Disability Resource Center

Room 591, Alexander Creek Building (5) • 208.535.5462

Staff

Dan Bruderer, LMSW Senior Coordinator
dan.bruderer@cei.edu

College of Eastern Idaho is committed to providing educational opportunities to all qualified individuals and, in doing so, complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. 794), which states, in part, that “no otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the United States … shall, solely by reason of his/ her disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance,” such as College of Eastern Idaho.

The Disability Resource Center (DRC) is available to assist any student, prospective student, or campus guest who has a documented disability and believes he/she may benefit from reasonable accommodations which are provided on a case-by-case basis.

Accommodation Request Procedure

Individuals having questions about accessibility or wishing to request reasonable accommodations, academic adjustments, and/or auxiliary aids as indicated in the ADAAA or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, should contact the DRC, located in Room 591, Alexander Creek Building (Bldg. 5), or at 208.535.5462.

It is essential that students with disabilities self-identify and submit written requests for accommodations, academic adjustments, and/or auxiliary aids within a timely manner. Whenever possible, this request should be made prior to the start of the semester. Students requesting accommodations, academic adjustments, and/or auxiliary aids must follow these procedures:

1. Must have a documented disability and must self-identify to the DRC.
   1. The student may be asked to provide appropriate thirdparty documentation which helps to establish the presence of a disability. Should documentation not be available, it is the student’s responsibility to obtain this at his/her own expense and provide it to the DRC.
2. Schedule/participate in an intake meeting, at which time the student will be asked about the disability, and the impact or barrier(s) it has on their educational experience.
   1. The DRC and student will discuss the request for reasonable accommodations, academic adjustments, and/or auxiliary aids.
3. The DRC will review the intake notes and third-party documentation to determine the appropriateness of the accommodations requested.
   1. The DRC will inform the student of the resulting decision.
4. For approved accommodations, academic adjustments, and/or auxiliary aids, the DRC will provide a letter of accommodation for each of the student’s instructors. It is the student’s responsibility to deliver the letter to the instructor(s) and discuss with them the implementation of accommodations.
   1. Requests for accommodations, academic adjustments, and/ or auxiliary aids must be made to the DRC EACH semester of enrollment.
   2. The DRC will update the accommodation letter and again provide a copy for each of the student’s instructors.
5. Should the student disagree with the decision of the DRC, the student must, within five (5) working days, submit a written appeal to the Dean of Student Affairs, as outlined in the grievance procedure below.

Grievance Procedure (Disability Resources)

College of Eastern Idaho has adopted an internal grievance procedure providing for prompt and equitable resolution of complaints alleging any action prohibited by the ADAAA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. If an individual with a disability believes he/she has been discriminated against he/she has the right to file a grievance by following the steps below.

College of Eastern Idaho’s DRC has been given the responsibility of determining and approving a student’s need for accommodations, academic adjustments, and/ or auxiliary aids. All requests for accommodations or assistance should first be filed with the DRC, following the College’s published accommodations request procedure. If the student believes the DRC’s decision is discriminatory on the basis of disability, the student should first meet with the DRC to review the decision. If an acceptable conclusion cannot be reached, the student may request a review of the decision as follows:

Within ten (10) working days of the decision, send a letter requesting a review to the College’s Dean of Student Affairs. Include the following:

• Name and address of the person filing the complaint
• Date of original accommodation or assistance request
• Accommodation or service requested
• Reason for the request
• Reason the DRC’s decision is not deemed to be appropriate, reasonable, or effective

The Dean of Student Affairs will review the information and meet separately with the student and others as needed and then will render a decision within five (5) working days. Written notice of the decision will be sent to the complainant. If the complainant is not satisfied with the decision, he/she may request a review by the Campus Appeals Committee. See Steps 3 and 4 of the Student Appeal Procedures as published in the Student Handbook.

Disability-Related Complaints Related to Academic Programs

This procedure shall apply to academic programs. Examples are:

• Requests for classroom accommodations such as audio recording devices, note takers, assistive listening devices and interpreters;
• Requests for test modifications such as extended time, tests read aloud, or reduced-distraction testing.

If a complaint is brought by a student regarding denial or modification of an accommodation, academic adjustment, and/or auxiliary aid request, the decision of the DRC to provide or deny said accommodation shall be implemented until such time as a formal resolution of the grievance procedure is achieved.

If a faculty member shall refuse to provide an accommodation, academic adjustment, and/or auxiliary aid in accordance with the DRC’s written notice, the student should first request the DRC’s assistance in resolving the dispute. The request should be made in writing within ten (10) working days after the faculty member’s refusal to provide the accommodation, academic adjustment, and/or auxiliary aid. The DRC will then meet with the faculty member, the division manager, and other faculty and administration officials as appropriate in order to attempt to resolve the complaint.

In the event the DRC is unable to resolve the complaint within five (5) working days of the request, he/she will refer the matter to the Dean of Student Affairs. It is the DRC’s responsibility to notify the student of such action and to provide all pertinent information to the Dean of Student Affairs.

Disability-Related Complaints with Non-Academic Programs, Activities, and Services

This procedure shall apply to non-academic programs, activities, and services. Examples are:

• Concerns related to building or grounds accessibility
• Participation in College-sponsored events
• Requests for accommodations related to parking