, adequate documentation that substantiates their disabilities and shows the need for the requested accommodations (see the ODS Guidelines for Documentation for more information).
• Paying for any costs involved in obtaining missing or updated documentation
• Participating in an interactive process between the student, faculty, administration, and ODS staff.
• Meeting qualifications and maintaining essential University standards for courses, programs, and activities.
• Providing for their own personal, independent living needs (e.g. a personal assistant), personal accommodations (e.g. private tutors, software for personal use), and individually prescribed auxiliary aids (eyeglasses, hearing aids, wheelchairs).
• Appropriately using accommodations by following the university policies and procedures (e.g. notifying faculty of approved accommodations in an appropriate and timely manner using the ODS Course Accommodation Form; notifying faculty and ODS in a timely manner if an accommodation is not being provided completely or correctly; etc.).

Rights of Tulane University through the Office of Disability Services:

• Requesting and receiving accommodation requests in writing from students initiating the disability accommodation process.
• Requesting and receiving current, substantial disability-related documentation (according to established ODS documentation guidelines) from students who request accommodation.
• Limiting access to disability-related information received or generated as determined by University policy and applicable law; this is also a responsibility.
• Denying unreasonable accommodations, adjustments, and/or auxiliary services if these are not supported by documentation or impose undue hardship to, or fundamentally alter, a service, program, or activity of the university.
• Selecting among equally effective accommodations, adjustments, and/or auxiliary aids.
• Expecting students and/or their representatives, faculty, and administration to work cooperatively to facilitate the ODS registration and accommodation process.

Responsibilities of Tulane University through the Office of Disability Services:

• Not discriminating against students with disabilities.
• Making a good faith effort to facilitate and/or provide meaningful access to services, programs, and activities of the University.
• Identifying the responsible administrator (i.e. the Manager of Disability Services at the ERC).
• Establishing and disseminating disability-related policies and procedures to the University community and its constituents.                     
• Responding to disability-related requests in a timely manner.
• Following a deliberative, case-by-case process in responding to disability-related requests.
• Maintaining the confidentiality of all disability-related information received or generated as determined by University policy and applicable law; this is also a right.
• Engendering self-awareness and self-advocacy in students with disabilities.
• Providing a secure, monitored environment when administering accommodated exams to students with testing accommodations.
• Participating in the interactive process between the student, faculty, administration, and ODS staff.

Rights of Tulane University through the Faculty:

• Identifying and establishing essential functions, abilities, skills, and knowledge of their courses and evaluating all students on this basis; this is also a faculty member’s responsibility.
• Requesting verification of a student’s eligibility for accommodations in the form of the ODS Course Accommodation Form or other official ODS document.
• Expecting the student to initiate accommodation requests, both initially (with the ODS Course Accommodation Form) and throughout the semester (for individual exams, for example) in a timely manner.
• Expecting exams administered in ODS to be in a secure, monitored environment.
• Receiving guidance from ODS staff regarding disability-related questions or concerns.

Rights of Tulane University through the Faculty:

• Identifying and establishing essential functions, abilities, skills, and knowledge of their courses and   evaluating all students on this basis; this is also a faculty member’s right.
• Providing disability-related accommodations only to students who are registered with ODS.
• Using a syllabus statement and class announcement to invite students with disabilities to disclose their needs to the appropriate party.
• Maintaining availability through office hours or by appointment for students to discuss their disability-related needs in a private setting.
• Consulting with students regarding their disabilities but NOT asking the nature of the disability itself, NOT requesting medical/psychological documentation directly from the student, and NOT restrictively counseling a student because of a disability.
• Maintaining the confidentiality of students with disabilities in the classroom as well as in handing any disability-related correspondence (e.g. ODS Course Accommodation Forms).
• Acting immediately and appropriately upon receiving a student’s ODS Course Accommodation Form, including: signing the form, taking a copy of the form, and either providing the reasonable accommodation(s) or contacting ODS for guidance.
• With the help of ODS, assuring that course-related media (e.g. syllabi, textbooks, course packets, videos, etc.) are available in alternate formats in timely manner.
• Clearly communicating classroom and testing procedures to students with disabilities, including correctly and completely filling out an ODS Exam Request Form, if applicable.
• Contacting ODS in a timely manner if any disability-related questions or concerns arise.