Office of Accessibility Resources and Services (OARS)

Hampshire College offers services on an individual basis to students with documented disabilities. The College recognizes its obligation under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, the ADA Amendments Act of 2008, and the Fair Housing Act of 1968 to provide reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities so they may participate as equitably as possible in the College's academic programs. Disabilities are considered any documented impairment which impacts a major life function. This may include, but is not limited to diagnoses related to sensory impairments, mobility impairments, chronic illnesses and medical disabilities, learning disabilities, developmental disabilities and psychological disabilities. The OARS staff is responsible for the coordination of services and accommodations for students with disabilities. Accommodations may be provided by OARS directly, but often accommodations are implemented in collaboration with faculty or other relevant campus offices and personnel.

OARS may be reached at 413.559.OARS (x6277) or via email: OARS@hampshire.edu [1].

For 2024-2025, Hampshire College’s ADA and Section 504 Coordinator is Director of Accessibility Resources and Services, Teal Van Dyck. The ADA Coordinator can be reached via phone at 413.559.6277, or by email at tvdDO@hampshire.edu [2].

Student Responsibilities

The Office of Accessibility Resources and Services supports students through advocacy, education, and reviewing requests for reasonable accommodations on an individualized and case-by-case basis to ensure equitable access to all programs and services at Hampshire College. To register with our office, students are expected to self-identify to OARS as a student with a disability, and can request accommodations through the Disability Disclosure and Accommodation Request [3] process.

This is an interactive process to determine reasonable accommodations for which a student is eligible and to educate a student about relevant processes, support services, and additional responsibilities to access approved accommodations of which they should be aware. Once approved for accommodations, it is a student’s responsibility to notify relevant faculty or administrators of approved accommodations and to collaborate with those entities and OARS in an ongoing process of accommodation implementation.

Confidentiality

The decision to disclose a disability to the College and/or request accommodation ofto the College is wholly voluntary. The information and data provided by students will be treated as confidential and will be disclosed by OARS only if necessary to assess and/or implement requested services or accommodations. Evaluations, medical records, and other documents submitted to establish record of a disability or the need for accommodations are securely maintained in the OARS office accommodations database and do not become part of a student’s academic record or transcript.

Under the Federal Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), enrolled college students are legally considered to be adults. Communication of confidential information with parents or professionals regarding OARS records, decisions, or processes disabilities must be authorized by the student in writing. A student who wishes to give OARS representatives the choice to communicate directly with their parent, guardian, or other support professional must request and sign a FERPA waiver limited in scope to OARS communication.

Evaluations of Eligibility

Hampshire College does not provide educational evaluations or any other assessment of medical, learning, or mental health status to determine eligibility for accommodation. Documentation Guidelines [4] are available to clarify types of assessments and appropriate professionals to administer such assessments which substantiate need and eligibility for disability-related accommodation. A list of local practitioners qualified to conduct relevant evaluations at a student’s expense can be made available at a student’s request. Health and Counseling Services will provide referrals to local professionals who can evaluate psychiatric and medical conditions.

Request and Review of Accommodation Eligibility

Request for Accommodations/Documentation of a Disability

In order to be recognized by the College as a person with a disability and become entitled to reasonable accommodations, a student must first disclose a disability [3] with the Office of Accessibility Resources and Services (OARS), request specific accommodations connected to their disability-related access needs, and provide appropriate supporting documentation in accordance with our documentation guidelines [4]. That signifies that the student is formally registering with the College as a person with a disability and is seeking accommodations. Students may not receive accommodations from the College without such disclosure and/or without providing appropriate supporting information and documentation.

Students who have never registered with OARS may begin the accommodation request process for the first time by completing an OARS Registration online self-report [5] and uploading supporting documentation from their healthcare provider. Students who are already registered with OARS or who have already used the OARS Registration form will request all future accommodations through an Additional Accommodation request on their personal OARS Portal account [6], and new accommodation requests may require additional supporting documentation of disability if not already on file. Students may be asked to meet with the OARS office if a self-report is not sufficient for the College to engage in an adequate determination according to the need for an interactive process. Students who are facing barriers to filling out a self-report may reach out to the OARS office at oars@hampshire.edu [7] to schedule an intake meeting.

