Georgia Tech is committed to non-discrimination, equal opportunity, and equal access. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and its amendments in 2008 (“ADA”), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (“Section 504”), and applicable state and local law, Georgia Tech provides qualified students with disabilities access to Institutional programs, activities, and services and provides reasonable accommodations, auxiliary aids and services, as appropriate, to ensure equal access to all of the Institute’s programs and activities. Students seeking accommodation are encouraged to contact the Office of Disability Services during the enrollment process, or otherwise as soon as possible, to begin the intake process.

Purpose

Any Georgia Tech student enrolled with the Office of Disability Services (ODS) who believes they have been wrongfully denied reasonable accommodation(s) by the Institute, believes Georgia Tech failed to provide approved reasonable accommodation(s), or has other disability or accommodation-related concerns should follow the steps set forth in this policy.

The ODS Internal Student Appeals policy was developed to address disagreements or denials regarding academic services, accommodations, or modifications to the Institute’s practices or requirements. Situations in which this grievance procedure should be used are:

  • Disagreements regarding the determination of a disability, documentation standards, and/or reasonable accommodations.
  • Difficulty receiving approved accommodations implemented within the classroom.
  • Student complaint regarding failure to accommodate, wrongfully denied reasonable accommodations, or denial of access.

Students are entitled to appeal the decisions regarding their disability eligibility as a person with a disability and any denial of accommodation in accordance with the Appeals process outlined in this document. 

Students with other grievances related to the administration of or access to accommodations are encouraged to first work through the internal grievance process but may go straight to the Institute-level process for matters outside of accommodation decisions, as desired.

Internal Appeals Pathway

Students enrolled with ODS who wish to appeal the denial of a request of accommodations, auxiliary aids, or other modifications should contact the Assistant Director of Disability Services within 10 business days of the denial and provide any additional relevant information to their request.  If the appeal is denied the student can then appeal to the Director of Disability Services. 

Faculty and Staff Appeal

A student who has a grievance and seeks to resolve it informally is encouraged to first attempt to resolve the matter by meeting with the faculty or staff member. The purpose of the meeting is to reach a mutual understanding of the student’s situation and the faculty or staff member’s actions. The student should initiate this discussion as early as possible from the date of the incident being grieved or the date the student was made aware of the incident. If the consultation with the faculty or staff member is unsatisfactory, or if it is impractical to consult with the faculty or staff member, the student should seek the assistance of the Assistant Director of Disability Services to reach a resolution. If a resolution is not found, the Director of Disability Services will consult with the Associate Dean or other offices as appropriate, which may include the Institute ADA Coordinator.  

While the use of the internal resolution process is recommended but not mandatory, early notification of any concerns is helpful in the timeliness of possible resolutions.  

Students can begin the internal process by emailing the Assistant Director of Disability Services at sburman3@gatech.edu with clear and detailed information.  Please see the appeals template for additional instructions.

Institute-level Process 

Any Georgia Tech enrolled student, employee, or visitor who believes they have been discriminated against based on disability (including but not limited to alleged inaccessibility of a Georgia Tech program or activity, disparate treatment, discriminatory impact of any Georgia Tech policy, disability harassment, or retaliation) may seek the assistance of the Office of Equal Opportunity, Compliance and Conflict Management-ADA Compliance (EOCCM) through the filing of a disability grievance. 

Please use the form provided to begin the EOCCM process.