Accessibility Office

A reasonable accommodation is a legally supported adjustment or service that provides a qualified individual with a disability equal access to educational opportunities.

Accommodations are designed to adjust how learning or participation occurs, not what is being taught or required. They do not lower academic standards or fundamentally alter course or program requirements. Accommodations may be available in a variety of areas, including:

• Academic settings
• Residential life
• Campus access and participation

Specific accommodations are individualized, and this is not an exhaustive list of available supports.

Accommodations are determined through an interactive, individualized, and case-by-case process. The process includes:

1. Submission and review of disability documentation, when available
2. A meeting with Accessibility Office staff
3. Consideration of past accommodations and current needs
4. Evaluation of how the disability impacts the educational or campus experience

Our goal is to ensure accommodations provide equitable access while maintaining the integrity of academic and campus programs.

To ensure the provision of academic adjustments for students with disabilities at Paul Smith’s College, a qualified professional (see Qualifications of Evaluator in Disability Documentation Guidelines) must provide current and comprehensive documentation of the student’s disability. Paul Smith’s College documentation guidelines are based on those developed by the Association on Higher Education and Disabilities. Please refer to these for more comprehensive information.

Documentation must be sent in written form to the Accessibility Office (PO Box 265, Paul Smiths, NY 12970 or email to access@paulsmiths.edu). To release documentation of a disability to the Accessibility Office, you must request that your school or other agency forward current testing results and recommendations to the Accessibility Office. This must be done in writing, and a Release of Confidential Information must accompany documentation for it to be accessible to us.

A post-secondary student with no previous documentation may wish to determine whether a learning disability does or does not exist. At Paul Smith’s College, the process begins with an interview with a licensed counselor to evaluate the student’s situation and rule out symptoms that masquerade as learning disabilities. If necessary, a referral will be made to the Accessibility Office where the individual meets with the ADA/504 Compliance & Accessibility Manager to share information about their academic past and to set up accommodations on a pre-referral basis. After certain measures have been tried and the student wishes to continue with the evaluation process, the student will be referred to a qualified professional to complete the required testing.

All accommodations uphold the integrity of the College’s academic and technical standards. Expectations for academic performance and conduct remain consistent for all students.

If a student disagrees with the accommodation decision reached by the MAP (Medical, Academic and Psychiatric) Advisory Board (i.e., the request is denied or alternative accommodation(s) is offered), they may appeal this decision. Students who are appealing should follow the steps below.

Appeals of decisions regarding the determination or provision of academic/housing adjustments must be submitted in writing within 10 college business days.

The student shall send a statement from the student’s Paul Smith’s College email address to the Dean of Student Life, Christine Brennan, at cbrennan@paulsmiths.edu and cc’ing the MAP Advisory Board at MAPadvisoryboard@paulsmiths.edu. If the Dean is not available for an extended period, a substitute representative will be identified by the President.

1. The student’s written statement must include:

• a clear statement of the request or concern;
• the grounds on which the student bases their appeal;
• a summary of the action(s) the student has taken to resolve the matter informally; and
• a statement of the student’s desired outcome.

2. The student should copy and paste the following statement into the email:

• I, (insert student name), give permission to the Dean of Student Life and MAP Advisory Board members to access my current accommodation request and accompanying documentation as part of my appeal consideration.

3. Upon receipt of the above information, the Dean may request any additional documents or information they believe are relevant to the request/decision.

4. Within fifteen (15) College business days after the written appeal is received, the Dean shall email the student a summary of the outcome and explanation.

5. The formal appeal file and the final decision shall be confidential, but the final decision shall be provided simultaneously to the student and the MAP Advisory Board which included representatives from the Accessibility Office, Health Services, and Counseling Services.

6. The decision of the Dean shall be final.

If the student considers the response unsatisfactory, they may consider pursuing their concerns via external agencies by contacting the U.S Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) or the NYS Division of Human Rights:

U.S. Department of Education
Washington, DC 20202-1100
Tel: 800-421-3481 TDD: 877-521-2172
Email: ocr@ed.gov

New York State Division of Human Rights
NYS Division of Human Rights Agency
Building 1, 2nd Floor Empire State Plaza
Albany, NY 12220
Tel. 518-474-2705 or 518-474-2707
Email: infoalbany@dhr.ny.gov