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Americans with Disabilities Act

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 were established in order to provide a clear comprehensive national mandate for the elimination of discrimination against individuals with disabilities. Specifically, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 created civil rights to individuals with disabilities.

ADA-Accessible Routes Map for Morgantown Campuses

Youth Program / Event ADA Accommodation Request Form

What is Section 504 and the ADA of 1990?

Section 504 provides that no qualified individual with a disability should, only by reason of his or her disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance. 

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 prohibits discrimination solely on the basis of disability in employment, public services, and accommodations. The person must be otherwise qualified for the program, service or job. The ADA requires the provision of reasonable effective accommodations for eligible faculty, staff, students, and visitors across WVU’s programs, activities, and services. 


Obligations Under ADA

You have the right to participate in WVU programming. Period. This means the University must, when reasonable:

  • Remove any existing physical barriers
  • Provide accessible transportation
  • Provide ongoing education and training on disability-related matters
  • Enforce educational accommodations, and
  • Ensure compliance with employment practices

The University follows the guidelines of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, GINA and current case law.

If you're visiting WVU and would like information about campus accessibility and services, please contact our ADA Coordinator at ada@mail.wvu.edu or by phone at 304-293-4750.

In general, an accommodation is any change in the work environment or in the way things are customarily done that enables an individual with a disability to enjoy equal opportunities.

If an employee has a disability and requires an accommodation, the employer must provide a reasonable accommodation, unless the accommodation poses an undue hardship or direct threat issue. An accommodation is not considered reasonable if it removes essential functions of the employee’s job.

Educational accommodations for WVU students are provided by the Office of Student Accommodations. For more information, please visit their website or contact them directly by calling 304-293-6700 or emailing access2@mail.wvu.edu

There are three categories of reasonable accommodations:

  1. Modifications or adjustments to a job application process that enable a qualified applicant with a disability to be considered for the position such qualified applicant desires; or
  2. Modifications or adjustments to the work environment, or to the manner or circumstances under which the position held or desired is customarily performed, that enable a qualified individual with a disability to perform the essential functions of that position; or
  3. Modifications or adjustments that enable a covered entity's employee with a disability to enjoy equal benefits and privileges of employment as are enjoyed by its other similarly situated employees without disabilities."

To be eligible for a reasonable accommodation under the ADA, you must have an impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, or a record of such an impairment.

You may be referred to the ADA Coordinator to engage in the interactive process of accommodations in various manners: by self-referral, from your supervisor, or from Talent and Culture and/or Medical Management, any of whom may contact the ADA Coordinator directly.

Except for Medical Management, medical information will not be shared without your permission. Restrictions, limitations, and accommodations may be discussed with necessary supervisory staff and Talent and Culture representatives in order to implement accommodations and is only shared as a matter of business necessity. When necessary, for environmental, health and safety, and legal matters, employee accommodation information may be shared with persons who will treat such disclosed information confidentially.

To obtain WVU ADA accessible parking in WVU parking areas, you must provide the ADA Coordinator (by fax to 304-293-8279 or via .pdf to ada@mail.wvu.edu) the following documentation accompanied by a note indicating that you are requesting ADA accessible parking:

  • A copy of your disability parking placard from the DMV with accompanying registration ID card
  • Documentation from a medical professional indicating the disability, any restrictions and the duration of said restrictions
  • Information including your worksite and requested parking area

The ADA Coordinator will review the documentation. If you have a qualified disability (temporary or permanent), you will be eligible for ADA accessible parking and the ADA Coordinator will contact the Transportation and Parking Office to communicate such.

Unfortunately, many of the WVU lots are already oversold and at capacity including ADA complaint spaces. To receive parking, you must already be a paid user of a WVU lot or purchase a parking permit. The cost of parking permits differs throughout campus and is dependent on the parking area where the disability permit is needed. There are no additional fees for accessible parking.

If parking in an area is not available, you are encouraged to obtain parking at the intermodal facility (Area 81) and taking the PRT or the bus to your work location. Additionally, the Mountain Line Transit Authority has accessible bus service and other paid and unpaid services for WVU students and employees with WVU IDs.

If you cannot perform the essential functions of your job, with or without reasonable accommodations, you may be placed in ADA Monitoring, rather than lose employment. Please contact our office for more details.

We love animals, we really do ( we even host Yappy Hour!), but we also recognize that having animals on campus could disrupt certain activities and operations or pose a real or perceived threat to members of our campus community. As part of our efforts to promote a safe learning, working, and living environment across our campuses, the Animals on Campus Policy clarifies where animals are permitted on campus and defines the roles and responsibilities of individuals who bring animals on WVU property.

Animals on Campus Policy FAQ

The Interactive Process of Accommodations

Once your accommodation need and/or documentation of a disability has been received, the ADA Coordinator will:

  1. Review your documentation of a disability.
  2. Obtain a current job description and/or PIQ from your supervisor, or classification and compensation.
  3. Conduct discussions with you and your supervisor to determine whether you satisfy the requisite skill, experience, education, and other job-related requirements, and can perform the essential functions of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation
  4. Determine if you can or cannot meet a specific job-related duty due to the disability. Your supervisor must be able to demonstrate that the specific duty is “job-related and consistent with business necessity.”
  5. Engage in interactive communication with all parties to determine whether there are reasonable accommodations to enable you to perform the essential functions of the job, or to meet job-related requirements, unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship.
  6. If an accommodation is appropriate and agreed upon, all parties (you, your supervisor, medical management, etc.) will be advised, and the accommodation will take effect. Emails, memos, and/or letters documenting this accommodation will be completed and distributed.
  7. If an accommodation is not available or reasonable, you may enter into the ADA Monitoring Program with the assistance of WVU’s Talent Strategies.

Some disabilities do not need accommodation. For example: "an employee has a disability with a 10 lb. lifting restriction and has asked for an accommodation. The position does not require lifting. A meeting is held with the supervisor and the employee so that everyone understands that the job does not require lifting and the employee cannot be required to lift items over 10 lbs." The ADA Coordinator will not provide the employee with an accommodation as there is no need to do so. However, the ADA Coordinator will work with the parties to facilitate and resolve issues such as the one noted above.