January 7, 2020
Further Clarification on Making Reasonable Disability Accommodations
Submitted by Aliah Mestrovich Seay
When requests for reasonable accommodations are received within K-State Research and Extension, we have a responsibility to respond but should not fulfill a disability accommodation request without the support of a K-State disability specialist. Disability specialists are trained to understand and interpret the American with Disabilities Act while supporting and educating the different parties involved in the reasonable accommodations process. Please note that regardless of the KSRE program or event, disability accommodations are coordinated through the Department of 4-H Youth Development.
Reasonable accommodations are determined through an interactive process between the community member, Department of 4-H Youth Development, and K-State Human Capital Services. Normally, the turnaround time from the request to the determination of whether a community member is provided with reasonable accommodations is relatively short in nature. A K-State disability specialist contacts the community member to better understand, formalize the accommodations request, and document the process. Then, the 4-H State Office consults with K-State Human Capital Services and medical documents are reviewed along with the intake notes. Both the individual and Extension professional connected to the event or program are contacted with the determination of the disability accommodations request.
Even if the accommodations request seems straightforward, we are still under the responsibility to be engaged in and document the interactive process and provide a timely response to a formalized request. It is important to note that there may be different accommodations prescribed depending on the event at hand.
In addition to disability accommodations, resources, education and training are available to KSRE staff, youth, adult volunteers and community members to increase program accessibility and create a sense of belonging for persons with disabilities.
If you are unsure of how to respond, need assistance with an accommodation request, or have questions about program accessibility, contact the Department of 4-H Youth Development at 785-532-5800. You can also visit https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/employee_resources/civil_rights/compliance_resources.html to learn more.