Faculty Fast Facts
What are accommodations?
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Accommodations are academic adjustments arranged by Student Accessibility Services (SAS). They are designed to enable qualified students with a documented disability an equal opportunity to participate in the university experience through equal access in courses, programs, activities or services.
Accommodations ensure that individuals with a disability have rights and privileges equal to students without disabilities. However, they should not require a substantial change in an essential element of the curriculum or substantial change in a program or service. Accommodations may include academic adjustments, auxiliary aids or adaptive technology, or services. -
There are no pre-determined accommodations for specific disabilities. Each student is treated as an individual.
SAS thoroughly reviews all information provided by the student, including supporting documentation, and is cognizant of the need to uphold academic requirements when determining accommodations. SAS partners with faculty as needed to help determine the appropriateness of certain accommodations in the context of academic course requirements. -
Universities must provide equal access to educational programs and services and provide accommodations which have been approved by SAS.
If a student is not registered with SAS but reports a disability, faculty should refer the student to SAS. Unless an accommodation letter is provided by SAS, faculty are advised not to provide accommodations to students. Students registered with SAS will receive an accommodation letter each semester. Faculty with concerns or questions about accommodations are welcome to contact SAS.
Service Animals
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Service Animals are defined as dogs (or miniature horses in some circumstances) that are “individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability.” The work or task of a Service Animal must be directly related to the person's disability.
When it is not obvious what service or task an animal provides, only limited inquiries are allowed (two questions) by law:
1. Is the animal required because of a disability? (A “Yes” or “No” response is required. Do not ask about the person’s disability).
2. What work or task has the animal been trained to perform?
Where are Service Animals allowed?
Service Animals may accompany persons with disabilities into places that the public normally goes, including buildings on campus unless admitting the Service Animal would be a fundamental alteration to the service or program or if there are environmental hazards or risks.
- Under the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations§36.202, there are two instances where a public entity may exclude a Service Animal:
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- The Service Animal is out of control and the handler does not take effective action to control the animal.
- The Service Animal is not housebroken and urinates or defecates inappropriately.
- If a handler is asked to remove a Service Animal due to the animal’s behavior, the unaccompanied handler must be provided the opportunity to obtain goods or services. For example, if the handler is purchasing stamps at a post office or conducting business at a bank, the service or purchase of goods still needs to be allowed once the animal is removed by the handler. Only the animal can be excluded from the premises.
Emotional Support Animals (ESA)
ESAs are animals that provide assistance or perform tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability or provide emotional support that alleviates one or more identified symptoms or effects of a person’s disability.
- While ESAs are often used as part of a medical treatment plan as therapy animals, they are not considered Service Animals under the ADA. Rather, they are viewed as a “reasonable accommodation” under the Fair Housing Act (FHA) in those housing communities that have a “no pets” rule, including campus housing.
- Unlike a Service Animal, an ESA is not granted access to all places of public accommodation. Under FHA, an ESA is viewed as a "reasonable accommodation" in a housing unit. In order for a student residing in a residence hall to house an ESA, the student must register with SAS and provide documentation related to the disability and the need for the ESA.
For additional information about Service Animals and ESA, please contact Student Accessibility Services:
- Edinburg: 956-665-7005
- Brownsville: 956-882-7374
- ability@utrgv.edu
Please also see the SAS Procedural Guidelines:
http://www.utrgv.edu/accessibility/_files/documents/procedural-guidelines-sas.pdf
