Policy #31: Academic Accommodation and Access for Students with Disabilities

31.1 Purpose

CiiAT will promote and protect the rights and dignity of students with disabilities and will create a safe, respectful, and supportive learning environment in which all members of the community are treated equitably. All members are also responsible for promoting equality, removing barriers, and creating a respectful and inclusive learning environment. CiiAT will strive to support and facilitate the reasonable Accommodation of individuals with disabilities so that all may share the same level of access to opportunities, participate in the full range of activities that CiiAT offers, and achieve their full potential.

The purpose of the Academic Accommodation policy is to create an accessible learning environment that enables all students to meet the essential requirements of CiiAT’s courses, programs, and activities. CiiAT is committed to providing Accommodation to promote human rights, equity and diversity to comply with its duty under the British Columbia Human Rights Code to make its services available in a manner that does not discriminate.

Students will be Accommodated in a way that respects their dignity, privacy, and autonomy, and to the point of undue hardship in a manner consistent with CiiAT’s educational mandate, academic principles, and legal obligations.

Developing and implementing a plan for reasonable Academic Accommodation is a shared responsibility. It requires participation, cooperation, and communication among and between the Institution, the Instructor, administration, the Student with a Disability and, where applicable, any other relevant staff members of the institution. A collaborative working relationship between the people involved in each accommodation process is essential to meet the Student’s need for Academic Accommodation.

31.2 Denying Accommodations

There are a number of possible reasons that CiiAT may deny an accommodation request. For instance, you may not qualify as having a disability, as defined under the definition of “Disability” in this policy document. Other reasons may include, but are not limited to:

• The accommodation is not supported by the provided documentation
• The accommodation constitutes a personal service or personal care, which are not covered by CiiAT
• The accommodation would change the fundamental requirements of the course, program, service or activity
• The accommodation constitutes undue hardship or financial burden
• The accommodation is not sustainable for future work as a psychotherapist and/or goes against the entry-to-practice competencies of the Canadian Art Therapy Association (CATA)/the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO)

Furthermore, an instructor may have a concern about a classroom or exam accommodation, even if it is recommended by CiiAT, usually because the instructor feels it may cause fundamental alterations to their course’s core requirements or pose undue administrative burden. If this occurs, the instructor is encouraged to review the issue with CiiAT. It may be possible that an alternative arrangement/accommodation can be determined that meets all parties’ needs.

31.3 Definitions

“Disability” has traditionally been defined as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. The social model of disability locates impairment not within the individual but within the physical, social and attitudinal barriers that exist in society. For the purposes of this policy, a student with a disability is a person who has a long-term or recurring physical, mental, sensory, psychiatric, or learning impairment.

“Accommodation” or “Accommodate” refers to any modification that reduces or eliminates barriers to participation arising when Students with Disabilities interact with CiiAT’s facilities or its teaching, learning, and assessment methods and materials.

“Undue Hardship” is a legal test related to reasonable Academic Accommodation. CiiAT has a duty to provide reasonable Academic Accommodation to the point of undue hardship as that term has been interpreted under BC law. What constitutes undue hardship to the institution varies based on, and must be considered in the context of, the circumstances of each individual case. The onus is on the institution to show evidence of undue hardship.

31.4 Providing Documentation

Students with disabilities, seeking Accommodations, are asked to identify their individual needs and provide appropriate documentation of their disabilities with sufficient notice given to CiiAT to enable the organization to make the necessary Academic Accommodations. Students must ensure that documentation is obtained from medical doctors, registered psychologists or other health professionals who are appropriately certified and/or licensed to practice their professions and have specific training, expertise, and experience in the diagnosis of the particular Disability for which the Accommodation is being requested.

Students should submit documentation outlining the nature of the Disability, along with a detailed explanation of the functional impact of the Disability. A diagnosis alone is not sufficient to support a request for an Accommodation.

CiiAT will offer advice, guidance, and support for students requiring Academic Accommodation; and on the basis of supporting documentation, make recommendations and decisions regarding Academic Accommodation in a timely manner.

Please note that CiiAT does not cover costs related to medical documentation, and a diagnosis of Disability alone does not guarantee Academic Accommodations.

