Rights and Responsibilities

Student Rights

UCLA students with disabilities have the right to:

• The right not to self-identify if accommodations are not being requested.
• The right to equal access to courses, facilities, university-sponsored courses, programs and activities. If accommodations are required to ensure equal access, the student must register with CAE to determine eligibility and appropriate accommodations.
• The right to be protected from discrimination.
• The right to make decisions regarding the release of personal disability information.
• The right to challenge decisions or submit a complaint through UCLA's grievance process (Procedure 230.2).

Student Responsibilities

Students who are self-identifying with the intent of requesting accommodations have a responsibility to:

• Follow all procedures for registration with the CAE, including submission of appropriate professional documentation, identifying the disability, and detailing the functional limitations caused by the condition.
• Read and respond to all correspondence from the CAE.
• Self-identify in a timely manner, meeting deadlines and allowing reasonable time for review of documentation and implementation arrangements prior to the need for accommodations.
• Follow University procedures when receiving accommodations, including any procedures which require interaction with professors or staff.
• Request accommodations each quarter in order to provide notification letters of approved accommodations to instructors.
• Notify the CAE if the approved accommodations are not working or are no longer needed.

Faculty Rights

Faculty have the right to:

• Determine the curricula and assignments for courses.
• Maintain consistent standards when evaluating student performance.
• Expect that all students adhere to the Student Conduct Code.
• Contact the CAE regarding accommodations that may jeopardize the academic standards or integrity of a course.

Faculty Responsibilities

In keeping with the University policy and disability law, faculty should:

• Provide accommodations based on a disability only to students who have been found eligible through CAE. Students who request accommodation from faculty but who have not yet been reviewed and found eligible through CAE should be promptly referred to CAE. To assure that all students are treated equally, it is important that students claiming a disability are evaluated by CAE.
• Protect the privacy of disabled students whenever possible.
• Students with disabilities should not be actively identified in the classroom or via email.
• CAE encourages students to discuss their need for accommodation with their faculty, but they are not required to discuss their disability with faculty, even in private.
• Provide approved accommodation in a consistent and timely manner. To comply with laws and regulations, it is important that approved accommodations be provided without interruption. Contact the CAE if you believe an approved accommodation fundamentally alters your course.
• Grade students based on their performance with accommodation, i.e., students cannot be penalized for using accommodation.
• Contact the CAE if you have questions about how a student's accommodation can be implemented in your course

CAE staff has the right to:

• Require appropriate, professional documentation demonstrating the nature and extent of the functional limitations caused by a condition.
• Deny a request for accommodations for reasons such as failure to submit required documentation, or where the documentation does not indicate that the accommodation is necessary.
• Refuse a request for an unreasonable accommodation or one which would alter an essential element of a course or degree.
• Discuss specific disability-related information with UCLA faculty or staff on a need-to-know basis in order to perform its functions.

CAE responsibilities:

• Review requests for accommodations and documentation submitted and respond in a timely manner regarding its determination.
• Maintain confidentiality of student documentation and communications.
• Engage student in interactive process in order to discuss reasonable accommodations.
• Determine reasonable accommodations and make recommendations to faculty regarding the implementation of accommodations.
• Act in accordance with Federal and State laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability.