If you’re a University of Michigan student with a disability, you deserve a level academic playing field. That applies to anyone with a physical disability, like vision impairment. It applies to those with learning disabilities, like ADHD. The law gives you that level playing field. Both the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibit discrimination and harassment against persons with disabilities, and they guarantee you the right to equal treatment in the classroom.
Does that mean you’ll always get the materials and services you need? Unfortunately, no. Plenty of faculty and students at UM simply don’t understand access issues well enough to make sure you have the right resources. Worse, there are people out there who feel like the law gives students with disabilities unfair advantages. That means it’s sometimes necessary for you to stand up and demand your rights from those who refuse to follow the law.
You don’t have to do that alone.
The LLF National Law Firm’s Education Law Team was founded to protect student rights. We know how difficult it can be to be a college student these days. Just navigating campus bureaucracy can be a full-time job. You certainly don’t have time to deal with prejudice, discrimination, and instructors who can’t be bothered to do their jobs. Whatever your situation, we’re on your side and ready to help. We know the law, we know the UM system, and we’ll use every resource at our disposal to make sure you’re treated fairly.
We can’t help if you don’t contact us, though. To find out more about what we can do for you, call 888-535-3686,or take a few minutes right now and fill out one of our online forms.
Accessing Disability Services
The Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) office coordinates all of UM’s efforts to provide students with university access and accommodations. SSD offers paratransit services, for example, maintains an adaptive sports and fitness program, and keeps students with disabilities up to date on scholarship opportunities.
In addition, SSD handles all classroom accommodation requests. If you’re new to UM, it’s a good idea to begin the process as early as possible. That involves,
- Receiving your UMID number and U-M email address;
- Submitting an Initial Information Form online;
- Scheduling a welcome meeting with an SSD coordinator;
- Meeting with the coordinator to discuss your disability and your history of accommodations.
If possible, you should bring documentation with you to your welcome meeting to help guide the discussion. The Education Law Team attorney knows what to expect and can help you with paperwork and with organizing your materials. Should your coordinator raise any questions about your disability, we’re always ready to step in and make sure those get resolved quickly.
In addition, we can help you work out any disagreements over your accommodation requests. It sometimes happens that a coordinator denies a request for an accommodation you genuinely need. We don’t mind advocating on your behalf. We are skilled negotiators, but we can also be fierce when it comes to protecting our clients’ interests.
The main thing to remember as you go through this process is that you deserve appropriate accommodations, and the law says you have a right to them. You may have to speak up or even demand these rights, and if you’re new to UM, that may be a new experience for you. You don’t have to do it alone, though. The LLF National Law Firm is on your side.
Invisible Disabilities
All disabilities present their own unique challenges. Every student with disabilities has their own individual needs. If you’re dealing with an “invisible” disability, like ADHD or autism, one of those challenges can be getting noticed in the first place. Your elementary and high schools may have tested every student. That doesn’t happen in college. If you don’t self-identify, it’s entirely possible no one will ever know you have a disability.
Even if you have gone through the SSD accommodation process and have letters for your instructors, invisible disabilities still sometimes get overlooked. Faculty sometimes lose track of accommodations over the course of a semester. They might forget to provide you with extra time on assignments or neglect to send an exam to testing services. Generally, SSD handles problems like these. However, the Education Law Team is always ready to add additional pressure when necessary. In addition, we can help remind SSD of its responsibilities any time you feel like you’re not getting the treatment you deserve.
The fact is, invisible disabilities can sometimes be invisible even to those who have them. If you’re struggling to keep your GPA up, though, or you have trouble in certain kinds of courses or on certain kinds of assignments, it could be that the key to your academic success is an accurate diagnosis. If that’s the case, the Education Law Team will make sure you get properly tested. We can handle documentation issues and encourage SSD to get accommodations in place quickly for you.
You should also know that if you discover you have a previously undiagnosed learning disability, you have a right to ask UM to drop low grades from your transcript. Even when you don’t know you have a disability, the law still protects you. You can always go back and retake a course for replacement credit if it turns out you were taking that class with a significant disadvantage.
Formal Grievance Processes
Most disputes over accessibility can be handled through informal negotiations. In fact, most faculty and administrators will immediately work to solve issues the moment those issues are brought to their attention.
However, it is worth knowing that you also have some formal options for demanding your rights.
- Resolving Accommodation Disputes: Any time SSD refuses to issue an accommodation you feel you deserve, you are entitled to appeal that decision. This process starts with talking directly with your assigned coordinator. Should that fail to resolve the matter, you can appeal further to SSD leadership and, ultimately, to the university’s ADA Coordinator.
- You should also contact the ADA Coordinator if you feel anyone at the university has violated your Civil Rights as a person with a disability.
- UM maintains a lengthy list of Student Rights and Responsibilities. If you’re facing harassment from other students, you can file a complaint with the Office of Student Conflict Resolution. This office conducts investigations, facilitates resolution conferences, and holds hearings when necessary.
Whatever route you take, your LLF National Law Firm attorney can help you prepare your case. We are familiar with all university policies and procedures. We can show you how to use rules and regulations to your advantage, and we’re always ready to advocate on your behalf.
Disciplinary Misconduct Allegations
Like any other student at the university, students with disabilities can also be the subjects of misconduct complaints. The UM disciplinary system can present special challenges for students with disabilities, though.
First, it does happen that students wind up charged with offenses as a direct result of their disabilities. Tourette’s can be mistaken for class disruption; ADHD can be mistaken for inattention. Similarly, students with disabilities sometimes find themselves charged with misconduct simply for demanding their rights or defending themselves from mistreatment.
Once you’ve been charged, you can face more difficulties. The UM disciplinary system sometimes presents its own accessibility issues. Just as with academics, though, you have a right to a fair playing field during investigations and hearings, whatever accommodations that might require.
Again, we are here to help, whatever your particular situation. We’ve helped hundreds of students defend themselves from all types of misconduct charges. Whether you need help gathering evidence, you’re looking for coaching in how to respond to investigators, or you just want someone to give you feedback on the strength of your case, we’re on your side. The University of Michigan doesn’t allow you legal “representation.” You’re expected to speak for yourself. It’s our job, though, to make sure you’re completely ready to do that. We’ll make sure the university respects all of your due process rights and that you get the best possible resolution to your case.
Trust the LLF National Law Firm
It’s hard enough for any student to get fair treatment from a university like the University of Michigan. Institutions can be a complicated tangle of rules and regulations. When you’re a student with a disability, it can be particularly challenging to convince faculty and administrators to honor your rights. Even just ensuring your professors treat your disability confidentially can be difficult.
You don’t have to deal with your university alone, though. Whatever disability issue you might be dealing with at the University of Michigan, the LLF National Law Firm’s Educational Law Team is here to help. We know what to expect from colleges and universities, and we’re always on your side, whatever the situation. You can count on us to use every resource at our disposal to ensure you the best possible outcome.
It’s unfortunate, but sometimes, you have to fight for your educational rights. You don’t have to do that alone, though. To find out more about how we can help, contact the LLF National Law Firm today at 888-535-3686 or fill out our online questionnaire.