A request for accommodations may be made at the point of disclosure of disability or at some future date. Accommodations are not retroactive, so students are strongly encouraged to reach out to OARS as soon as they are aware of an accessibility need requiring an accommodation request. Some students who go through the process of documenting a disability are not seeking specific accommodations, but are rather seeking confirmation of a disability that they can present to faculty to assist in best meeting their learning strengths and weaknesses; faculty are not obligated to provide any accommodations which are not formally approved through OARS.

Housing Accommodation Requests

OARS works closely with the Housing Accommodation Committee to review and approve requests for accommodations in the residential setting. The Housing Accommodation Committee includes members of the Housing Operations Office, Dining Services, and Health and Counseling Services who consult to ensure students' disability-related needs are met in the residence halls with reasonable accommodations and appropriate placement. Please navigate to the Housing Accommodation Request Process [8] for more information about requesting housing-based accommodations

Review of Requests

All requests for accommodations will be assessed by the Office of Accessibility Resources and Services [9] through an interactive process with the student. It is OARS’ general practice to discuss accommodations directly with the student requesting them prior to approval and to consider the student's history of accommodation, self-report of necessary accommodations, and documentation from a relevant treating professional. OARS may request further information from the student and/or treating professional and may make its own recommendations for alternative, reasonable accommodations which are more appropriate to address individual circumstances in the context of Hampshire courses and curricula. Students will be notified in a timely manner by OARS when requests are approved, modified, or denied. Students can request additional accommodations at any time or appeal denial of accommodations through the grievance process [10].

Disability Related Accommodations and Academic Contracts

(Please find more about academic contracts and accommodations here: Guidelines for Academic Progress [11].)

Request for Accommodations at the Five Colleges

Hampshire students frequently take courses at the other four colleges in the Five College consortium. If a student documents a disability at their home college, they do not need to engage the same process at the other colleges. Requests for accommodations in courses at other colleges must be made with OARS staff per Five College campus, per semester, with the Five College Accommodation Request form [12], a standardized form used by all consortium member schools. OARS staff will certify that the student is recognized as a person with a disability and approved for accommodations at Hampshire College. The student is then responsible for bringing verification of accommodation from their home institution to the accessibility services office at the host institution.

The final decision regarding the appropriateness or feasibility of such a request for accommodation rests with the accessibility services administrator at the other campus. Though the hosting institution’s accessibility services staff will consult with OARS when appropriate to support students as proactively as possible, any formal grievances regarding barriers or discrimination encountered at another institution in the Five Colleges should follow the host institution’s grievance process.

More about accommodations at other campuses, including the required Five College Accommodation Request form [12] and contact information for all Accessibility/Disability Services offices across the consortium can be found on the Five Colleges Accessibility and Accommodations [13] page.

Grievance Procedures for Disability-related Access

Hampshire College prohibits discrimination [14] on the basis of disability. The College has adopted a grievance procedure to provide prompt and equitable resolution of complaints which allege any action prohibited by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and applicable state law. These laws prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability in any programs, activities, and employment opportunities available at Hampshire College. These laws also prohibit retaliation against an individual who files a complaint regarding disability discrimination, files a grievance under this procedure, or cooperates in the investigation of such complaint or grievance.

If a student is in need of accommodation related to any of Hampshire’s physical environments or programs, they are strongly encouraged to disclose their disability [15] to OARS in order to have access to advocacy and on-campus resources which assist with proactive removal and prevention of barriers through accommodations or other means. This includes, but is not limited to dining and residence [8], academic programs [3], co-curricular programs and events, and on campus employment. If students do encounter any additional, unforeseen barriers to College programs, services, or resources, they are encouraged to report these barriers as soon as reasonably possible to the department where the barrier was encountered and to the Office of Accessibility Resources and Services (OARS). If a student encounters a barrier or discrimination in the course of working for the college as a student employee, the student can still seek resolution through the student grievance process.

Informal Solutions are Encouraged
The ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) encourages alternative means of dispute resolution [16] when appropriate and to the extent authorized by law. These methods include settlement negotiations, conciliation, facilitation, mediation and arbitration. The use of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms is completely voluntary and is intended to supplement, and not to supplant, the remedies provided by the ADA as an aspect of the interactive accommodation process [15]. No alternative dispute resolution procedure precludes the affected person from seeking relief under the enforcement provisions of the ADA. Alternative dispute resolution measures are not required to be used prior to the filing of an administrative complaint with the federal government or through existing campus discrimination grievance procedures.

