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About ADA

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), building on Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, mandates that: no qualified person with a disability shall, on the basis of disability, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity which receives or benefits from federal financial assistance.

According to federal regulations, otherwise qualified students with documented disabilities are entitled to equal treatment at institutions of higher education, and to reasonable accommodation if needed.

The academic programs at Upstate Medical University, as established by the faculty, represent essential core curricula. Therefore, we expect that each student admitted will be capable of completing the full curriculum of required courses and electives under the established college policies. All students and applicants must be capable of meeting the technical standards for their program of study with or without reasonable accommodation.

Some accommodations can certainly be made for disabilities, but all students must be able to perform in a reasonably independent manner. No disability can be reasonably accommodated with an auxiliary aid or intermediary that provides a selective function, cognitive support, or medical knowledge. Aids and intermediaries also may not substitute for essential clinical skills or supplement clinical and ethical judgment. That is to say, accommodations cannot eliminate, replace or stand in the stead of essential program elements.

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