Student Rights & Responsibilities

The rights and responsibilities of students with disabilities are delineated by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the ADAAA of 2008, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Kutztown University is committed to protecting and ensuring the rights of students with disabilities.

Student Rights

• The university will comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the ADAAA of 2008, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to provide equal access to its programs and services for students with disabilities.
• No otherwise qualified person with a disability shall solely, because of the disability, be denied access to programs and services.
• The Disability Service Office will work with each student to identify and provide appropriate and reasonable accommodations.
• Reasonable accommodations will be determined and an individual accommodation plan will be developed on a case-by-case basis through an interactive process with the Disability Services Office (DSO) upon presentation of documentation of disability consistent with guidelines provided on the Requesting Accommodations page of our website.
• All records documenting students' disabilities will be kept confidential.
• Students with disabilities may be referred for additional services available on campus, when necessary.
• A grievance procedure is available to assist in resolving disputes arising in the process of determining eligibility and the provision of reasonable accommodations (see below).  

Student Responsibilities 

• Students who are requesting reasonable accommodations based on qualified disabilities must self-disclose their disability by submitting the "Accommodation Request Form" and meeting with the DSO staff to discuss reasonable accommodations. 
• It is the responsibility of the student to obtain and provide current documentation to the DSO in accordance with documentation guidelines and criteria. These guidelines are available on the Requesting Accommodations page of our website.
• The required documentation and request for accommodations must be made in a timely manner to allow sufficient time for the university to arrange accommodations. Please note: accommodations are not retroactive.
• To implement accommodations, students must request accommodation letters for their professors and discuss their accommodation needs and arrangements with each professor in a timely manner.
• Students are responsible for following established procedures outlined in the accommodation plan each semester in order to access accommodations.
• Students must report to the DSO, in a timely manner, any problems that arise with respect to the provision of reasonable accommodations.
• Students must abide by the Student Code of Conduct as well as all university policies and regulations.      

Grievance Procedures

The following complaint procedure provides for the prompt and equitable resolution of complaints alleging any action prohibited by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the ADAAA of 2008, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. 

All complaints regarding the provision of accommodations should first be brought to the attention of the Disability Services Office (DSO), 215 Stratton Administration Center, 610-683-4108. The Director of Disability Services will investigate the complaint and work toward a resolution.   

If the student is unable to resolve the matter with the Director in this informal stage, the student may then follow the formal grievance process through the Office of Social Equity, 02 Old Main, 610-683-4700.  

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