The College encourages students to seek the aid and intervention of the director of OARS in order to resolve complaints informally – typically conciliation or facilitation of a remedy. If informal procedures do not satisfactorily address the student's concerns, they may still file a written grievance.

Filing a Written Grievance
Students have the right to file a grievance if they believe they have been denied equal access to the college's programs, resources or services (academic or otherwise) because of, or on the basis of, a disability. In order to establish the basis for such a grievance students must first register with the Office of Accessibility Resources and Services [15] (OARS) and provide written documentation of their disability. The written grievance should include the student's identifying information (name and student ID), a description of how the College has denied equal access to the student, any steps that the student has already taken to identify and resolve the problem, and the desired remedy. Students are encouraged to include relevant documents to support their account.

The formal grievance should be given to the director of OARS. The director will investigate the complaint and meet with the parties cited to resolve the student’s concerns. Absent any unusual circumstances, the director will make recommendations for resolution to the student and other parties involved within thirty days after the filing of the grievance.

Appealing a Grievance Resolution
If the proposed resolution is unacceptable to the student or to the other principals in the grievance, either party may then appeal to the Senior Vice President for Justice, Equity and Antiracism. The Senior Vice President may attempt to reach an informal resolution and/or investigate the grievance as described above or shall review all of the documents pertaining to the case, hear the parties and convene such meetings as required to resolve the complaint. If consensus on a resolution cannot be reached, the Senior Vice President will render a decision as soon as possible after an appeal has been submitted. It typically takes about 10 days, but may take up to 21 days, to consider the appeal when such additional time is deemed necessary. In rare instances where extenuating circumstances exist, appeals may take longer than 21 days for a decision to be rendered. The decision of the Senior Vice President is final.

If a grievance pertains to the actions of the director of OARS or the Senior Vice President specifically, or they are unable to otherwise serve in the above outlined capacities due to any other conflict of interest, an appropriate senior-level administrator will be appointed to serve in their place during the relevant parts of the grievance process.

Privacy and Confidentiality
Personal information regarding such grievances is considered confidential. The College reserves the right to consult with legal counsel, relevant faculty or staff, and/or experts in the field of disability services in order to obtain information or advice regarding the subject of the grievance. All individuals consulted agree to be bound by the rules governing disclosure of confidential personal information.

State and Federal Options
The College recognizes the right of students to file grievances with the U.S. Office of Civil Rights or other regulators if they believe that their rights under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 have been violated.

Office for Civil Rights, Boston Office
U.S. Department of Education
8^th Floor
5 Post Office Square
Boston, MA 02109-3921
Telephone: (617) 289-0111
Fax: (617) 289-0150
Email: OCR.Boston@ed.gov [17]

United States Department of Justice
Civil Rights Division
950 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.
Disability Rights Section, NYA
Washington, DC 20530
(202) 307-0663 (voice and TDD)
Fax: (202) 307-1198

ADA Coordinator
Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General
One Ashburton Place
Boston, MA 02108
http://www.mass.gov/ago/consumer-resources/your-rights/civil-rights/disability-rights/ada-rights-and-grievance.html [18]

Assistance Animals

Hampshire College will reasonably accommodate requests for assistance animals, including service animals and emotional support animals to reside with their owner/handler in college provided housing. To learn what constitutes a service animal, emotional support animal or a pet and how to apply for this accommodation please see our animal definitions and policies.

Service Animal means any dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability. Tasks performed can include, among other things, pulling a wheelchair, retrieving dropped items, alerting a person to a sound, reminding a person to take medication, or pressing an elevator button.

Emotional Support Animals, comfort animals, and therapy dogs are not service animals under Title II and Title III of the ADA. Other species of animals, whether wild or domestic, trained or untrained, are not considered service animals either. The work or tasks performed by a service animal must be directly related to the individual’s disability. It does not matter if a person has a note from a doctor that states that the person has a disability and needs to have the animal for emotional support. A doctor’s letter does not turn an animal into a service animal.

To learn more about what constitutes a pet, emotional support animal, or service animal, and how to gain an exemption to our Pet Policy, please see our animal definitions and policies [19] on the Norms for Community Living and Policies section.

Students in need of accommodation related to a service or emotional support animal and would like to register with the Office of Accessibility Resources and Services (OARS) should review:

Questions or comments? Contact the dean of students office at deanofstudents@hampshire.edu.