Grievances and Concerns
The Disability Resource Center (DRC) determines eligibility for disability-related accommodations and works with students, instructors, and campus partners to coordinate approved accommodations. We recognize that students and instructors may sometimes have questions or concerns about an accommodation decision or its implementation.
Student Accommodation Decisions
If you have questions about an accommodation decision, we encourage you to begin by contacting your assigned Access Consultant. Your Access Consultant can explain the decision, answer questions, and discuss whether additional information may be helpful.
If you believe a requested accommodation was denied in error, you may submit a DRC Informal Accommodation Appeal. You may also choose to submit a Formal Accommodation Concern to Purdue University’s Office for Civil Rights.
Choosing a review process
You may choose either the DRC’s informal appeal process or the University’s formal concern process. You are not required to complete an informal appeal before submitting a formal concern.
The two processes do not occur at the same time. If you submit a Formal Accommodation Concern while a DRC Informal Accommodation Appeal is pending, the informal appeal will be closed and further review will occur through the Office for Civil Rights.
DRC Informal Accommodation Appeal
An Informal Accommodation Appeal asks the Senior Director of the DRC to review whether the original accommodation decision was appropriate based on the information available to the Access Consultant when the decision was made.
Deadline
An Informal Accommodation Appeal must be submitted within 10 calendar days of the accommodation decision.
Before submitting an appeal
- The student must submit the appeal. Appeals submitted by another person on the student’s behalf will not be considered.
- An appeal does not guarantee that the accommodation decision will change.
- The appeal is limited to the accommodation decision identified in the appeal.
- The review may include the student’s appeal statement, documentation, clinical information, the original decision, and relevant academic or campus circumstances.
- The DRC may contact the student or Access Consultant for clarification.
- Accommodations cannot be applied retroactively.
New documentation or information
An appeal reviews the original decision based on the information that was available when the decision was made. If you submit new documentation or information that was not previously available to your Access Consultant, the appeal will be closed and the new information will be referred to your Access Consultant for review through the interactive process.
If a new accommodation decision is made after that review and you disagree with the decision, you may submit a new appeal within 10 calendar days of the new decision.
Formal Accommodation Concern
You may submit a Formal Accommodation Concern to Purdue University’s Office for Civil Rights instead of using the DRC’s informal appeal process. You may also submit a formal concern if you remain dissatisfied after receiving an informal appeal decision.
Deadline
- If you do not first complete a DRC Informal Accommodation Appeal, the formal concern must be submitted within 10 calendar days of the original accommodation decision.
- If you first complete the DRC’s informal appeal process, the formal concern must be submitted within 10 calendar days of the date the informal appeal decision is shared with you.
Submitting both forms
Submitting both forms at the same time does not result in two simultaneous reviews. Once a Formal Accommodation Concern is submitted, any pending DRC Informal Accommodation Appeal will be closed.
The student must submit the Formal Accommodation Concern. Submitting a concern will not interrupt accommodations that have already been approved and implemented.
Concerns About Implementation
If you believe an approved accommodation is not being provided as agreed, contact your Access Consultant as soon as possible. The DRC will work with you, your instructor, and other appropriate campus partners to understand the concern and address any access barriers.
Concerns about implementation are different from appeals of accommodation decisions. An informal appeal asks the DRC to review a decision to deny an accommodation. An implementation concern involves an accommodation that has already been approved but may not be provided as outlined.
You may also submit a Formal Accommodation Concern to Purdue University’s Office for Civil Rights within 10 calendar days of the date you believe an approved accommodation was not provided as agreed.
Report a Physical Barrier on Campus
Purdue University is committed to equal access to its programs, services, activities, and facilities. If you encounter a physical barrier on campus, you may submit a report for review by the appropriate university office.
You are not required to provide your contact information. If you provide contact information, the reviewing office may contact you for additional details and provide updates about the reported barrier.
More Information
Additional information about Purdue University’s accommodation processes is available through the following policies:
Contact Us
Phone: (765) 494-1247
Email: drc@purdue.edu
YONG Room 830
155 S. Grant St.
West Lafayette, IN 47907