DISABILITY ACCOMMODATIONS Office for Equity and Diversity
MISSOURISTATEUNIVERSITY
Requesting Workplace Accommodations for Employees with Disabilities
This guidance memo outlines the MissouriStateUniversity policies and procedures for employeerequests for disability- related accommodations.
1. POLICY(see section 2.5 in the Missouri State University Employee Handbook)
MissouriStateUniversity is committed to providing an accessible and supportive environment for employees with disabilities. Equal access for qualified employees with a disability is an obligation of the University under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. MissouriStateUniversity does not discriminate on the basis of disability against otherwise-qualified individuals in any program, service or activity offered by the University. The University is committed to ensuring that no otherwise-qualified individual with a disability is excluded, denied services, segregated or otherwise treated differently than other individuals because of the absence of auxiliary aids or other appropriate services; however, accommodations cannot result in an undue burden to the University or fundamentally alter the essential functions of the job.
2. IMPLEMENTATION AND RESPONSIBILITY
a. Employees — are responsible for initiating requests for any desired disability related workplaceaccommodations. Requests by non-faculty employees should be made to supervisors or to the Office for Equity and Diversity; faculty employees should contact their department head or the Office for Equity and Diversity.
b. Supervisors/Department Heads/Directors — are responsible for receiving requests for workplace accommodations, informingemployees of the process and referring requests to the Office for Equity and Diversity.Supervisors are also responsible for initiating a discussion concerning accommodations when they havereason to believe that an employee’s disability precludes the employee from initiating a request. Supervisors should inform the Office for Equity and Diversity of all requests and accommodations.
c. Office for Equity and Diversity – responsible for evaluating the request, determining what type ofdocumentation is necessary, and determining if the requested accommodation is appropriate andeffective. The Office for Equity and Diversity also provides information relating to theemployment provisions of the ADA and employer obligations. The Office for Equity and Diversity may also becontacted for information regarding campus accessibility and resources for obtaining technical andassistive equipment. One may reach the Office for Equity and Diversity at Park Central Office Building Ste. 111, (417)836-4252 (voice), (417) 836-3257 (TTY) or at .
3. PROCESS - RECOMMENDED STEPS
a. Step One – Request: The employee is responsible for requesting a workplace accommodation for his or
her disability. The request shall be made to either the employee’s supervisor or to the Office for Equity and Diversityat Park Central Office Building Ste. 111, (417)836-4252 (voice), (417) 836-3257 (TTY) or at .
NOTE: Employees of the West Plains campus should contact the Affirmative Action Liaison, University/Community Programs Office, WestPlainsCivicCenter at (417) 255-7966. The Affirmative Action Liaison will act on behalf of the Office for Equity and Diversity throughout the accommodation process for employee requests from the West Plains campus.
Requests should be made in writing on the Accommodation Request Form (available online at or should include the following information:
(1)Name, telephone number and address of employee
(2)Department
(3)Supervisor
(4)Physical or mental condition and its duration
(5)Nature of request
(6)Brief explanation of how the requested accommodation will enable the employee to perform
the essential functions of his/her job.
b. Step Two – Discussion: When received, the supervisor should forward the request for accommodation to the Office for Equity and Diversity. Arepresentative from the Office for Equity and Diversity will meet with theemployee to acknowledge the request and explain the process. Arepresentative from the Office for Equity and Diversitywill also meet with the employee and supervisor as necessary to discuss the request and accommodationalternatives.
c. Step Three – Documenting the Disability: The Office for Equity and Diversitywill determine what type of documentation is necessary to verify thedisability. This may vary depending on the nature and extent of the disability and the accommodationrequested. It is the responsibility of the employee to provide the requested documentation regardinghis or her disability. In the event the University determines it is appropriate to obtain a second professional opinionconcerning the nature or impact of a physical or mental disability, the University will bear the cost ofobtaining the second opinion.The request for an accommodation will be evaluated once all documentation has been submitted by theemployee.
d. Step Four – Evaluation: Appropriate accommodations are determined following an individualizedassessment of each request. The Office for Equity and Diversity will consider the needs andrequests for reasonable accommodation to determine whether the necessary equipment or servicesexist already in a different department or unit before investing in new equipment or additionalservices. Among the factors considered in determining reasonable accommodations for employees are:
(1)What is the nature of the employee’s physical or mental condition and how does it affect his/herneeds in the
workplace setting?
(2)Does the employee’s physical or mental condition limit one or more major life activities?
(3)Will the requested accommodation allow the employee to perform the essential job functionseffectively?
(4)Will the requested accommodation alter or remove an essential function of the job?
(5)What impact will the requested accommodation or modification have on the department or unit?
The University is not required to provide an accommodation that will have the effect of eliminating anessential function of the job in question nor to provide an accommodation or service which is personalin nature, such as a hearing aid or wheelchair. Furthermore, the University is not required to lowerperformance, production or conduct standards nor to alter attendance requirements expected of allemployees.
e. Step Five – Notification: The Office for Equity and Diversity will provide the employee with written notification of the determination withinfifteen (15) calendar days of receiving the completed request (including the requested documentation). If the determination includes an accommodation, the notice will also include the expected
implementation date. If a situation should arise whereby the Office for Equity and Diversityneeds additional time to assess a request or to provide an accommodation, the employee will be provided with written notification of the status of the request and the proposed date of determination.
4. FUNDING
If the accommodation is deemed appropriate and reasonable, then the department bears the initialresponsibility for funding the accommodation. If the cost is beyond the department’s means, then the supervisor/department head/director should discuss funding the accommodation with the next level in the department’s/office’s reporting line (i.e., dean, head of cost center, etc). If funding issues remain after discussion at the level of dean, head of cost center, etc., then the matter should be addressed with the provost or appropriate vice president.
5. RESOLVING DISAGREEMENTS
a. Informal Process - In the event an employee disagrees with the determination and/or proposed
accommodation, he or she may meet with the Equal Opportunity Officer in the Office for Equity and Diversity, Park Central Office Building Ste. 111, (417)836-4252 (voice), (417) 836-3257 (TTY) or at .
b. Formal Process - The applicable complaint procedure depends on the circumstances and thestatus of the person bringing the complaint. The Office for Equity and Diversity Complaint Procedures are available online at
6. CONFIDENTIALITY AND RECORDS
All University employees have a legal obligation to maintain confidentiality regarding a staff or faculty
member’s disability-related information. To that end, supervisors and representatives from the Office for Equity and Diversity shallprovide information to staff and faculty only when necessary to facilitate accommodations.
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