Civil Rights

Access to The University of Montana Western is a civil right.

When viewed in their entirety, programs at the University must be readily accessible to and usable by people with disabilities. Program access must be assured in the most integrated setting appropriate to the needs of the individual and to the maximum extent feasible. The University promises that no otherwise qualified person with a disability will be denied or limited participation in or the benefits of any programs solely on the basis of a disability. The University prohibits disability discrimination against qualified students and will make certain all students and visitors have an equal opportunity in accessing our campus.

The University is not barrier-free, but reasonable accommodations will be made to guarantee program access. Reasonable accommodations modify non-essential components of programs so individuals will have equal footing to participate and compete. All accommodation requests will be given due process and consideration.

The University of Montana Western is committed to achieving equal educational opportunity and full participation for persons with disabilities.

Policy

It is Montana Western’s policy that no qualified person be excluded from participating in, be denied the benefits of, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination with regard to any University program, activity, internship, practicum, or class.

A student with disabilities must give initial notification to the Student Affairs Office and the Dean of Students that he/she has a physical, psychological, and/or learning disability. The student must provide appropriate documentation that describes the qualifying disability, the extent of that disability, and information on how the effects of the disability might be overcome through reasonable accommodations. Please see the link to the left, Disability Documentation, for more complete information on how to provide documentation to Montana Western.

If the student does not make this notification and provide the appropriate documentation, Montana Western does not have a legal obligation to provide accommodations.

It is the goal of the University of Montana Western to meet the needs of each student with a disability. Upon receipt of disability documentation, the Dean of Students or her representative will contact the student to arrange a meeting to discuss reasonable accommodations. The student is welcome to bring a parent, guardian, significant other, or assistant to the meeting.

The meeting is designed to help the student be successful in his/her course work at Montana Western. The Dean of Students will help guide the student in making decisions regarding classes and needed accommodations. Accommodations may include services such as:

• Note-taking
• Books-on-audio CD
• Proctored and/or orally-delivered tests
• Extended testing periods and assignment deadlines
• Dictation services

Housing and dining accommodations, access to buildings, and student support groups are also topics discussed in the meeting with the Assistant to the Dean. Accommodations must be reasonable as to the extent of the law, including ADA and Section 504 provisions. When accommodations cannot be agreed upon between faculty, student, and administration, the Student Affairs Office will seek advice, input, and/or mediation from the University of Montana, Missoula campus.

How to Disclose Disability and Request Accommodations

You are responsible for disclosing the functional impact of your disability and requesting reasonable modifications. The following are steps that you should take to request modifications:

Contact disability services and discuss the reasonable modifications.
You must make your requests in a timely manner. The amount of time necessary depends on the type of modification you are requesting.
After request has been received work with disability services to meet the reasonable modification for access to a program or event.
Disability services will attempt to accommodate all reasonable modifications by working with professors, club advisors, team coaches, and event planners.
Disability services will keep the student or visitor informed of the modifications being offered and a reasonable timeline in accommodating modifications.
Disability services will contact the student or visitor during or after the class or event to insure services and modifications were met.

We look forward to working with you and hope you’ll benefit from our services. Please feel free to contact Nicole Hazelbaker, Dean of Students at (406) 683-7900 with questions or for further information. You may e-mail Nicole at n_hazelbaker@umwestern.edu.