The Extension School is committed to creating an accessible academic community. If you are a student with a disability, we will ensure that you have equal opportunity to participate in, contribute to, and benefit from our academic programs. The disability services coordinator works with you, faculty, and staff to provide appropriate services to ensure you have a rich and rewarding academic experience.
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 define a disability as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits or restricts a person from performing major life activities, such as walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, working, or caring for one’s self. An impairment or diagnosis does not necessarily constitute a disability; it must substantially limit these activities.
You are eligible if you otherwise meet the academic and technical standards necessary for admission into a program or participation in a course.
Harvard Extension School is committed to ensuring that its courses and classrooms are accessible to students with disabilities. Some buildings require keys or access cards. Check with the disability services coordinator at least two weeks before classes begin to ensure uninterrupted access to classrooms.
The disability services coordinator works collaboratively with students to identify appropriate academic accommodations that do not fundamentally change the nature of the course or academic program. Additional nonacademic services are also provided for students with mobility, hearing, and visual impairments. Accommodations may include the following:
Comprehensive tutorial services are not available; nor are personal attendants, personal adaptive technology, readers and scribes for private use; or other services of a personal nature.
An adaptive technology laboratory at 53 Church Street is equipped with software and hardware to assist students with disabilities. You may have access to voice recognition software, text-to-speech software, screen magnification applications, and a closed-circuit television or video magnifier.
If you have a temporary disability or injury, you are not considered disabled by the law. But if you need services or accommodations to complete your courses, call the disability services coordinator as soon as possible to discuss options.
1. Complete and submit a request-for-accommodation form for each course and each semester in which an accommodation is requested in addition to current medical documentation. Submit requests forms and documentation no later than September 19 for fall courses, January 3 for January session courses, and February 13 for spring courses. Requests are reviewed and approved in the order they are received. It can take as long as two weeks to review a review and approve a request for accommodation and to coordinate the arrangements.
Documentation for physical and psychiatric disorders must be no more than a year old. Generally, documentation for ADD, ADHD, and learning disabilities must be no more than three years old. Returning students do not need to resubmit their documentation or provide new and additional documentation each term unless requested by the disability services coordinator; however, all students (new and returning) must submit the request-for-accommodation form for each term and each class in which they are requesting accommodations. Refer to the clinical documentation guidelines below to ensure that your documentation is appropriate and complete before you submit it.
2. Set up an appointment with the disability services coordinator to discuss the accommodations you have requested. Meetings may be in-person or via the telephone. Do not approach your instructor about accommodations; accommodation requests are reviewed and implemented by the disability services office.
All requests for accommodations must be supported by recent clinical documentation from your healthcare provider. Individual education plans such as those developed during high school are insufficient. The disability services coordinator maintains a list of qualified professionals to assist with metacognitive issues and other concerns. If you use these services, you assume financial responsibility for them. Download the guidelines below for specific documentation requirements.
Documentation and information regarding requests for accommodations and disabilities are confidential. Information is shared only with those who have a legitimate need to know. The disability services coordinator may share some information with instructors and others to coordinate the students’ accommodations.
The Extension School makes every effort to provide equal access to its programs and courses by providing reasonable and appropriate accommodations. If you disagree with the approved accommodation or you have a concern involving discrimination on the basis of a disability, promptly provide a written statement of their concern, with supporting medical documentation, to the disability services coordinator.
If the disability services coordinator cannot resolve the grievance independently and promptly, he or she will convene a committee to review the matter. The committee will comprise the associate registrar, the director of undergraduate degrees, the dean of students, and as a nonvoting member, the disability services coordinator. The committee may contact the instructor, program managers, or other appropriate personnel to discuss the requested accommodations, as needed. The committee may also request additional medical documentation or an independent medical evaluation on the request for accommodation.
In cases where timeliness of an accommodation is important, every reasonable effort will be made to complete each stage of the process set forth above within 10 working days, unless the circumstances require a more rapid response. In some situations, it may be appropriate to provide the requested accommodation on a provisional basis, without obligation to continue the accommodation if it is found to be unreasonable or inappropriate.
If you are dissatisfied with the decision of the committee, you may appeal in writing to University disability services at disabilityservices@harvard.edu. Information about the University grievance process is available at www.accessibility.harvard.edu. In most circumstances, the University disability coordinator will not overturn the decision of the committee unless presented with new information or other grounds that warrant a different outcome.
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