A student threatened to sue the University of Northern Iowa after Student Disability Services allegedly would not allow him to put in a request for a class waiver.
Ben Christensen, senior political science major, said UNI violated his civil rights by not offering to provide him with equal accommodations after a recent disability diagnosis.
SDS Coordinator Ashley Brickley said the center provides reasonable accommodation. This means students diagnosed with disabilities will have equal access to class information and assignments through the decreasing or removal of barriers.
“The main thing is to try to make sure students have that equal access to that information,” Brickley said.Christensen, who was diagnosed with dysgraphia, a writing disability, requested that SDS waive the foreign languages requirement, which UNI requires all students to fulfill.
According to Christensen, SDS denied his request before he left the room because the foreign languages requirement for students is a policy. “When I put in the request for a waiver the original request was never even considered,” said Christensen.
SDS ignored his request for a class waiver until he threatened to take legal action, said Christensen. SDS then offered a substitution option instead.
The first substitution offered by SDS included one 3000 level course and one 4000 level course. Christensen said he did not think this offer was equal, because the university’s foreign languages requirement consists of two 1000 level courses, which are less intensive.
SDS could not comment on the individual case, Brickley said, but did talk about the process students normally go through with SDS.
A student with a disability must provide documentation and register with SDS before receiving accommodations through the university. Brickley said students will be provided with reasonable accommodation by SDS.
Christensen said he registered with SDS in December 2013 and put in a request for a waiver for his foreign language requirement in March 2014.
“Not accepting my request and considering it and just intentionally pushing me to a different option is a violation of my rights. It’s called ‘counseling to lesser option’ and it’s illegal.” Christensen said. “If a person is looking at something as their objective or goal you have to consider all options to achieve that goal before moving to a lesser option”
Brickley said cases are based on the individual’s needs. The second time, Christensen was offered, and accepted, two 1000 level courses, which Christensen said is an equal offering to the foreign languages requirement he wanted waived.
While Christensen said he advocated for this policy to be changed, April Chatham-Carpenter, who was in charge of Christensen’s case, said there has been no policy change.
“You have to learn to advocate for yourself if you have a disability,” Christensen said. “The system will not give you what you deserve. It will not give you your rights, you have to demand them. And then you have to stand your ground.”
