Accommodations & Accessibility

Reasonable Accommodations

Sometimes, in order not to discriminate, the University must provide reasonable accommodations to individuals who request them. Accommodations may be appropriate to equal the playing field for individuals with disabilities, to recognize certain religious beliefs, or to recognize differences in gender identity or expression.

For Individuals with Disabilities:

The University of Maine is committed to providing access to its programs for people with disabilities. Our goal is to enable students, staff, applicants, and the public to participate in the academic, employment, cultural, and recreational life of the university. Under university policy and federal and state laws, qualified people with disabilities are entitled to reasonable accommodations that will allow them access to university programs, jobs, services, and activities unless the accommodation would pose an undue hardship on the university. These issues are best resolved through an interactive process.

University of Maine System Guidelines Regarding Service Animals

Employees:

If you are an employee with a disability and need an accommodation, or you are a supervisor of an employee who has requested or who may need an accommodation, please contact:

Kitty Armstrong
ADA Coordinator
5713 Chadbourne Hall
Room 412
University of Maine
Orono, ME 04469-5713
207.581.1227
TTY: 207.581.9484
Fax: 207.581.1214

Students:

If you are a student with a disability and need an accommodation or the faculty member of a student who has requested or may need an accommodation, please visit the Disability Services website or contact Mary Kate Barbosa, Director of Student Support Services/Disability Services.

Members of the Public:

If you have a disability and need an accommodation for access to a public facility, program, or event, please feel free to contact those managing the particular facility, program, or event.

If you feel that your needs are not being appropriately addressed, you may contact the campus Section 504/ADA Coordinator:

Kitty Armstrong, ADA Coordinator
Office of Equal Opportunity
5713 Chadbourne Hall
Room 412
University of Maine
Orono, ME 04469-5713
207.581.1227
TTY: 207.581.9484
Fax: 207.581.1214

For Religious Observances and Practices:

Our faculty, staff, and students are from varied religious and cultural backgrounds which serve to enrich and strengthen our community. Any event scheduled on a major religious or cultural holiday can send a message of insensitivity or exclusivity to staff and students who cannot participate that day due to their religious beliefs. Therefore, please avoid scheduling important meetings, exams, or other essential events on such dates whenever possible and to accommodate the observance of religious traditions for those staff and students who need to be absent for religious holidays throughout the year. Some information about major religious holidays may be found at the University of Maine System Human Resources page. An extensive listing is online at the Interfaith Calendar web site.

The university is required by state and federal law to make reasonable accommodations to the religious observances and practices of employees or prospective employees provided those accommodations do not result in an undue hardship. See, e.g., 41 C.F.R. §6-50.3 and MHRC Ch. 94-348, § 3.10(C)(DOC). Such accommodations might include a schedule change for an employee who regularly observes a particular Sabbath or religious holidays and who is conscientiously opposed to performing work or engaging in similar activity on such days. Resolution of these issues depends on the particular factual circumstances and involve a delicate balancing of an applicant or employee’s religious needs with the degree of disruption imposed on the institution.

If you are an employee and need a religious accommodation, please feel free to contact:

Office of Equal Opportunity
5713 Chadbourne Hall
Room 412
University of Maine
Orono, ME 04469-5713
Telephone: 207.581.1226
TTY: 207.581.9484
Fax: 207.581.1214

For Gender Identity/Gender Expression:

The Maine Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation (which includes gender identity and gender expression) in employment, education, and public accommodations. University policy also prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. According to Maine Human Rights Commission employment regulations:

It is an unlawful employment practice for an employer… to fail or refuse to make reasonable accommodations in rules, policies, practices, or services that apply directly or indirectly to gender identity or gender expression, unless the covered entity can demonstrate that the accommodations would impose an undue hardship on the conduct of the business of the covered entity.

MHRC Ch. 94-348 § 3(F)(1).

If you need an accommodation related to your gender identity or expression, please contact:

Office of Equal Opportunity
5713 Chadbourne Hall
Room 412
University of Maine
Orono, ME 04469-5713
207.581.1226
TTY: 207.581.9484
Fax: 207.581.1214