20. Americans with Disabilities Act
Richmindale College complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and State and local requirements regarding students with disabilities. Reasonable accommodation may be granted to qualified students under these regulations. To qualify, generally, students must demonstrate that the disability:
  • Is based on documented individual needs.
  • Does not compromise essential requirements of a course or program.
  • Does not impose unusual or unreasonable financial or administrative burdens on Richmindale College.
A course or program offered at Richmindale College should not be required to undergo modification to accommodate an individual with a disability.
Applicants or students are responsible for informing Richmindale College of a disability and submitting required documentation prior to starting any activity at the institution for which accommodation is sought. Requests for accommodation must be approved prior to registering for courses.
The following procedure must be followed by students who want to request accommodation for a disability:
  1. An applicant or student submits a request to disability@richmindale.com outlining the disability. All required supporting documentation must be provided in the email, either as an attachment or as part of the message, at the student’s expense.
  2. The Chief Academic Officer or designee decides and advises the student, in writing, of the decision within 15 business days from the receipt of the request. Further information may be requested if needed.
  3. If the request is approved, the Chief Academic Officer or designee notifies the faculty member required to make accommodation, without disclosing the medical information shared by the student.
Acceptable documentation requirements:
For learning disability accommodations: Documentation should be no older than 5 years and should be dated from a time that does not precede the student’s 18th birthday.
For mental disability accommodations: Documentation should be clinical in nature and should be dated within the last 6 months.
For physical disability accommodations: Documentation should indicate if the disability is of a permanent or temporary nature, and recent medical documentation (within 6 months of request) may be required to support the request for temporary physical disability accommodation.
All medical documentation should include the medical diagnosis, a detailed description and interpretation of the condition, the student’s limitations, and the recommended accommodation. Medical documentation must be signed by a qualified or licensed professional.
Applicants or students whose accommodation requests are denied have the right to appeal that decision within 15 business days of being informed of it in writing. The appeal must be submitted to disability@richmindale.com with the reason for reconsideration and any supporting documentation. The appeal follows the same disability application process and timeline.