anonymousdot
New Member
I am facing an academic issue at the moment, and I am wondering if the treatment I am facing has been in compliance with the ADA/Section 504. I will further explain my academic circumstance so that we can determine if it has been. I was a student that transferred to my university and attended it from the fall of 2020 - fall of 2021. I struggled with the transition to a remote format and the isolation period during the pandemic, and I fell into a severe depression in the fall of 2020. Following a period of poor academic performance, I was dismissed. In attempting to return to complete a quarter of readmission, my initial request to return by my major department was denied. After months of discussion, the department allowed me to return to attempt a quarter of readmission in the winter of 2023, and as part of an agreement requested that I provide a letter from a therapist which stated that I was receiving therapy. As I did not meet the readmission standards during this quarter, I was told that I was unable to continue.
My performance for the duration of time prior to my dismissal and during my quarter of attempted readmission was impacted greatly by my moderate to severe depression and OCD, and during the fall of 2020 - spring of 2021, by the pandemic and the abusive household conditions that I was isolated within. I was in a low mental state, and I was in such a state that I was not able to take the steps to better myself such as seek out accommodations, drop courses, or withdrawal from quarters in which I was not doing well. I strongly believe that I would be able to return and complete courses satisfactorily if granted accommodations. My low performance in coursework has often been the result of late and missing work, rather than misunderstanding of material, and being granted accommodations would address this issue. My mental health issues impact my ability to meet deadlines and complete coursework in a timely manner, as they contribute to my having lowered motivation, poor concentration, and high levels of anxiety surrounding deadlines and exam time limits. I have shared this with my university and department. Since my attempt at readmission, I have been trying to gain permission to attempt readmission again to return to my major department, this time with accommodations that account for how my mental health issues impact my academic performance, but I have been denied permission to do so. As a students' ability to continue in a major comes at the jurisdiction of departmental leadership for my major department, I cannot continue without their approval. I am wondering if the department's treatment of me has been in violation of the ADA/Section 504, which I understand protects students from being mistreated or excluded from spaces as a result of their disabilities. While I take accountability for the grades I have earned, during my time at my university I had moderate to severe depression which presented itself in ways that greatly impacted my academic performance. I have tried explaining countless times to my department that I was impacted by my mental health to an extent that I was not able to perform well. My mental health issues were not accommodated for. While I know it is my responsibility to seek accommodations, I was in such a poor mental state that it was difficult for me to make the effort to seek them out.
I am not sure that the department's refusal to allow me to attempt a quarter of readmission, this time with accommodations, is in accordance with the ADA/Section 504. They are basing their refusal to allow me to continue under the basis of grades that I had received when I was struggling with significant mental health issues without accommodations. They have expressed to me that they believe I will fail courses within their department if I were to continue and that they no longer have space that they would like to allocate towards me, and that they do not think their decision is inequitable. I do not think I have been treated in a just way, and I do not think that they view depression as a condition that can impact a student in a way to the extent that I was impacted. I believe factors such as inattentiveness are being viewed as incapability to perform.
In speaking with my campus ADA officer, I understood that they could not share with me if disability discrimination has occurred as this is a determination that would require a thorough investigation. It was shared however, that the department's knowledge of my mental conditions (and being presented documentation of my depression and OCD) prior to my attempting readmission, and still choosing not to refer me towards seek accommodations may work against them. I also understand in reading about the ADA/Section 504 that it is a student's responsibility to seek accommodations; however, as explained earlier, I was in a particularly poor mental state and did not make the effort to do this during times in which I was struggling with severe depression. I would be grateful if I could gain a greater understanding of whether or not their treatment of me has been in compliance with the ADA/Section 504. I am willing to answer questions if requested.
My performance for the duration of time prior to my dismissal and during my quarter of attempted readmission was impacted greatly by my moderate to severe depression and OCD, and during the fall of 2020 - spring of 2021, by the pandemic and the abusive household conditions that I was isolated within. I was in a low mental state, and I was in such a state that I was not able to take the steps to better myself such as seek out accommodations, drop courses, or withdrawal from quarters in which I was not doing well. I strongly believe that I would be able to return and complete courses satisfactorily if granted accommodations. My low performance in coursework has often been the result of late and missing work, rather than misunderstanding of material, and being granted accommodations would address this issue. My mental health issues impact my ability to meet deadlines and complete coursework in a timely manner, as they contribute to my having lowered motivation, poor concentration, and high levels of anxiety surrounding deadlines and exam time limits. I have shared this with my university and department. Since my attempt at readmission, I have been trying to gain permission to attempt readmission again to return to my major department, this time with accommodations that account for how my mental health issues impact my academic performance, but I have been denied permission to do so. As a students' ability to continue in a major comes at the jurisdiction of departmental leadership for my major department, I cannot continue without their approval. I am wondering if the department's treatment of me has been in violation of the ADA/Section 504, which I understand protects students from being mistreated or excluded from spaces as a result of their disabilities. While I take accountability for the grades I have earned, during my time at my university I had moderate to severe depression which presented itself in ways that greatly impacted my academic performance. I have tried explaining countless times to my department that I was impacted by my mental health to an extent that I was not able to perform well. My mental health issues were not accommodated for. While I know it is my responsibility to seek accommodations, I was in such a poor mental state that it was difficult for me to make the effort to seek them out.
I am not sure that the department's refusal to allow me to attempt a quarter of readmission, this time with accommodations, is in accordance with the ADA/Section 504. They are basing their refusal to allow me to continue under the basis of grades that I had received when I was struggling with significant mental health issues without accommodations. They have expressed to me that they believe I will fail courses within their department if I were to continue and that they no longer have space that they would like to allocate towards me, and that they do not think their decision is inequitable. I do not think I have been treated in a just way, and I do not think that they view depression as a condition that can impact a student in a way to the extent that I was impacted. I believe factors such as inattentiveness are being viewed as incapability to perform.
In speaking with my campus ADA officer, I understood that they could not share with me if disability discrimination has occurred as this is a determination that would require a thorough investigation. It was shared however, that the department's knowledge of my mental conditions (and being presented documentation of my depression and OCD) prior to my attempting readmission, and still choosing not to refer me towards seek accommodations may work against them. I also understand in reading about the ADA/Section 504 that it is a student's responsibility to seek accommodations; however, as explained earlier, I was in a particularly poor mental state and did not make the effort to do this during times in which I was struggling with severe depression. I would be grateful if I could gain a greater understanding of whether or not their treatment of me has been in compliance with the ADA/Section 504. I am willing to answer questions if requested.
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