Accessibility Resources

Overview of Accessibility Resources

Mission

Accessibility Resources, within the Office of Student Affairs and Services, seeks to improve the educational experience of MGH Institute of Health Professions students with disabilities by providing compassionate support, equitable access, and thoughtful accommodations to those who need them. It strives to create an inclusive environment on campus, where diversity and inclusion are celebrated.

What Is a Disability?

According to the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) as amended in 2008, a disability is defined as “a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.”

Activities include, but are not limited to, caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, eating, sleeping, walking, standing, lifting, bending, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating, and working.
Major life activities also includes bodily functions including, but not limited to, functions of the immune system, normal cell growth, digestive, bowel, bladder, neurological, brain, respiratory, circulatory, endocrine, and reproductive functions.

Our Commitment to Confidentiality

The MGH Institute and OSAS take student privacy very seriously. It is important to us and we encourage students to take it seriously, too. Disability-related documentation, including medical records and correspondence about accommodations will be managed in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), related legislation, and Institute policy.

Information concerning disabilities and accommodations will only be shared on a need-to-know basis, and only for the purpose of assuring appropriate accommodations in support of student success. No information related to disabilities or accommodations is included in official records (such as transcripts) for students and alumni.

Communicating Appropriately, Proactively

While promoting confidentiality and privacy, OSAS also encourages students to discuss the logistics of their accommodation request(s) with relevant faculty and/or clinical instructors and their faculty advisor at the start of each course.

Any student who would like guidance on this aspect of managing accommodations should please contact Luella Benn. Students are reminded to use good judgment if they decide to discuss accommodations with classmates or others.

Accommodations Process for Students with a Disability

Accessibility Resources supports the Institute’s mission and value of diversity by facilitating and supporting equal access to its programs and services for students who experience a disability.

To be eligible for disability-related services, individuals must have a documented disability as defined by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and/or the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. Eligible disabilities include physical and mental impairments which may include but are not limited to vision, hearing, mobility, learning, systemic, psychiatric, and brain injury that substantially limit one or more major life activities.

Accessibility Resources will request documentation from an appropriate professional to certify individuals as having a disability. The cost of obtaining documentation will be borne by the student.

If the initial documentation is incomplete or inadequate to determine the extent of the disability and appropriate accommodations, Accessibility Resources has the discretion to require supplemental assessment. The cost of the supplemental assessment shall also be borne by the student.

Pending receipt of the eligibility documentation, Accessibility Resources and/or the Institute reserves the right to deny services and accommodations.

Disability evaluations must have been performed within five years of the date of submission; otherwise students will be asked to submit a current evaluation at the student's own expense. (OSAS can provide assistance in locating appropriate, licensed evaluators.) All information provided will be kept confidential, except as required by law.

The OSAS suite is located on the ground floor of Building 39, across the street to the right from the Catherine Filene Shouse Building, our main academic building. Easily accessible to all, OSAS has a highly qualified staff of professionals who welcome students' questions, listen to their concerns, and respond to their needs and situations.

Forms

Request for Accommodations Form: Students in need of accommodations should fill out the online Request for Accommodations Form.
Semester Request Form: Once students have been approved for accommodations at IHP, students should complete this form each semester to have their Accommodation Notification Letters distributed.
Accommodation Notification Letter: After a student has completed a Semester Request Form, the Associate Director of Accessibility Resources will draft a notification letter. This letter is sent to the student, course instructors/faculty, and key program designee(s) who directly assist in the implementation of students' accommodations.

Photo of students in the IMPACT Center, one in wheelchair

Accommodations Decision Appeal Process

Informal Resolution

Students may pursue an informal resolution by meeting with the Director of Accessibility Resources and Wellness. If no satisfactory resolution is reached, student should initiate a formal complaint in writing to the Dean of Student Affairs and Services. It is not required to seek an informal resolution.

Formal Resolution

A complaint must be submitted in writing to the Dean of Student Affairs and Services, Dr. Jack Gormley, within 5 business days from the time the student knew or could reasonably be expected to have known of the action that is the subject of the complaint. It should include information regarding the specific action being complained of and the date it occurred, the grounds upon which the appeal is based, and the relief requested. If the nature of the complaint is time sensitive, please explain why in your statement.

The Dean will review the complaint, and contact the student to schedule an appeal hearing within 10 days of the date it was received.

Once the Dean has received your statement, they will determine if additional participants are needed at the hearing. For example, faculty or staff or classmates involved in the circumstances of your concern. Therefore, please be as specific as possible if there are others you wish to involve.

During the hearing, you will have an opportunity to summarize your appeal, and ask questions. The Dean will lead the hearing and will have questions for you after reading your complaint.

