What kinds of accommodations might be unreasonable?

First, accommodations must not jeopardize the health or safety of the student or others. Second, accommodations must not create an undue hardship to the institution. However, these are generally administrative decisions.

Third, most applicable to faculty, is how accommodations relate to academic integrity. The key is to identify the critical skills and knowledge that a course or academic program is intended to teach. This relates to what is called essential skills or essential functions. Essential skills are the skills that an individual must have to be competent in the program. Esperanza’s professor determined that the skills learned in the lab were essential. Therefore, it would be unreasonable to waive the lab.

Every program of study is designed to teach a set of essential skills and knowledge. To waive a course or a course activity designed to teach these skills would compromise the integrity of the curriculum, the student’s chances for a successful career, and would violate the intent of the law.

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