Facilitating Access at Tulane University
The Goldman Center for Student Accessibility is tasked with creating an equitable learning environment for students with disabilities living and learning at Tulane University; we support student accessibility across all schools and programs, for on-the-ground and online learners alike.
The Goldman Center is charged with facilitating access. It is the work of our students and support services which contribute to student success at Tulane.
Rather than requesting accommodations, this process is aimed at identifying barriers. A request for an accommodation may result in a specific approval, but it may also result in the referral to campus resources which address the barrier and/or the approval of an equally effective accommodation alternative.
The Interactive Process
Generally speaking, the interactive process for determining disability-related accommodations involves these core processes:
- Is this an otherwise qualified student with a disability? In other words, what is the nature and impact of this student's disability as demonstrated through supporting documentation and a student's narrative?
- Is there a disability-related barrier to accessing campus services, benefits, and experiences in the educational environment? This includes classrooms, programs, residence halls, and dining facilities.
- What accommodations are logical and necessary to remove these identified barriers? In other words, what is necessary to remove or implement in the environment that would provide access for the student with a disability? Would the removal of the identified barrier result in a fundamental alteration of the program requirements and standards? If so, then the Goldman Center would engage in a fundamental alteration exploration of the requested accommodation.
Generally speaking, the interactive process is NOT:
- The University seeking out students in need of disability services, or the University identifying students
- Disability services implementing any accommodation requested by the student, even if it is "reasonable"
- Disability services approving students for a specific accommodation recommended by the professor, who will only accommodate the student if approved by our office
- A route for students without disabilities to receive services they would otherwise not be eligible to receive
The goal of the interactive process is to clarify the link between a student's disability and the barrier in the environment and assess how the requested accommodation removes the barrier.
The goal of this process is NOT to provide the specifically requested accommodation, but to identify an access barrier and define what support exists around this barrier. Therefore, we recommend keeping an open mind about what the outcomes, solutions, and determinations may be for your specific request in the interactive process. In this highly individualized process, different students will receive different outcomes due to the specific nature of their disability and access barrier(s).
Defining a Barrier
A "barrier" is a factor in the environment which, through the absence or presence of this barrier, limits the functioning of a person and creates a disability. These barriers may be due to the physical environment, based in a lack of assistive technology for communication access, based in the creation of programs and policies, and/or a combination of multiple barriers.
Students with disabilities must have access to the following, in comparison to their non-disabled peers:
- Same activities
- Same information in the same time/manner
- Same campus services, benefits, and experiences
- Same opportunity to achieve
The goal of removing an identified barrier through an accommodation is to create equitable access. The removal of a barrier is:
- NOT fundamentally altering the academic experience
- NOT reducing academic expectations
- NOT facilitating a specific accommodation
It is important to note that the existence of a barrier does NOT necessitate the removal of that barrier, if the removal would result in a fundamental alteration of the program.
Three Key Sources of Information* in the Interactive Process
- Primary information is the student's self-report provided in this interactive process. This includes information shared in the online application as well as the structured Access Interview.
- Secondary information is the observation and interaction with the student by the Goldman Center through the interactive process. This includes the Goldman Center's awareness of campus resources and University policies, and the Goldman Center's capacity to facilitate access at Tulane University. In this process, the Goldman Center is the ultimate evaluator of what is necessary for access on campus.
- Tertiary documentation is information from external or third parties, including medical documentation from qualified evaluators and prior educational records such as 504/IEP plans. The purpose of documentation from a qualified evaluator is to help the Goldman Center establish a disability, understand how the disability impacts the student, and assess what accommodation may need to be put in place to address the access barrier. When there is not enough information in this process, seeking specific information through additional assessment/documentation may be requested.
The Goldman Center may consider additional information found through consultation with campus partners and peer institutions.
*These terms are not intended to convey value; these sources of information are considered in conjunction in this interactive process.
Definitions and FAQs
Disability under the ADA is a legal term, defined by: (A) a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities of such individual; or (B) a record of such impairment; or (C) being regarded as having such an impairment.
- Major life activities include: performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, eating, sleeping, walking, standing, lifting, bending, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating, and working.
- Major bodily functions include: functions of the immune system, normal cell growth, digestive, bowel, bladder, neurological, brain, respiratory, circulatory, endocrine, and reproductive functions.
Accommodation: An accommodation is any change, alteration or modification to the way things are customarily done that provides an equal opportunity. Examples of accommodations include, but are not limited to, sign language interpreters, materials in alternative formats (such as braille, different font size or digital format), preferential seating or changes to room layout, designated ADA parking, modified work schedules, and assistive listening devices.
Assistive Technology: Assistive technologies, sometimes referred to as adaptive technologies or rehabilitative devices, promote greater independence for individuals with disabilities by changing how these individuals interact with technology. For example, speech recognition software allows users with hand mobility issues to interact with a computer using voice commands rather than manipulating a mouse and keyboard. Other assistive technologies include alternative input devices, screen magnifiers and screen reading software.
Fundamental Alteration: A change, alteration, or modification that would alter the essential nature of a program, including courses and degree programs. When it is determined that the removal of the identified barrier would result in a fundamental alteration these standards, including academic rigor, the University is not obligated to remove that barrier. Instead, the University will consider what scope of support and accommodations may be recommended to provide create access.
The Access Interview
The Access Interview is an opportunity for students to expand on the narrative shared in the online request form and for the Goldman Center to learn more about the reported access barrier.
What to expect to discuss in an Access Interview:
- The Goldman team member will introduce themselves and the Goldman Center for Student Accessibility; they may give also provide an overview of the structure of the meeting and the legal guidance of access, aimed at removing barriers in the environment, which govern accommodations in the higher education environment.
- To begin the meeting, the Goldman team member may ask questions like:
- What led you to submit a request for accommodations at Tulane?
- What is your history with accommodations?
- What resources and supports have you utilized to address concerns you've encountered in the educational environment? How effective were those resources in addressing your concerns?
- A timeline for determination, requests for additional information, and other individualized next steps will be communicated to you during or after this meeting.
What questions you may be asked during your Access Interview:
- What supports and services have you utilized in the past to navigate academic demands or health/safety needs in the living environments?
- What strategies and accommodations have been effective in the past?
The Goldman Center may ask clarifying questions to explore what accommodations are necessary for equitable access while assessing what campus-based resources may be helpful for facilitating student success and wellbeing on campus. Requests for accommodations may not always be granted if alternative methods of support or services exist, therefore negating the need for an accommodation.
Learn more about this collaborative process on our Self-Advocacy support page.
Pertinent Laws
All entities who received federal funding, including Tulane, must abide by Section 504 of the American Rehabilitation Act. Further, Tulane University abides by the Fair Housing Act and ADA Title III.
Laws which governed K-12 educational programs, specially IDEA, do not apply to higher education institutions such as Tulane University.
FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) protects the privacy of student education records. While students may sign FERPA waivers for their family, mandates set by the ADA and Section 504 necessitate that the student acts autonomously in the request for accommodations. Parents, families, teachers, or other support personnel are NOT permitted to act on behalf of a student in the request for accommodations.
