Page 10 - HEC - POLICY FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES AT

5. PROCESS FOR REQUESTING REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS

5.1. The HEIs shall provide reasonable accommodations to students with disabilities whenever
necessary to encourage their participation in higher education including in classrooms, libraries,
laboratories, cafeterias and sports centers. The website of the HEI and other web- based
services such as student portals, LMS etc. shall accordingly conform to level AA of the Web
Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).

5.2. It is important to note that the duty of HEIs to provide support and necessary accommodations
to students with disabilities is an anticipatory duty. In other words, the HEIs should have
preparedness to offer reasonable accommodations to students and should not wait to initiate
action until requested.

5.3. All students will be informed about options to request reasonable accommodations
commensurate with their need during the orientation session. Students with disabilities will
be offered an assessment of their study and support needs at the earliest opportunity,
preferably before they enroll, or shortly after the commencement of their program. As
evidence of their disability for the purposes of this assessment, the Accessibility Committee
may rely on a medical certificate from a registered medical practitioner, documenting the
disability and the need for any accommodations.

5.4. At the commencement of each course, staff* shall also clearly inform the students that any
student who, because of a disability, may require special accommodations in order to meet the
course requirements should contact the instructor or the Disability Coordinators as soon as
possible so that requisite arrangements can be made. Faculty are encouraged to use textbooks
that are available in alternate format. It may not be necessary to rewrite a course to
accommodate students with disabilities; simply modifying the presentation of materials may
make it fully accessible.

5.5. It is important to note that in making its assessment, the Accessibility Committee will strive to
understand and recommend reasonable accommodations specifically focusing on the needs
of the individual student rather than recommending generic accommodations that may apply
to a certain category a disability. Once an assessment has been conducted, the Accessibility
Committee shall forward its directions to the relevant implementing authority, provided that
in case of any accommodations that are directly related to examinations and assessments (i.e.
listed under Section 6.2), approval of the competent authority designated by the HEI shall be
required before implementation.

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