Policies and Procedures
Equipment Loan Policy and Procedure
Policy
The Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD) maintains a wide variety of assistive technologies which students with documented disabilities may borrow on a semester-by-semester basis. Technologies may include assistive listening devices such as frequency modulated systems (FM Systems), portable word processors, microcassette recorder, etc. Requests to borrow such equipment are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and if approved, every effort will be made to provide the specific technology/equipment requested by the student. However, reasonable accommodations depend upon the nature of the documented disability. While the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 requires that priority consideration be given to the specific methods requested by the student, it does not imply that a particular accommodation must be granted if it is deemed not reasonable and other suitable techniques are available.
Equipment loans are short term, in most cases for one semester. Equipment may be provided for classroom use, fieldwork, meetings with faculty members, and for any activity directly related to a student’s academic program. If appropriate, the Center will arrange a training session between the student and CSD technology assistant for instruction on the use of the technology. The Center may also refer students to other campus resources (i.e., Speech and Hearing Clinic) for training on the use of the equipment. Students are responsible for maintaining the equipment and returning it to the Center at the end of the loan period. Failure to return the equipment by the end of the loan may result in financial and academic-related consequences such as late fees, the withholding of transcripts, inability to register for classes, etc. Equipment should be returned in good working order other than normal wear and tear. Students are responsible for replacing the equipment or reimbursing the Center for the repairs or cost of the equipment if it is lost or damaged due to negligent or improper use.
If you have any questions regarding the equipment loan policy and procedure, please contact Wade Gibbs, Program Assistant, at (860) 486-2020 or Wade.Gibbs@uconn.edu.
Procedure
- Students requesting to loan assistive technology should complete a brief student intake packet at the Center (Wilbur Cross Building, Room 204).
- Submit appropriate documentation regarding the disability to the Center. Documentation must be current, in most cases within three years of the current date, and must be submitted by a qualified professional who is not a family member. In an effort to assist students and practitioners, the CSD has developed documentation guidelines to identify important information which will assist the CSD in determining reasonable accommodations. Documentation guidelines are available at: http://www.csd.uconn.edu/documentation_guidelines.html.
- A professional staff member will review the request in a timely manner and contact the student via e-mail regarding the outcome. If the request is approved, the student will meet with the designated professional in order to discuss the specific equipment and terms of the loan.
- Complete and sign an Equipment Loan Agreement form which outlines the terms of the loan.