Office of the President

Accessibility and Nondiscrimination Policy Regarding Individuals with Disabilities

Executive Memorandum 07-009 Revised August 21, 2013

This Executive Memorandum has been superseded by 24-009 .

From: Paul J. Zingg, President

Subject: EM 07-009 Accessibility and Nondiscrimination Policy Regarding Individuals with Disabilities

On the recommendation of the Academic Senate and with the approval of Cabinet, I approve the revisions to EM 07-009.

STATEMENT OF POLICY AND AUTHORITY

A. California State University, Chico is committed to providing accessible programs, services, and activities, and/or reasonable accommodations to people with disabilities, including students, faculty, staff, and members of the general public who visit or attend a campus-sponsored event. Implementation of this policy is guided by CSU EO 926 and the Accessible Technology Initiative AA-2013-03 and is in accordance with applicable federal laws including, but not limited to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990; 42 U.S.C. § 12101 et seq.; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, 29 U.S.C § 794 et. seq.; and applicable state laws including but not limited to the California Fair Employment and Housing Act, Government Code § 12940 et. seq. and California Education Code §§ 67302 and 67310 – 67313.

B. The authority and responsibility for assuring compliance with this policy rests with the University President.

C. It is a violation of this policy to dismiss, discharge, expel, penalize, discipline, harass, alter academic grades, or otherwise discriminate against any student, faculty, or staff member because he/she has opposed any discriminatory practice, filed an internal or external complaint of discrimination, or testified or assisted in any proceeding in accordance with this policy. See also EM 12-043 Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation Policy

IMPLEMENTATION

  1. All employees and departments are responsible for implementation and compliance with this policy
  2. Implementation and compliance is delegated to the Human Resources Service Center for staff employees; the Academic Personnel Office for faculty and Student Judicial Affairs for students.
  3. Human Resources Services Center is responsible for oversight of complaints of violations of this Policy.
  4. Information and assistance with accessibility or reasonable accommodations for faculty, staff, students, and visitors may be obtained from the ADA Coordinator at the Accessibility Resource Center.

EMPLOYEES

  1. CSU, Chico is committed to maintaining a work environment free of disability discrimination and to providing reasonable accommodation in compliance with state and federal laws, regulations, and systemwide policies. Moreover, retaliation against individuals who have or are believed to have filed a discrimination complaint, opposed a discriminatory act, or participated in a discrimination investigation or proceeding is prohibited.
  2. Reasonable accommodation is to be provided upon request from an employee or applicant with disabilities, unless doing so would impose an undue hardship on the university. What constitutes a reasonable accommodation is to be determined by the university on a case-by-case basis after it has received the individual’s request for accommodation and engaged in an interactive process with the individual to identify the nature and extent of the individual’s restrictions and the appropriate accommodation that would enable the individual to perform the essential duties of his/her job. Reasonable accommodation may begin prior to the extension of a job offer to provide an applicant access to the application and interviewing processes.

STUDENTS

  1. Academic programs, services, and activities related to the curricular, co-curricular, or extra-curricular activities of the University shall be accessible to all students, including students with disabilities.
  2. Key strategic requirements for ensuring accessibility include:
  3. Timely adoption of textbooks and other instructional materials, including identification of instructional materials for late-hire faculty.
  4. Faculty use of learning management system (or non-learning management system) course websites.
  5. Incorporation of accessibility requirements in the adoption process for all multimedia-based instructional resources.
  6. Incorporation of accessibility requirements in curricular review processes.
  7. Providing support to faculty in selecting, authoring, and delivering accessible instructional materials.
  8. Students who require specific reasonable accommodations to participate in academic programs, services and activities, must register with Accessibility Resource Center. Reasonable accommodations are determined and implemented on an individual case by case basis in collaboration with ARC.

VISITORS

A. CSU, Chico makes its programs, services, and activities accessible to the members of the public with disabilities who visit or attend a campus-sponsored event. At University-sponsored events, CSU, Chico will provide reasonable accommodations to members of the general public with disabilities unless doing so would create an undue hardship as described by law or cause a fundamental alteration of the program, activity, or service.

B. Members of the public should inquire about accessibility and/or accommodations and make requests for specific events to the program or department sponsoring the event or activity. Requests for accommodations should be made at least one week prior to the event. All event announcements and marketing material must include a contact for requesting accommodations.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

  1. CSU, Chico will make information technology resources and services accessible to all students, faculty, staff and the general public regardless of disability. Information Technology refers to all programs and services provided to students, faculty, staff, and
  2. the general public through computer or electronic media. This includes, but is not limited to computer and network access and services, computer-delivered or enhanced instruction, library electronic information resources and services, campus informational web sites, computer-delivered or assisted administrative services, and voice and video programs and services.
  3. Technology access for individuals with disabilities must provide comparable functionality, affordability, and timeliness and should be delivered in as seamless a manner as possible.

PHYSICAL ACCESSIBILITY

  1. CSU, Chico strives for a barrier-free environment, supportive of universal access, through major capital outlay renovation projects and minor capital outlay correction projects. All new construction and renovation work shall be designed to be compliant with Title 24 of the California State Building Code (accessibility standards), written to be compliant with the ADA Guidelines.