Process for Review & Implementation of Accommodation Requests
Looking for information about how to submit a request for accommodations? Please go to REQUESTS.
Process for:
1. Undergraduate students who wish to be considered for reasonable accommodations must self-identify to the Student Disability Access Office by submitting:
- A completed Request for Reasonable Accommodations form
- Full and current documentation that addresses your disability and provides recommendations as to what accommodations are appropriate. Documentation may be submitted in various ways:
- online along with your request form;
- emailed to sdao@duke.edu; or
- faxed to (919) 668-3977
Confidentiality: The Student Disability Access Office is committed to protecting the confidentiality of student records in our possession. We retain student records in compliance with both state and federal law, in particular with the Family Education Right and Privacy Act (FERPA).
2. The student’s request form and documentation is thoroughly reviewed by the SDAO staff. If additional documentation is necessary, SDAO will inform the student via email and it is the student’s responsibility to provide the requested information as soon as possible.
3. SDAO will engage in an interactive process with the undergraduate student’s academic dean to ensure that the accommodations requested do not alter the essential learning skills or technical standards of the course or program. Sometimes SDAO must collaborate with various departments on campus like housing, dining or transportation in exploring the implementation of the accommodations.
4. Once the above process is completed, SDAO will contact the student via email to schedule a registration appointment with a case manager.
5. The case manager and student meet to review accommodations that have been approved and how they will be implemented, or discuss the reasons why a request may have been denied. The student is also apprised that individual circumstances may warrant modification of the accommodations agreed upon and listed on the Accommodations Agreement.
6. If a student disagrees with eligibility and/or accommodation decisions made by the Student Disability Access Office, it is recommended that the student discuss their questions and concerns with their SDAO case manager. Please see Formal Appeal Process below.
7. Approved accommodations are recorded on the Formal Accommodation Agreement, which is signed and dated by the student and SDAO staff.
8. Following the registration appointment, the Academic Dean is notified that the student has completed the registration process.
9. The student is responsible to request a Professor Accommodation Letter from their case manager each semester and must forward this letter to all of the professors in the classes in which the student wishes to receive the accommodation(s).If you receive testing accommodations, it is your responsibility to check your syllabi and learn how your testing accommodations will be implemented.
10. The student is responsible for requesting a meeting with each professor to discuss the implementation of the approved accommodations.
11. If questions or concerns arise regarding the implementation of accommodations, the student is responsible for contacting their case manager.
- If a student disagrees with eligibility and/or accommodation decisions made by the Student Disability Access Office, it is recommended that the student discuss their questions and concerns with their SDAO case manager.
- After meeting with their case manager, the student may request to appeal eligibility and/or accommodation decisions.
- If the student is still unsatisfied with eligibility and/or accommodation decisions, the student will be directed to meet with the SDAO Director and/or the DMS Director to discuss their concerns.
- If after meeting with the SDAO Director and/or the DMS Director, the student disagrees with the eligibility decisions made by the Student Disability Access Office, the student has the right to file a grievance/complaint. Information regarding the filing of a grievance and/or complaint is available on the Grievances page of this website and by contacting the Office of Institutional Equity at (919) 668-6214.
1. Graduate and Professional students who wish to be considered for reasonable accommodations must self-identify to the Student Disability Access Office by submitting:
- A completed Request for Reasonable Accommodations form
- Full and current documentation that addresses your disability and provides recommendations as to what accommodations are appropriate. Documentation may be submitted in various ways:
- online along with your request form;
- emailed to sdao@duke.edu;
- faxed to (919) 668-3977
Confidentiality: The Student Disability Access Office is committed to protecting the confidentiality of student records in our possession. We retain student records in compliance with both state and federal law, in particular with the Family Education Right and Privacy Act (FERPA).
3. The student’s request form and documentation is thoroughly reviewed by SDAO staff. If additional documentation is necessary, SDAO will inform the student via email and it is the student’s responsibility to provide the requested information as soon as possible
4. SDAO will engage in an interactive process with the student’s DSL/DGS to ensure that the accommodations requested do not alter the essential learning skills or technical standards of the course or program. Sometimes SDAO must collaborate with various departments on campus like housing, dining or transportation in exploring the implementation of the accommodations.
5. Once the above process is completed, the SDAO will contact the student via email to schedule a registration appointment with a case manager.
6. The case manager and student meet to review accommodations that have been approved and how they will be implemented, or discuss the reasons why a request may have been denied. The student is also apprised that individual circumstances may warrant modification of the accommodations agreed upon and listed on the Accommodations Agreement.
