POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR STUDENTS
WITH DISABILITIES
Introduction
Florida Coastal School of Law is committed to providing an inclusive educational
environment, responsive to the needs of all its students, including those students with
disabilities. In doing so, Florida Coastal School of Law is guided by its mission
statement, the Americans with Disabilities Act, state and local statutes and ordinances,
and all applicable regulations. The purpose of this Section is to notify all students of the
resources available to those with disabilities and the procedures by which those resources
may best be utilized.
Confidentiality
All documentation submitted to, and the records of, the Assistant Dean for Student
Affairs shall be held in confidence in separate files. No information about a student’s
disability shall be released to School faculty or staff without the express permission of the
student, unless there is a clear educational or health/safety reason. Upon a student’s
graduation or other separation from the School, the records of the Assistant Dean for
Student Affairs shall become part of the student’s permanent records.
Disabilities and Accommodations
Some examples of disabilities are:
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Physical Disabilities
Learning Disabilities
ADHD
Psychiatric Disorders
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
Reasonable accommodations, supported by the documentation of the disability presented
to the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs are available to qualified students on a case by
case basis. A wide range of accommodations are made available to students with a
documented disability as long as they do not materially affect the integrity of the class.
Temporary Disabilities, including Pregnancy and Related
Conditions
Temporary disabilities are not covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
However, Florida Coastal School of Law is dedicated to facilitating our students’
education and will attempt to accommodate a student requesting accommodations due to
a temporary disability, including pregnancy or related conditions. Students requesting
accommodations for temporary disabilities shall provide current documentation verifying
the nature of the condition, stating the expected duration of the condition and describing
the accommodations deemed necessary. A professional health care provider who is
qualified to diagnose such conditions must provide the verification, and the verification
must demonstrate that the requested accommodations are medically necessary.
The cost of obtaining the professional verification shall be borne by the student. The
Associate Dean of Academic Affairs shall consider requests for accommodations on the
basis of a temporary disability on a case-by-case basis.
Identification Process & Procedures
Self Identification: Students with disabilities who require accommodations must make
those needs known to the Assistant Dean for Students Student Affairs and will be asked
to complete a Student Disabilities Intake Form and Release. It is the responsibility of the
student to make these needs known in a timely fashion and to provide the appropriate
documentation in accordance with the disability documentation guidelines set forth in
FCSL’s Policies and Procedures for Students with Disabilities. Students who do not
require accommodations need not make their disabilities known. Students may provide
documentation for a temporary disability that may result in future inability to function
normally.
Accommodation Process: The Assistant Dean for Student Affairs will work with the
student to develop an appropriate plan for individualized accommodations while
attending FCSL. Students with disabilities who wish to request accommodations on
examinations must submit the Student Disabilities Intake Form, and accompanying
documentation, to the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs. The form must be submitted
two weeks prior to the next exam period, including mid-term exams. The Assistant Dean
for Student Affairs will notify the Registrar of the specifics of the exam accommodations.
Due to the varying nature of disabilities, some exam accommodation requests must be
renewed every semester.
Guidelines for Disability Documentation
Students who request accommodations on examinations or other academic modifications
on the basis of a disability must provide documentation that meets the guidelines set forth
below. The documentation should be submitted to the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs.
In all cases, the cost of obtaining the professional verification to establish the disability
shall be borne by the student. In the event that a student requests an academic
accommodation that is not supported by the data in the assessment, of the initial
verification is incomplete or inadequate to determine the extent of the disability, then it is
incumbent on the student to obtain supplemental testing and assessment at the student’s
expense.
A. Verification of Physical and Mental Disability:
A student with a physical or mental disability must provide professional
documentation by a licensed professional health care provider who is qualified to
diagnose the disability. The documentation must consist of a comprehensive, typed
report that states a specific, current diagnosis, describes the diagnostic criteria and/or
test used, reflects the student’s present level of functioning in the major life activity
affected by the disability. In the case of requests for accommodations on
examinations, the documentation must specifically describe how the student’s
functional limitations due to the diagnosed disability substantially limit his or her
ability to take Law School examinations under regular testing conditions.