You may bring one individual to join you in the hearing, to take notes or offer support. This is optional. This person may not speak or interrupt the meeting in any way.

All time frames referred to in this procedure refer to academic calendar days.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do students access services?

Students are encouraged to request services as early as possible after deposit, however students can apply at any time. Students should fill out the Accessibility Resources Request form, and provide current documentation of a disability.

Once registered with AR, students will need to submit an Accommodations Request Form each semester to AR. The Associate Director of Accessibility Resources will then draft an Accommodation Letter which will be sent to the faculty, student, and appropriate program designee(s) who assist with implementation of accommodations.

While faculty will receive the majority of Accommodation Letters within the first couple of weeks of the semester, they may be sent at any point in the semester. Accommodations are not retroactive, and will only be in place from the point the letter is received forward.

What are some common accommodations?

Common accommodations include (but are not limited to) the following:

Extended time for exams and quizzes
A reduced distraction environment for exams and quizzes
Note taker
Audio recording of class lectures
Textbooks and course materials in an alternate format
Paper copies of exams and quizzes
Flexibility with absences and/or deadlines when a chronic health condition flares

How are testing accommodations arranged?

Testing accommodation arrangements vary from program to program. The designee in each program is copied on accommodation memos.

What is a service animal?

According to the ADA, “service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities.” If it is unclear whether a dog is a service animal, anyone can ask the following questions:

Is the service animal required because of a disability? and
What work or task has the animal been trained to perform?

If you are unsure whether these questions have been answered satisfactorily, allow the person and animal to proceed, and contact Accessibility Resources.

How do I know when to refer a student to Accessibility Resources?

If a student discloses to you that they have a disability, refer them to Accessibility Resources. Have contact information handy, and follow up with an email to the student and copy ihpar@mghihp.edu.
If a student is consistently not finishing exams on time, reporting an inability to focus, has repeated absences, or mentions knowing the exams but still failing exams, it is ok to tell the student about different resources that are available to them, including the Academic Support Counselors and Accessibility Resources.

Can students use accommodations in the clinical setting?

Yes. Students are entitled to reasonable accommodations for clinical placements. The student should follow the same procedure for applying for accommodations and documenting the disability.

A determination about what accommodations can be made in the clinical placement will be a collaborative effort among Accessibility Resources, the academic program, and the student. Students who use accommodations in the classroom setting will not necessarily need accommodations in the clinical setting.

Each request will be individually assessed and accommodations will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

Faculty Syllabus Statement

The MGH Institute of Health Professions is committed to providing equal access for students with disabilities. Students who feel they may need accommodations due to a documented disability should contact Accessibility Resources (ihpar@mghihp.edu) to set up an appointment as soon as possible.

Faculty Responsibilities

Faculty are primarily responsible for providing academic accommodations approved by Accessibility Resources (AR) – a part of OSAS – and working with students and Accessibility Resources to ensure accommodations are made in a timely manner.

Provide only the accommodations outlined in the Accommodations Letter from AR. Contact AR if there are questions or concerns about the listed accommodations.

Refer students to AR who disclose a disability or request accommodations without an Accommodations Letter.

Faculty should not lower course expectations or fundamentally alter the nature of a course at a student’s request.

Maintain confidentiality. Faculty should not ask students about the nature of their disability or for medical documentation.

Resources

There are a variety of outside resources available to students with disabilities and the MGH Institute population at large. Below are a few places to begin your search. Please reach out to the Associate Director of Accessibility Resources if you’d like further assistance.

The IHP School of Nursing and the University of Michigan Medical School’s Department of Family Medicine have collaborated to create the #NursesWithDisabilities and #DocsWithDisabilities Project. The goal is to share experiences and understanding of the professional journeys of nurses and physicians with disabilities, in their own words.
Our Writing Tutor can help with writing skills and techniques. Please contact writingtutor@mghihp.edu for more information
The Student Assistance Program (SAP), a part of the Employee Assistance Program, is available to all IHP students. They can provide a large variety of services including counseling, mental health referrals, childcare resources and more! Call EAP today at 1 (866) 724-4327 .
Tufts Medical Center College Learning Disorders / ADHD Clinic helps college students in the Boston area receive comprehensive testing and resources for learning disorders.
Accessibility Resources can help with acquiring adaptive technology. Some examples:
- Dragon is a speech recognition software that allows voice-to-text dictation. This can be helpful to students who need note takers, but also to those who prefer using their voice instead of a keyboard
- JAWS is a screen reading software that enables students who are blind or visually impaired to navigate the internet and Windows programs by using keystrokes to input data
- Listening devices are available for students who need them
- Amplified stethoscopes can be loaned out for students to use in their clinical placements

Contact Us

Staff

Luella Benn
Director of Accessibility Resources and Wellness