Reasonable Accommodations Appeals Process

Reasonable Accommodations Appeals Process

Employees who seek to appeal a reasonable accommodations decision made by the disability access team in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion have access to a process that ensures transparency, fairness and compliance with applicable laws and institutional policies.

Appeal Process

  1. Submit Appeal
    Employees must submit appeals of reasonable accommodations decisions within 30 calendar days of the decision date.
  2. Initiate an Appeal
    Employees should contact the ADA coordinator to initiate an appeal by:
    1. Emailing the ADA coordinator or calling 315.443.6162 to schedule a meeting
    1. Providing a copy of the denial letter to the ADA coordinator
  • Appeal Basis
    Employees must identify the basis for their appeal by addressing the following:
    • Were established practices for determining a disability or reasonable accommodation not followed?
    • Was University policy or federal/state disability law not adhered to in determining a disability or reasonable accommodation?
    • Is there new, relevant information that was unavailable when the decision was made?
  • ADA Coordinator Meeting
    The employee will participate in a confidential meeting with the ADA coordinator to:
    • Share their perspective and concerns regarding the decision
    • Specify the assistance requested (e.g., accommodation or recognition of a covered disability)
    • Discuss barriers, limitations and requested accommodations
    • Collaboratively determine if a valid basis for the appeal exists
  • Case Preparation
    If the ADA coordinator determines a valid basis for appeal exists, the following case file documentation will be compiled:
    • Notes from the interactive reasonable accommodations process
    • Documentation of the disability and related information
    • The identified basis for appeal
    • Notes from the ADA coordinator meeting
    • Any new information submitted by the employee
  • Disability Appeals Board Review
    The ADA coordinator will schedule the appeal for review by the disability appeals board, which will:
    • Examine the complete case documentation
    • Evaluate the identified basis for appeal
    • Reach a majority decision on the appeal

Appeal Decision

The ADA coordinator will send the employee a formal decision letter normally within one business day of the appeal board’s decision.

Timeline

The reasonable accommodations appeal process generally requires three to four weeks to complete. Factors beyond the ADA coordinator’s control may extend this timeline.

This process ensures all appeals are managed consistently, fairly and in compliance with University policies and applicable laws.