7. If a student disagrees with eligibility and/or accommodation decisions made by the Student Disability Access Office, it is recommended that the student discuss their questions and concerns with their SDAO case manager. Please see Formal Appeal Process below.
8. Approved accommodations are recorded on the Formal Accommodation Agreement, which is signed and dated by the student and SDAO staff. Students are also provided with the name and contact information of the DSL/DGS.
9. Following the registration appointment, the DSL/DGS is notified that the student has completed the registration process.
10. The student is responsible for requesting a meeting with the DSL/DGS to discuss the implementation of the approved accommodations and the process for requesting accommodations each semester.
11. If questions or concerns arise regarding the implementation of accommodations, the student is responsible for contacting their case manager.
- If a student disagrees with eligibility and/or accommodation decisions made by the Student Disability Access Office, it is recommended that the student discuss their questions and concerns with their SDAO case manager.
- After meeting with their case manager, the student may request to appeal eligibility and/or accommodation decisions.
- If the student is still unsatisfied with eligibility and/or accommodation decisions, the student will be directed to meet with the SDAO Director and/or the DMS Director to discuss their concerns.
- If after meeting with the SDAO Director and/or the DMS Director, the student disagrees with the eligibility decisions made by the Student Disability Access Office, the student has the right to file a grievance/complaint. Information regarding the filing of a grievance and/or complaint is available on the Grievances page of this website and by contacting the Office of Institutional Equity at (919) 668-6214.
The Disability Management System (DMS) is the office on campus charged with the responsibility of working with qualified employees with disabilities in exploring possible coverage and associated necessary and appropriate accommodations for purposes of Section 504 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 and the ADA Amendments Act of 2008. We have an interactive process in place for employees who request to be considered for necessary and appropriate accommodations that includes the employee, DMS, Employee Occupational Health & Wellness (EOHW) and the supervisor/HR Representative. Please note: this is a voluntary process.
- Submit a Reasonable Request form (which you can fill out online or fill out a hard copy, scan and email to dukedms@duke.edu or fax to (919) 668-3977. If you have issues accessing the form online, please reach out to DMS staff for options.
- You (the employee) should expect to hear from EOHW within a week of corresponding with DMS. If you (the employee) have not heard back from EOHW after one week, please contact EOHW at 919-681-0518.
- After reviewing your documentation and possibly meeting with you as needed, EOHW will make the determination if your impairment meets the criteria of a disability under the ADA and if the accommodations requested are medically necessary for your condition based on the disabling health condition.
- Our department (DMS) will receive a copy of the report from EOHW.
- If your impairment meets the criteria of a disability, DMS will request from your supervisor an Essential Job Function Analysis form. All we state to the supervisor is that you are seeking reasonable accommodations and they must fill out the form to explain your essential job function. No personal health information is shared with your supervisor.
- Once we have received the completed Essential Job Function Analysis form, the DMS office will send a letter to your supervisor (we do not disclose your disability) and ask if the listed accommodations recommended by your Health Care Professional and reviewed by EOHW would be able to be implemented by your work unit.
- If your department is able to implement your requested accommodations, you will be notified by a member of the DMS team via letter that your requested accommodations will be implemented.
- Contact your Supervisor to schedule a meeting to discuss how the accommodations will be implemented.
- If your department states no, they must give a detailed description of the business necessity to DMS that prevents them from implementing the accommodations. You will be notified by a member of the DMS team via letter that we were unable to identify any reasonable accommodations that would enable you to perform the essential components of your position.
- Contact your Supervisor and Human Resource Representative to schedule a meeting to discuss your work status and/or leave options.
After you meet with your Supervisor, contact DMS for a referral to Transition Services. Duke will work to reassign you to a vacant position that is equivalent in terms of pay, status, or other relevant factors (e.g., benefits, geographical location) if you are qualified for the position. If there is no vacant equivalent position, Duke will reassign you to a vacant lower level position for which you are qualified. Please note, there is a possibility that there may be no vacant positions for which you are qualified. You (the employee) will be placed on an ADA protected Personal Leave Of Absence while Duke works with you to explore reassignment.
Please note: if your requested accommodation is temporary (less than 6 months) possible accommodations may include, but are not limited to, the following: temporary reassignment to alternate work or another position in your department, FMLA, extension of job protection as an accommodation, a Personal Leave of Absence or short term disability.
If you are a visitor to Duke requesting accommodations, please complete a request form at least 5 days in advance of your visit.