Understanding the Limits of Disability Accommodations

Disability accommodations are designed to reduce or remove barriers that may arise from the interaction between a student's disability and the learning or living environment.

Their purpose is to provide students with disabilities an equal opportunity to learn, participate, and demonstrate their knowledge while maintaining the essential requirements and academic standards of a course, program, or university activity.

Contact ASC

Email: unoaccessibility@unomaha.edu

Phone: 402.554.2872

Contact the Civil Rights Compliance Office

a student wearing a teal beanie sits at a table studying. — Not every accommodation request meets the criteria for approval.

Some requests may be determined to be unreasonable based on legal, academic, or institutional considerations. While disability accommodations support equitable access, they do not guarantee success, alter fundamental academic or program requirements, or provide an unfair advantage.

Understanding the limitations helps clarify the boundaries of reasonable accommodations and ensures that accommodation decisions remain consistent with accessibility laws, academic integrity, and institutional responsibilities.

ASC may deny an accommodation request if it would fundamentally alter the academic standards of the institution, its colleges, schools, departments, or specific courses. Academic standards are essential to maintaining the integrity of all programs and must be upheld for all students. Accommodations that compromise these core standards are considered unreasonable.

Students are responsible for requesting accommodations in a timely manner. ASC is not obligated to provide accommodations retroactively for requests made after coursework or assessments have been completed.

ASC does not provide accommodations that are classified as personal services and may deny such requests as unreasonable. Personal services are those that an individual would require regardless of their enrollment at the University and for which no direct connection to program access can be established. Examples may include, but are not limited to, assistance with mobility (such as walking to and from class), feeding, toileting, bathing, personal medical or mental health care, rehabilitation, remediation, and tutoring.

ASC also does not provide personal equipment, such as wheelchairs or other assistive devices used in all settings.

Accommodations cannot eliminate or substantially modify core course or program requirements (e.g., waiving a required competency or learning outcome).

Provide ASC with the appropriate disability documentation
Send notification letter(s) to instructor(s) every semester
Contact each instructor to discuss the approved accommodation(s)
Notify the instructor and/or ASC if there are difficulties implementing accommodations.

Requests for accommodations must be tied to a documented functional limitation, not convenience or preference.

An accommodation may be denied if it would impose an undue administrative burden on the University. This may occur when there is insufficient time to reasonably implement the request or when doing so would be impractical or infeasible. In such cases, ASC reserves the right to provide an alternative accommodation that is equally effective in meeting the student’s needs.

General academic supports such as tutoring centers and study skills support are available to all students and are not considered disability accommodations unless specifically tied to a disability-related need and approved through ASC.

Understanding the Limits of Disability Accommodations

Understanding the Limits of Disability Accommodations

Contact ASC

Fundamental Alteration

Retroactive Request

Personal Services

Personal Equipment

Lowering or Waiving Essential Requirements

Student Responsibilities

Substituting Personal Preferences for Disability-Related Need

Administrative Burden

Direct Provision of Services Available to All Students