*If you have submitted your online Accommodation Request Form, you will soon receive an email from the Abilities Office at abilities@csu.edu*
For all other students, please see the Accommodation Request Process, Click here.
Chicago State University is committed to ensuring that the university's programs and facilities are accessible to all qualified students on a nondiscriminatory basis. A student with a disability is not required to disclose a disability unless that student is selling accommodations. The procedure for requesting accommodations is provided under "Accommodation Requests".
To support eligibility for reasonable accommodations as an individual with a disability--covered under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)--a student must disclose a disability and provide documentation that meets the college's guidelines to establish that the student has a physical or mental impairment substantially limiting one or more major life activities. Documentation should substantiate each functional limitation and its nexus to each accommodation request.
These policies are not meant to be a replacement for direct communication with the Assistant Director of the Abilities Office. Determining reasonable accommodations is an iterative and interactive process that considers the individual nature of a request. Please contact the Abilities Office directly if you have policy-related questions that are not outlined here.
*If you have submitted your online Accommodation Request Form, you will soon receive an email from the Abilities Office at abilities@csu.edu*
For all other students, please see the Accommodation Request Process, Click here.
General Documentation Guidelines
The Abilities Office requires students to submit documentation in support of their specific accommodation requests.
Documentation serves two primary purposes:
These guidelines are not meant to be a replacement for direct communication with the Assistant Director of the Abilities Office. Determining reasonable accommodations is an iterative process that considers the individual nature of a request. Please contact the Abilities Office directly if you have documentation that does not meet the requirements outlined here.
Documentation Criteria
Understanding the exact documentation, assessments and healthcare providers required to demonstrate your need for accommodations can be a difficult task. The criteria outlined below are the general requirements for ALL disability-specific documentation presented to the Abilities Office.
Provider - the healthcare provider completing your documentation must:
Diagnosis - the diagnosis must:
Current functional impact of the condition(s)—the provision of accommodations is based upon an assessment of the current impact of the student’s disability. Documentation:
Medication - list current medications the client is taking
Treatment - describe current treatment plan, last date of contact and next appointment/review
Assistive Devices - list all assistive devices, augmented devices, controls, adaptations, etc. that are currently in use
Prognosis - stimated progression or stability of diagnosis over time
Recommended accommodations - the provider should list all suggested academic accommodations and services and connect their relevance to the diagnosis
Acceptable Forms of Documentation
Unacceptable Forms of Documentation
(call the Abilities Office to discuss options)
Returning Students
Students of the Abilities Office who are returning for subsequent terms/semesters will receive a review of their student file. Disability documentation will be reviewed for the following criteria:
Returning students will be promptly informed of any deficiencies in documentation. Deficiencies must be resolved by the term that occurs after notification is received.
Conditions Subject to Change - for conditions that are subject to change over time (including health-related disorders, learning disabilities and psychological disabilities, the student may be asked to provide updated documentation for the student’s file on an on-going basis in order for accommodations to be continued.
Please note:
*Students described as experiencing test anxiety or difficulties with organization, memory, or concentration in specific situations may not have an impairment that rises to the level of a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act. However, students experiencing academic difficulties are welcome to visit The Abilities Office for referrals to campus or outside resources or to discuss their situation to see if accommodations might be appropriate.
Disability Discrimination Grievance Procedure
Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (“Section 504”) prohibit colleges, universities, and postsecondary education institutions from discriminating against students on the basis of their disabilities and requires the school to make programs accessible to qualified students with disabilities.
Chicago State University (CSU) has authorized the following Disability Discrimination Grievance Procedure in compliance with applicable Federal and State law, and with the CSU Board Policy Governing Regulations and Procedures regarding Discrimination:
Board Policy 2: Personnel practices shall ensure freedom from discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, unfavorable discharge from military service, status as a disabled veteran or veteran of the Vietnam era, or (if the applicant or employee is a U.S. citizen or an “intending citizen”) citizenship.
Board Policy 4: Students shall be guaranteed due process in disciplinary proceedings and freedom from discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, marital status, disability, or sexual orientation.
Chicago State University is committed, not only to compliance with the requirements above, but to the moral and ethical responsibility to treat all members of the community with fairness Any CSU student who believes that they have been subjected to discrimination on the basis of disability or has been denied access or accommodations required by law, shall have the right to invoke this Grievance Procedure.
