The University of Oklahoma will reasonably accommodate otherwise qualified individuals with a disability unless such accommodation would pose an undue hardship, would result in a fundamental alteration in the nature of the service, program or activity or in undue financial or administrative burdens. The term “reasonable accommodation” is used in its general sense in this policy to apply to employees, students, and visitors.
Reasonable accommodation may include, but is not limited to:
- Making existing facilities readily accessible and usable by individuals with disabilities.
- Job restructuring.
- Part-time or modified work schedules.
- Reassignment to a vacant position if qualified.
- Acquisition or modification of equipment or devices.
- Adjustment or modification of examinations, training materials or policies.
- Providing qualified readers or interpreters.
- Modifying policies, practices and procedures.
The Office of Disability Services, unless otherwise provided, is the central point-of-contact to receive all requests for reasonable accommodation and to receive all documentation required to determine disability status under law. This office will then make a recommendation on accommodation to the appropriate administrative unit. Reasonable accommodation with respect to employment matters should be coordinated with the Office of Human Resources. Reasonable accommodation with respect to academic matters, including but not limited to faculty employment, should be coordinated with the office of the Provost while all other issues of reasonable accommodation should be coordinated with the office of the Vice President for Administrative Affairs.
Individuals who have complaints alleging discrimination based upon a disability may file them with the Equal Opportunity Office in accordance with prevailing University discrimination grievance procedures.
Any student who self-identifies as a student with a disability who is unable to enroll in the required number of semester hours to meet the University of Oklahoma’s definition of full-time status must take the following steps to request full-time status:
- Submit appropriate documentation of disability (documentation by a licensed medical professional or licensed psychologist) to the director of the Office of Disability Services, along with the request for a reduced course load;
- Provide the director of the Office of Disability Services with documentation of academic history (transcripts from OU and/or previous institutions); and
- Submit a written request within a reasonable time frame PRIOR to the beginning of a semester, preferably during pre-enrollment, to the director of the Office of Disability Services.
The director of the Office of Disability Services, a representative from the Office of the Provost and an attorney from the Office of Legal Counsel, acting as a review committee, will make a decision on the student’s request. The reduced course load, when approved, shall last no longer than one semester. At the end of this period, the academic progress of the student shall be assessed by the review committee. The review committee will then determine whether the accommodation will be renewed or denied. Consistent with the Reasonable Accommodation Policy of the University of Oklahoma, any appeal of the review committee’s position may be appealed to the University Office of Equal Opportunity in accordance with prevailing University discrimination grievance procedures.
The University of Oklahoma provides services to all students with disabilities as defined by federal regulation. A qualified person with a disability means:
…an individual with a disability who, with or without reasonable modifications to rules, policies, or practices, the removal of architectural, communication, or transportation barriers, or the provision of auxiliary aids and services, meets the essential eligibility requirements for the receipt of services or the participation in programs or activities provided by a public entity.
(Public Law 101-336, Section 201)
The federal definition of a disability includes a person who:
- has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more of such a person’s major life activities;
- has a record of such impairment, or
- is regarded as having such impairment.
(Public Law 101-336, Section 3)
Students must initiate their request for reasonable accommodation by self-identifying as a student with a disability to the Office of Disability Services. After a student has met with the staff of ODS, with the student's permission, a memo outlining the required accommodations/services will be transmitted to the Associate Dean of the College of Law. The College of Law faculty and staff, under the supervision of the Associate Dean of the College of Law, will provide direct services at the Law Center. All guidelines regarding eligibility for services, documentation of disability, and types of accommodations/services contained in this Fact Book are applicable to students enrolled in the College of Law.
Pursuant to the American Bar Association (ABA) interpretation of Standard 212-3, …."Reasonable accommodations are those that do not fundamentally alter the nature of the program, that can be provided without undue financial or administrative burden, and that can be provided without lowering academic and other essential performance standards." As reflected in ABA Standard 304 and in internal policies of the University of Oklahoma College of Law, class attendance is generally deemed to be a fundamental aspect of legal education. Although the university recognizes that students with disabilities must be accommodated on an individual basis, students who have a disability that may impede their attendance nevertheless must meet the fundamental attendance requirements. Students who believe that their situations are extraordinary should consult with the Office of Disability Services, which will in turn consult with the Associate Dean for Academics at the College of Law and the individual faculty member involved. Given the availability of other accommodations such as a reduced course load, an attendance policy exception would be extremely unusual.