Rights and Responsibilities

Rights & Responsibilities of People with Disabilities Pertaining to Access at the University of Minnesota

Rights to:

  • an equitable opportunity to participate in and benefit from employment, courses, programs, services and activities offered through the University;
  • an equitable opportunity to work and to learn, and to receive reasonable accommodations, academic adjustments and/or auxiliary aids and services;
  • appropriate confidentiality of all information regarding their disability/health condition and to choose to whom, outside of the University, information about their disability will be disclosed, except as required/permitted by law;
  • information reasonably available in accessible formats.

Responsibilities to:

  • meet qualifications and maintain essential institutional standards for employment, courses, services and activities;
  • self-identify as an individual with a disability/health condition in a timely manner when an accommodation is needed, and seek information, counsel and assistance as necessary;
  • provide documentation from an appropriate professional which describes how the health condition or disability impacts their participation in employment, courses, programs, services or activities;
  • request their own accommodations, report any changes in access needs, and request any subsequent changes to accommodations;
  • additional supporting documentation may be requested by the DRC to be provided by the student to verify disability status and the need for the new accommodation. If a new accommodation is agreed upon, a revised accommodation letter will be generated for changes in accommodation;
  • abide by the University of Minnesota Code of Conduct (PDF) and  Board of Regents Student Conduct Code (PDF).

Rights & Responsibilities of the University of Minnesota Regarding Disability Access

Rights to:

  • evaluate faculty, staff and students, and identify and establish essential functions, abilities, skills and knowledge for their employment, courses, programs, services and activities;
  • request and receive, through the Disability Resource Center, current documentation that supports requests for reasonable accommodations, academic adjustments and/or auxiliary services;
  • deny a request for reasonable accommodations, academic adjustments and/or auxiliary services if the documentation demonstrates that they are not warranted or if the individual fails to provide appropriate documentation;
  • if the student’s requested accommodation is not found to be reasonable for one or more classes, the DRC will engage in an interactive process to determine an equally effective alternative reasonable accommodation;  
  • select among equally effective reasonable accommodations, adjustments and/or auxiliary services;
  • refuse an unreasonable accommodation, adjustment and/or auxiliary services or one that imposes an undue hardship or fundamental alteration on a program or activity at the University.

Responsibilities to:

  • provide information in accessible formats to faculty, staff, students and guests with disabilities in upon request;
  • ensure that employment, courses, programs, services and activities, when viewed in their entirety, are available and usable as broadly as possible;
  • provide or arrange reasonable accommodations, academic adjustments and/or auxiliary services in a timely manner for faculty, staff, students and guests with disabilities in employment, courses, programs, services, facilities and activities;
  • maintain appropriate confidentiality of records and communication, except as permitted/required by law.