This Grievance Procedure is designed to address disagreements and denials of services, accommodations or modifications to University and Academic College practices or requirements. Further, the Grievance Procedure is not intended and shall not supersede other university policies and procedures, which may exist for addressing alleged violations of ADA and/or Section 504 compliance, including , for example, separate college policies and procedures that exist for grade appeals.
Retaliation against any person for filing a complaint pursuant to this policy is strictly prohibited.
Stages of Grievance Procedure
Students with disabilities are encouraged to consult with the Abilities Office to
address any questions or concerns regarding their disability accommodations. University
employees who receive an Accommodation Letter are also encouraged to consult with
the Abilities Office to address any questions or concerns.
STAGE 1:
If the student believes reasonable accommodations have not been granted or implemented in an effective and timely manner, students shall either verbally or in writing bring their grievances to the Abilities Office.
i. Reason for complaint
ii. Related dates
iii. Student’s signature
A. Talk with the student to better understand the need for the requested accommodation:
B. Request additional documentation supporting their need for the requested accommodation
C. Request that the student informally discuss the grievance with the faculty member,
or other university employee, who is directly involved in the accommodation dispute.
D. Contact the involved faculty member, or other university employee, to request a
meeting to discuss the objections to the approved accommodation. If the accommodation
request has not been approved, but the student has otherwise been approved for accommodations,
the faculty or employee should consult with the Office of Abilities.
A written response to the complaint will be provided as soon as possible, but no later than twenty (20) business days after receipt of a written complaint, unless extenuating circumstances exist.
If no resolution is reached at Stage 1, the process continues to Stage 2.
STAGE 2:
If the student disagrees with the resolution provided by the Abilities Office, a written appeal may be submitted to the Office of the Provost/and or their Designee(s) within five (5) business days of receipt of the response. The written complaint to the Office of the Provost Affairs must include the following:
To submit an appeal to the Office of the Provost email the Abilities Office, abilities@csu.edu, Subject: (Student Name -Appeal). The Abilities Office will forward the appeal to the Office of the Provost and/or their Designee(s).
If a student seeks to file a grievance or complaint against a staff member or other authorized delegate of the Abilities Office, the above process remains in effect, with the Dean of Students/and or their Designee(s) acting in place of the Abilities Office.
Grievance/Complaint against the Abilities Office
The Dean of Student Affairs is located in Cordell Reed Student Union Building Suite
240.
The Dean of Student Affairs can be reached by telephone at (773) 995-4510
or by email at deanofstudents@csu.edu
Students have the right to file a formal complaint with the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) at any time. However, students are encouraged to first follow the grievance procedure listed above so that the University has an opportunity to resolve any concerns prior to submitting a complaint with OCR. Students interested in pursuing a complaint through the OCR can go here
Emotional Support Animals
The Abilities Office recognizes how beneficial Emotional Support Animals (ESA) may
be for some students on campus, which is why we have a process for students to request
them as an accommodation. Part of that process involves providing documentation from
a licensed professional with whom you have an established treatment relationship who
can speak to your need for the accommodation. Please be aware that there are some
online companies that promise to write a letter on your behalf after a single meeting. I am sorry to share that a single meeting with a person you paid would not constitute appropriate documentation, as the individual is not actually
treating you. Their letter also does not actually provide any information about the
impact of a disability or state why an ESA is necessary for you to live on campus.
Do not waste your money by using these services.
All students must receive approval through the Abilities Office BEFORE bringing an animal into the Residence Hall
Procedures to have an Emotional Support Animal in Campus Housing
3. Please be prepared to submit the following documents prior to approval:
The following factors, among other factors, may be considered as evidence in determining whether the presence of the animal is reasonable for University On-Campus living for individuals with Emotional Support Animals:
Service Animals
A Service Animal is defined as a dog (and, under limited circumstances, a miniature horse) that is trained to do work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability, including
a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual or other mental disability. The work
a service animal has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s
disability.
The University's expectation is that the animal's sole purpose is to perform work for the student/handler. Federal law does not require an individual to provide documentation that a Service Animal has been trained as a Service Animal. CSU may ask if the service animal is required because of a disability, as well as what work or tasks the animal has been trained to perform.
Service Animals whose behavior poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others or is disruptive to the campus community may be excluded regardless of training, documentation or certification. Animals whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support, or to act as a crime deterrent, do not qualify as Service Animals.
Procedures to have a Service Animal in University Facilities
A student requesting to have a Service Animal in University facilities (non-public areas of the University) must make a formal request to the Abilities Office (773-995-2380). Requests for Service Animals in University facilities may not require documentation of a disability.
Please be prepared to submit the following documents prior to approval: