Reasonable Accommodation Process and the Role of Documentation

The purpose of the disability accommodation process is to ensure a student is not discriminated against solely on the basis of disability and has the same level of access to SUNY Brockport as their nondisabled peers. The goal is equal access and equal opportunity, not to facilitate a specific accommodation.

** Accommodations in the K – 12 environment may reduce standards and expectations to promote academic success because success is central to the K – 12 accommodation process. The fundamental baseline in college is equal access and opportunity relative to other students.

How are reasonable accommodation decisions made?

SAS facilitates an interactive process to understand a student’s academic experiences and how any accommodations requested are necessary to ensure nondiscrimination and equal access and opportunity. The goal is to remove adjustable academic barriers created by the college environment. Every request for an accommodation is explored on an individual, case-by-case basis in which facts and relevant information are gathered.

What is the role of third-party documentation in determining reasonable accommodations?

Third Party Documentation is recommended, but not required for many accommodation requests. While documentation is not always required, SAS may need third-party documentation for two reasons:

1. To establish that a student has a disability.
2. To provide information to help us understand how and why a requested
   accommodation may be reasonable, logical, and necessary to ensure nondiscrimination and equality of access relative to the disability

Documentation that includes any of the following points, though not exhaustive in scope, may be helpful in our analysis:

• Explanation of how the functional limitations of a disability impact a specific academic experience (such as why more time for exams is needed due to a disability).
• Objective/evaluative data with professional recommendations/analysis that suggests why an accommodation is necessary for a student to have equal access to the educational opportunity.
• Specific insight based on historical knowledge about how a disability limits equal access within various academic experiences (testing, reading, etc.).

When recommendations within documentation would primarily enhance academic success or are considered outside the scope of what is necessary for equal access, the student will be referred to other resources and or given options that may be able to address the specific need.

While third-party documentation may be sufficient to establish the presence of a disability, documentation alone does not inform whether accommodations are reasonable. Medical information will be considered but is not the definitive information that informs our final decisions. We consider a multitude of factors. A medical provider’s recommended accommodation does not automatically bind SUNY Brockport to approve the accommodation as being reasonable.