Category: Personnel
Covered Individuals: All CEI Employees
Approved: 2023-04-25
Formerly Approved: 11/13/2019
123.1 Policy
CEI is committed to complying with the requirements of Titles I and II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”), as amended, as well as Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of a disability in employment, admissions, and in participation of all programs, activities and services provided by CEI. Further, CEI provides reasonable accommodations to qualified employees or applicants with a disability unless the provision of the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on CEI. In addition, reasonable accommodations will be made for all students to ensure equal access to student courses, services, and activities.
123.2 Procedures
Individuals with a disability who have questions about accessibility, need a reasonable accommodation, or a modification of policies or procedures to participate in a program, service or activity of CEI, should contact:
CEI will generally, upon a request, provide appropriate aids and services for qualified persons with disabilities so they can participate equally in CEI’s programs, services and activities.
CEI will make all reasonable modifications to policies and programs to ensure that qualified individuals with a disability have an equal opportunity to enjoy all its programs, services and activities. For example, an individual with a documented hearing impairment may receive an accommodation to ensure equal access, such as captioning or interpretation services, depending upon the needed circumstances.
CEI will not place a surcharge on any individual with a disability or any group of individuals with disabilities to cover the cost of compliance measures. Accordingly, CEI will not place a surcharge on the provision of auxiliary aids/services, or other reasonable accommodations nor will it place a surcharge on reasonable modifications of policy or procedures.
Service Animals
Trained service animals are allowed in campus buildings. Service animals must be harnessed, leashed, or tethered, unless such devices interfere with the service animal’s work or the individual’s disability prevents using these devices. In that case, the individual must maintain in control of the animal through voice, signal, or other effective controls.
“Service animals” are defined as dogs or, in certain instances, miniature horses that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability. Service animals may perform tasks that include, but are not limited to, guiding individuals with impaired vision, alerting individuals with impaired hearing to intruders or sounds, providing minimal protection or rescue work, pulling a wheelchair, or fetching dropped items. Service animals work to assist the handler and are not considered pets.
Comfort, support, and therapy animals are not considered a service animal. As such, only service animals will be allowed in campus buildings.
Responsibilities of Service Animals and Their Partners/Handlers
The partner/handler shall be in control of the service animal at all times. If the service animal is unruly, disruptive or poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others, the college may ask the partner/handler to remove the service animal. Each situation will be considered on a case-by-case basis. If the dispute cannot be settled by the partner/handler and the disability resources and services coordinator, a grievance may be filed with the dean of student affairs or the Human Resources office, depending upon the case.
Rights and Responsibilities of the College
Rights and Responsibilities of the Individuals with Disabilities
We each have an obligation to be supportive of our CEI students and employees to help create a welcoming and safe environment at the college. These guidelines are designed to show the ways in which the CEI community, individually and institutionally, can be supportive of someone with a disability.