To assist UTI in evaluating requests for accommodations, students with disabilities who seek modifications must provide documentation of the reported disability to the Director of Student Services or designee. Students should provide the following:
- Copies of any IEP and Section 504 or other individualized plans. The Student Services Department will evaluate these documents on a case‑by‑case basis; however, additional and more current documentation may be required; or
- Signed and dated certification that is on letterhead from an appropriately licensed health care provider, which:
- Describes any physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity;
- Identifies the major life activity(ies) impacted;
- Describes how the impairment affects the student’s ability to participate in UTI’s courses, programs, services and/or activities; and
- Specifically describes any accommodation or modification recommended and the relationship between the requested modification and the impairment.
If UTI requires additional documentation, the Student Services Department will notify the student. Upon request, students may be required to provide the Director of Student Services or designee with the following from an appropriately licensed or credentialed professional that is on letterhead, dated, and signed:
- An evaluation by an appropriately licensed or credentialed professional stating the nature of the impairment and the current impact of the impairment on the student’s ability to participate in postsecondary educational programs and services (also known as “functional limitations”).
- A list of recommended accommodations for the student and an explanation of the relationship between the requested accommodations and the impairment.
Students bear the cost of obtaining this documentation. Some students may not need documentation if the disability is permanent, observable, and stable. Documentation provided must be current, generally less than three years old. For conditions that are more permanent, documentation may be less recent. However, more current documentation may be required for chronic or changing conditions. Please consult with the Student Services Department about the need for, and appropriateness of, documentation.
Requests for certain accommodations such as note takers, sign language interpreters, and course materials in alternative format may take several weeks to fulfill. Students should obtain necessary documentation 6‑8 weeks in advance of the applicable start date to avoid delays in participating in UTI’s programs and activities.
UTI will give primary consideration to the auxiliary aid or service that a student requests but may decide to provide alternative aids or services if they are equally effective. In addition, an effective alternative may be provided if the requested auxiliary aid or service would fundamentally alter the nature of a service, program or activity.
UTI delivers conceptual topics through web‑based training experiences that may include video lectures, digital lesson presentations, computer interactive online learning modules, and technology‑enabled student/instructor interactions such as threaded discussions and progress analysis assignments. Qualified individuals with a disability may require auxiliary aids and services to afford equal access and provide an equal opportunity to benefit from this method of education. Captioning, for example, may be necessary and required to make audio and audiovisual information and communication accessible.
Students Who Are Deaf or Hard Of Hearing and are Requesting Accommodations
An IEP or Section 504 plan generally will be sufficient to establish the need for accommodations. However, additional information may be required to determine the appropriate accommodations to be provided. The Student Services Department will make this determination on a case‑by‑case basis. Upon request, students should provide documentation to support a request for accommodations from appropriate professionals qualified to diagnose and treat hearing impairments, such as audiologists, otolaryngologists, and other speech/hearing specialists.
Documentation should be on letterhead and include:
- The credential of the professional providing the evaluation;
- A diagnosis of deafness or hearing loss and a statement regarding whether the student’s hearing is static or changing;
- A discussion of the student’s condition and current level of functioning, and how it may impact the student in a postsecondary educational environment;
- Specific recommendations for accommodations in the academic setting that explain how the recommendations are related to the student’s current functional limitations; and
- A summary of assessment procedures and evaluation instruments used to diagnose the student and a narrative summarizing the evaluation results (for students with permanent, lifelong impairments such as deafness, documentation may not need to be as recent).
Special Note for Students Attending Manufacturer‑Paid Training Programs
Students attending manufacturer‑paid training programs are eligible to request disability‑related accommodations by following the procedure outlined in the ADA/504 policy, unless otherwise noted in this paragraph. To request an accommodation, UTI graduates who have an existing accommodation plan should contact the Director of Program Compliance at 800‑859‑7249 or jramirez@uti.edu. The Director of Program Compliance will review the accommodation request on file as well as the accommodation plan prepared previously. An individualized evaluation of the student’s needs, and the nature and requirements of the manufacturer‑paid training program will occur to determine the accommodations the student is eligible to receive and to ensure the student remains eligible to receive previously granted accommodations. The Director of Program Compliance will review the plan with the student, including any necessary modifications. As described above, students are responsible for providing the plan to the instructor. Students entering these programs from other schools and UTI graduates who do not have a prior accommodation plan must submit an accommodation request and required paperwork to the Director of Program Compliance, as outlined in the ADA/504 policy.
Manufacturer‑paid training programs may also include video lectures, digital lesson presentations, computer interactive online learning modules, and technology‑enabled student/ instructor interactions such as threaded discussions and progress analysis assignments. Qualified individuals with a disability may require auxiliary aids and services to afford equal access and provide an equal opportunity to benefit from this method of education. Captioning, for example, may be necessary and required to make audio and audiovisual information and communication accessible.