Accessibility and Disability Resource Center Accommodations
Procedures for Requesting Accommodation
Requests for accommodation should be initiated by the individual who requires accommodation. Please allow 5-15 University days for review after your documentation has been submitted, at which time an email will be sent to your OU email account with the next step, which is often to schedule an appointment with an Accessibility and Disability Resource Center team member. The focus of this appointment will be to engage with you about any previous accommodations, current impact to your functioning, documentation, and what accommodations may be the best fit.
Documentation Guidelines
The student must provide appropriate documentation of the disability. This documentation can only be prepared by a person who is not a family member of the individual with a disability and who is qualified by professional training and practice to diagnose and treat the condition leading to the disability. Handwritten notes on prescription pads or handwritten treatment records will not be accepted. In general, documentation of disability should be reasonably current and include:
- A diagnostic statement identifying the disability, date of the current diagnostic evaluation, and the date of the original diagnosis
- A description of the diagnostic criteria used
- A description of the current functional impact of the disability;
- Treatments, medications, and assistive devices currently prescribed or in use;
- A description of the expected progression or stability of the impact of the disability over time;
- The credentials of the diagnosing professional(s).
Final responsibility for selection of the most appropriate accommodations rests with the University. If a mutually acceptable accommodation cannot be found, if the requested accommodation is determined to be an "undue hardship", or if the requested accommodation alters the essential function of the course, the student may file a grievance with the ADA Coordinator or the University Institutional Equity Office in accordance with prevailing University discrimination grievance procedures.