B. Verification of Learning Disability:
A student with a learning disability must provide professional testing and evaluation
results that reflect the student’s present level of functioning and achievement,
establishes the existence of a learning disability and its impact on the student’s
educational performance, and validates the need for the accommodations requested.
The documentation must consist of a comprehensive neuropsychological or psychoeducational assessment report, and must be no older than three years. Documentation
verifying the learning disability must:
1)
Provide clear and specific evidence that a learning disability does or
does not exist. The assessment must consist of a comprehensive
battery of test, and the report must summarize the testing procedures
followed, the instruments used to assess the disability, the test results,
and a written interpretation of the test results by the professional.
2)
Reflect the individual’s present level of functioning in the following
three domains: achievement (reading comprehension, reading rate,
written expression, writing mechanics and vocabulary, writing
grammar and spelling); intelligence/aptitude; and information
processing.
3)
Recommend specific accommodations, and explain the basis for them
and how the data supports the request for such academic
accommodations.
C. Verification of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD):
A student with ADHD must provide a comprehensive written evaluation that
establishes the existence of ADHD and its impact on the student’s educational
performance, and validates the need for the accommodations requested. It should
be no more than three years old. Documentation verifying the existence of ADHD
must:
1)
Provide appropriate clinical documentation to substantiate the
existence of ADHD. The documentation must consist of a
comprehensive report that includes, at a minimum, a diagnostic
interview and history, relevant testing information identification of
DSM-IV criteria, a specific diagnosis, relevant academic records, and
an interpretive summary.
2)
Recommend specific accommodations, and explain the basis for them
explain how the evaluation results support the request for such
academic accommodations. The report should address the ameliorative
effects of medication, if any, and the impact of such amelioration on
the accommodation recommended.
Bar Examinations
Students who wish to request accommodations on the Florida Bar Exam must apply
directly to the Board of Law Examiners (http://www.floridabarexam.org/), or if the exam
is to be taken in a different state, to the Board of Bar Examiners of other appropriate
agency in that particular state. The FCSL Bar Prep Coordinator has information on how
to contact bar examiners in all states. Accommodations for the Multistate Professional
Responsibility Exam are arranged through the National Conference of Bar Examiners
(www.ncbex.org).
FLORIDA COASTAL SCHOOL OF LAW
Student Disabilities Intake Form
Today’s Date: _________________
Level: 1L
2L 3L Other: ___________
Expected Graduation Date: _____________
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
Name: ____________________________________________ Nickname: ___________
First
Middle
Last
SSN or ID #: _____________________________
email: ________________________
Date of Birth __________________
ACCOMMODATIONS:
1. Please list any reasonable accommodations that you have received in the past. Please
note that your receipt of an accommodation in the past does not guarantee that you will
receive an accommodation, or receive the same accommodation, at Florida Coastal.
a. _______________________________________________________________
b. _______________________________________________________________
c. _______________________________________________________________
2. Please list any reasonable accommodations that you would like to request at Florida
Coastal.
a. _______________________________________________________________
b. _______________________________________________________________
c. _______________________________________________________________
3. Please note any additional information that may assist Florida Coastal with providing
you with reasonable accommodations.
a. _______________________________________________________________
b. _______________________________________________________________
c. _______________________________________________________________
Release
If you need an accommodation that requires the Assistant Dean for Student
Affairs to contact faculty, administrators or outside agencies, you must sign the release
below. This release will allow the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs to share necessary
information relative to your disability with appropriate professionals, including faculty
and administrators who must be informed of your disability in order to provide
reasonable accommodations.
I hereby allow the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs to share necessary
information relative to my disability with appropriate professionals.
Print Name:
____________________________________
Signature: _______________________________________