USF – College of Medicine
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Title: Americans with Disabilities (ADA) |
No.: GME-302 |
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Effective Date: 1/1/99 |
Revision Date: |
Distribution: All |
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Page: 1 of 1 |
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The University of South Florida
strives to ensure that all goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages
and accommodations are meaningfully accessible to qualified persons with
disabilities in accordance with federal and state laws. Therefore, it is the policy of the
University of South Florida to comply fully with the requirements of the
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, 42 U.S.C. 12101, and all other Federal
and State laws and regulations prohibiting discrimination on the basis of
disability or handicap.
The University of South Florida
Policy Statement on Americans with Disability (ADA) (Policy #0-008A) is
attached to this policy for reference.
Responsible Party Action
Program
Director Ensures each applicant
to the USF residency programs meets the technical standards of the College of
Medicine residency programs as outlined in the Program Director Handbook and
the Resident Handbook.
Resident In
the event of a disability, requests reasonable accommodation in order to meet
the academic requirements of the residency program.
Program Director Follows the
recommendations for accommodation as outlined in the USF Policy on ADA.
APPROVED:
Associate Dean – Clinical
Affairs/GME
Dean, College of Medicine
c:p&p\ADA
Policies and
Procedures Manual
Subject of Policy Statement: Americans with Disability (ADA)
Effective Date: Rev 02/25/99 Policy Number:
0-008A
It is the policy of the
University of South Florida to comply fully with the requirements of the
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, 42 U.S.C. 12101, and all other Federal
and State laws and regulations prohibiting discrimination on the basis of
disability or handicap.
PROCEDURE
A. PUBLIC ACCOMMODATIONS
Sponsors of programs and events, such as campus cinemas, lectures
and speakers, must advise potential attendees who may require reasonable
accommodation to participate that such accommodation must be requested of the
program sponsor at least five (5) working days prior to the event (example form
attached). Normally, the accommodation will be provided and funded by the
program sponsor, however, requests for assistance and questions may be directed
to the USF Office of Equal Opportunity Affairs (974-4373). Final decisions on
USF Public Accommodations issues will be made by the Vice President for
Budgets, Human Resources and Information Technology on behalf of USF.
B. EMPLOYEES
1. Application
a) USF may consider the skills, knowledge
and/or experience of an applicant with a disability as attributes which could
contribute to the diversity goals of the University.
b) Applicants are entitled to request
reasonable accommodation in the application process, e.g., alternative
application format or assistance in completion of the application, at least
five (5) working days prior to time accommodation needed.
c) USF may make pre-employment inquiry as to an
applicant's ability to perform essential job functions with or without
reasonable accommodation and invite an applicant to give five (5) working days
notice of any reasonable accommodation needed during the recruitment/hiring
process. Otherwise, USF should not make pre-employment inquiry as to
disability. Medical/Disability records are kept separate in Human
Resources/Employee Relations.
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d) Pre-employment physical exams may be
required for those positions for which there is a bona fide job related
physical requirement, however, if such exams will be required of persons with a
disability then those exams must also be given to all persons seeking the
position after conditional job offers are made.
2. Employment
USF will not unlawfully discriminate against
its employees on the basis of disability and will provide accessibility and
reasonable accommodation to its employees with regard to any aspect of
employment including fringe benefits, training, conferences, professional
meetings and recreational/social activities sponsored by USF. To request a reasonable
accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), an employee of
the University of South Florida must:
a) Submit a written request outlining the requested
accommodation(s) to his/her immediate supervisor. Provide a copy of the request
to Human Resources/ Employee Relations.
b) Attach documentation to the written request,
including diagnosis of a disability, from the employee's primary health care
practitioner. "Primary health care practitioner" is defined as a
medical doctor, psychiatrist, or licensed psychologist.
The employee's supervisor will provide the
appropriate Employee Relations Coordinator with:
a) A copy of the employee's position
description which enumerates the essential and marginal functions of the job.
Should the supervisor need assistance in determining the essential functions of
the position, the supervisor may consult with the department of Human
Resources.
b) A brief statement outlining the potential
impact of the requested accommodation upon the department.
In consultation with the supervisor, the
Employee Relations Coordinator will:
a) Determine and, if appropriate, offer an
appropriate and reasonable accommodation to the employee via memorandum.
b) Assign an "Accommodation Request
Number" (ARN) for internal processing needs of the department and BOR.
University employees scheduled for either domestic
or international travel and who are requesting an ADA reasonable accommodation
for such should submit their request a minimum of five (5) working days in
advance of the scheduled travel.
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The responsibility for funding the cost of a
reasonable accommodation rests with the employee's department. Should a
department demonstrate that funds do not exist, the department supervisor
should then refer a request for co-funding to the next highest administrative
level. Final decisions on employee disability issues for USF will be made by
the Vice President for Budgets, Human Resources, and Information Technology.
C. STUDENTS
1. Applications
a) The
SUS application for admission invites applicants to disclose whether they would
like "Special Admissions Consideration" based on disability. USF
personnel responsible for making admissions decisions may give "special
consideration" to applicants who self identify themselves as a person with
a disability on the application (i.e. may consider the applicant's disability
experience, skills and knowledge as attributes which could contribute to the
diversity of the student body) but should not afford such an applicant any
preferential treatment.
b) USF may make pre-enrollment inquiry as to an
applicant's ability to meet the technical and academic standards of the
University or program with or without reasonable accommodation, but should not
otherwise make pre-enrollment inquiry as to disability.
2. Academic and Student Affairs
Accommodations
a) Students with disabilities who require
reasonable accommodation in order to meet the academic requirements of USF or
to participate in Student Affairs activities or services must request an
accommodation in writing from the USF Office of Student Disability Services.
Such requests must be accompanied by documentation of disability and an explanation
of any documentation related to the need for the particular accommodation
requested.
b) The Director of Student Disability Services
may request that a student submit any additional documentation of disability or
need for accommodation necessary to permit USF to make a decision on the
request.
c) If disability and need for accommodation are
adequately shown and the provision of such accomodation would not fundamentally
alter the academic program, the Director of Student Disability Sevices, in
consultation with other appropriate USF representatives, (e.g. the faculty
member who teaches the course for which the student requests accommodation)
will offer the student a reasonable accommodation.
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d) In
the event a student desires to appeal the offer of accommodation or in the
event the Office of Student Disability Services and the person or unit
requested to implement an accommodation on behalf of USF (e.g. a faculty
member, etc.) are unable to reach agreement as to accommodation, final
decisions as to Student Accommodations will be made by the Provost or designee
. (This should be the same person who considers appeal requests for reasonable
substitution or modification of academic requirements per BOR Rule 6C-6.018).
D. GENERAL
1. Confidential
documentation prepared in connection with requests for accommodation will be
maintained apart from other personnel, student or other records (i.e. in the
Offices of Human Resources/Employee Relations or Student Disability Services as
appropriate).
2. USF may request any person seeking
accommodation to provide documentation of a specific and generally recognized
physical or mental impairment that shows that the specific modification being
requested is appropriate and necessary for the diagnosed disability.
3. The University of South Florida
Office of the General Counsel is available to assist with questions concerning
ADA and the law and should be notified in the event an accommodation requestor
retains a lawyer or otherwise makes claims in an external legal or
administrative forum.
Noreen
Segrest
General
Counsel
Betty
Castor
President
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