Guidelines | Student Accessibility Services Policy & Procedure Manual

Student Accessibility Services

Student Accessibility Services Policy & Procedure Manual

Approved by: University Student Accessibility Services Committee (previously Disabilities and Accommodations Committee), July 2016
Reviewed: July 2017
Revised: October 4, 2018

Guidelines for Students with Disabilities

Determination of Eligibility

NEOMED is committed to equal opportunity and challenge for all academically qualified students and does not discriminate on the basis of disability. Accommodations are available to encourage students with disabilities to take full advantage of the University’s educational, social and cultural opportunities.

The Learning Center, located in the Office of Student Affairs, is responsible for the coordination of programs and services for qualified applicants for admission and enrolled students with disabilities. Determination of eligibility for services and appropriate accommodations is determined by the University Student Accessibility Services Committee (hereafter referred to as “Committee”) and supported by the staff of the Learning Center after review of documentation of disability. As needed, Learning Center staff will discuss the student’s request for services with the student to assist in determining appropriate accommodations and/or consult with the faculty member or other involved office regarding the request. When there is any question about the appropriateness of the student’s requested accommodation, the Learning Center staff member will inform the student of the decision.

All accommodation requests will be presented by Learning Center staff to the Committee on an as-needed basis as part of the accommodations eligibility and approval process. If the Committee requires additional information and/or documentation, Learning Center staff will contact the student via email for the request. The student may be asked to attend a Committee meeting to answer further questions that the Committee may have regarding the requested accommodation.

Applying for and Requesting Support Services

All students seeking accessibility services from the Learning Center must disclose the presence of a disability. In most cases, the student will be asked to submit documentation of disability for review by the appropriate Learning Center staff person prior to submission to the Committee. Upon receipt and review of the documentation, an intake appointment may be scheduled. Students should provide their contact information with the documentation to facilitate the scheduling of this appointment with the Assistant Director of the Learning Center and Accessibility, in the Office of Student Affairs, Northeast Ohio Medical University, email accommodations@neomed.edu, or call 330.325.6735.

Intake Appointment (Optional)

After review of documentation, Learning Center staff may contact the student for an intake appointment. During this meeting, the student’s eligibility for accommodations and anticipated needs will be discussed. Policies and procedures regarding specific accommodations will be discussed; however, no decisions about any accommodation will be made at this time.

Requesting Specific Accommodations

Requests for accommodations coordinated by the Learning Center are made by completing and submitting a Disabilities Registration and Accommodations Request Form.

Submit the form to the Assistant Director of the Learning Center and Accessibility, via email at accommodations@neomed.edu or via fax at 330.325.5956. It is the responsibility of the student to request specific accommodations each year via the form. Please remember that accommodations can occur only after a student requests the accommodation by submitting the appropriate documentation for review by the Committee to determine eligibility for specific services. Each request is considered on an individual basis and any approved accommodations are based on the Committee’s review of the request, the specific disability, and the documentation provided in support of the foregoing.

Students should be aware of the following considerations.

Academic Adjustments

Academic requirements may be modified, as necessary, to ensure that they do not discriminate against qualified applicants or currently enrolled students with disabilities. At the student’s request, Learning Center staff will confer with the Committee to recommend academic adjustments in compliance with legal mandates. Academic adherence to requirements that are essential to programs of instruction are
not considered discriminatory.

Accommodations that modify the curriculum shall not affect the substance of the educational programs or compromise educational standards. Because of the diversity of individual needs relating to disabilities and the uniqueness of each class, students may discuss their requests for course modifications with their instructors, if appropriate, only after approval by the Committee.

Clinical Rotations and Off-campus Teaching Sites

Once granted admission, students who have a disability and who seek an accommodation that involves a teaching site other than the Rootstown Campus also must identify their disability and accommodation request in writing. Students should initiate the process as soon as possible, as significant time may be necessary to evaluate documentation, to coordinate specific accommodations, and to work out arrangements at off-campus teaching sites.

Accommodation needs for clinical rotations must be requested and coordinated well in advance. For this reason, students should meet with Learning Center staff as soon as possible when accommodations are being requested for a clinical setting. Learning Center staff can coordinate with the chair of the Committee, the course director and the affiliated institution(s) to ensure that reasonable accommodations are in place prior to the start of a clinical activity.

Administration of Rootstown-based Standardized Assessments – College of Medicine

Accommodations may be available to medical students for standardized assessments administered on the Rootstown campus and are under the purview of the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME).

Based on NEOMED approval of an accommodation for a distraction-reduced testing environment, the same will be granted to students for NBME examinations, upon request, using proper accommodation request procedures.

Based on approval by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and the NBME for an increase in time for AAMC- and NBME-administered examinations, the same will be granted, upon request and using proper documentation procedures, given the following conditions: 1) students who have received increased time by the AAMC for the MCAT examination may be considered for a comparable increase for NBME examinations administered on the Rootstown Campus during the M1 and M2 years, and 2) students who have received increased time by the NBME for the USMLE Step 1 examination may be considered for a comparable increase for NBME examinations administered on the Rootstown Campus during the M3 year.

Timeliness of Requests

In general, requests for accommodations take a minimum of two (2) weeks to process. Requests for accommodations for curriculum-related activities that occur outside of the NEOMED Rootstown Campus may take up to six (6) weeks to process. Students are encouraged to submit their request at the beginning of the academic year. All requests, if appropriate, must be reviewed on an annual basis by the Committee.

The Learning Center Availability

Staff from the Learning Center are available to consult with students on an appointment basis, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Other hours may be available by special request. To ensure that a staff member is available and has adequate time for consultation, students should email or call to schedule an appointment.