What We Do
AccessibleNU has four primary functions:- Review documentation and accommodation requests to determine eligibility for academic accommodations.
- Provide, coordinate, and facilitate reasonable accommodations. Reasonable accommodations are individualized and flexible accommodations based on the nature of the disability and the academic environment. They provide equal access, not an unfair advantage.
- Provide outreach and consultation to and serve as a resource for the University community.
- Promote the full inclusion of students with disabilities at Northwestern.
Reasonable accommodations are determined by examining:
- The barriers resulting from the interaction between the documented disability and the campus environment
- The possible accommodations that might remove the barriers
- Whether or not the student has access to the course or program without accommodations
- Whether or not essential elements of the course or program are compromised by the accommodations
Although the great majority of students' accommodation requests are reasonable, AccessibleNU must occasionally invoke its right to:
- Deny a request for an accommodation, academic adjustment, or auxiliary aid or service if appropriate documentation is not provided or if the documentation provided demonstrates that the request is not warranted
- Refuse an accommodation, adjustment, or auxiliary aid that imposes a fundamental alteration of a program or activity of the University
- Select among equally effective accommodations, adjustments, and auxiliary aids and services as opposed to providing exactly what is requested