Submitted diagnosis documentation must include:

• the professional’s name, title, phone number and address, official stamp or letterhead and signature
• the assessment date (issued within the last three years)
• a statement of the nature of the disability including the DSM or ICD code and any impacts of medication
• an explanation of the disability’s impact on your education (Learning Disability Assessment (LDA))
• recommendations for specific accommodations, specifically linking the recommended accommodation to the impact of the disability

If you are requesting an Accommodation due to a learning disability, you will need to submit an LDA by a registered psychologist, registered psychological associate or a BC-certified school psychologist.

LDA requirements must include:

• developmental, educational and family history (including medical history)
• a comprehensive assessment of intelligence or cognition (such as the WAIS-III or IV; WJ-III Cognitive; SB-IV)
• academic achievement measured by a comprehensive achievement test (such as the WIAT-II or the WJ-III- Test of Achievement)
• a formal statement of diagnosis
• One of the following tests of cognitive functioning:
  • Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale: 3rd or 4th edition
  • Stanford Binet-5
  • Woodcock-Johnson-III Tests of Cognitive Abilities
  • Kaufman Adolescent and Adult Intelligence Test (KAIT)
  • Differential Ability Scales: 2nd edition (DAS-II)
• One of the following achievement measures to assess academic functioning:
  • Wechsler Individual Achievement Test: 2nd Edition (WIAT-II)
  • Woodcock-Johnson-III Tests of Achievement (standard battery and extended battery depending on clinical judgment)
  • Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement: 2nd Edition (comprehensive form)

The Ministry of Advanced Education and CiiAT recognize the ability of the following professionals to diagnose and document disabilities and chronic illnesses:

• physical or mobility: physician or nurse practitioner
• vision: ophthalmologist, optometrist or orthoptist
• D/deaf or hard of hearing: certified audiologist
• neurological: neurologist, neuropsychologist, psychiatrist or physician
• psychiatric or mental health condition: clinical psychologist, psychiatrist or physician with expertise in that area
• learning disability: registered clinical psychologist or certified school psychologist

If you require Accommodation, please submit documentation as early as possible, but no later than 30 days before the start of class. Documentation can be submitted to the Academic Department at [email protected] or by mail to the following address:

CiiAT
143 Joseph Street
Victoria, BC
Canada V8S 3H6

The Academic Department will acknowledge receipt of your application form and accompanying documents within 3 business days and respond with next steps.

31.5 Reasonable Accommodation

Reasonable accommodation refers to changes in the allocation of institution resources or in teaching or evaluation procedures which are designed to meet the particular needs of a student with a disability.

Reasonable accommodations have to meet certain criteria:

1. Accommodations are based on documented individual needs. For example, if a student has a diagnosed learning disability and an assessment from an educational psychologist showing that her reading speed is below average, it could be a reasonable accommodation to have extra time in exams to read the questions and check her work.
2. Allows for the most integrated experience possible.
3. Reasonable accommodations do not compromise essential requirements of a course or program. When selecting accommodations for a student, it is important that CiiAT and faculty members work together in order to identify the essential course requirements. Doing so ensures the accommodations remove barriers to learning without changing the key aspects of the course.
4. Does not pose a threat to personal or public safety.
5. Accommodations do not impose an undue hardship or administrative burden. The majority of accommodations are not expensive or time-consuming to implement. A student may occasionally request an accommodation that is very expensive or time-consuming to provide. Some institutions have more resources than others, so undue hardship has to be addressed on a case-by-case basis. If they cannot provide a requested accommodation, institutions should offer an alternative.
6. Accommodations are not of a personal nature. Accommodations must be based on the documented functional impacts of a disability and should be consistent across individuals with the same impacts. As a result, accommodations cannot be made based solely on the personal preferences of an individual.
7. Accommodations are sustainable for future work as a psychotherapist and/or abides by the entry-to-practice competencies of the Canadian Art Therapy Association (CATA)/the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO)

31.6 References

• Simon Fraser University, Centre for Accessible Learning (CAL): FAQs
• Supporting Students with Diverse Learning Needs, Topic 1 – Duty to Accommodate & Reasonable Accommodation
• University of British Columbia, Disability Accommodation Policy (LR7)
• University of Toronto, Academic Accommodations
• University of Toronto, Demystifying Academic Accommodations
• University of Victoria, Policy AC1205: Academic Accommodation and Access for Students with Disabilities