Disability and Reasonable Accommodation

Pursuant to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), as amended by the ADA Amendments Act, the Michigan Persons with Disabilities Civil Rights Act (MPDCRA), and other applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations, Michigan State University prohibits discrimination and harassment against a qualified individual with a disability. Michigan State University is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to ensure equal employment opportunities and access to university programs, services, and facilities.

The MSU Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities (RCPD) assists faculty members, staff, employees, job applicants, students, and others by maximizing ability and opportunity for full participation at MSU.

RCPD defines “disability” as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, a record of such impairment or being regarded as having such an impairment. RCPD defines a “qualified Individual with a disability” as an individual who, with or without reasonable accommodations, can perform the essential functions of the academic program or job.

Students may contact RCPD to identify and register a disability and to request accommodation. Following a needs assessment, RCPD may issue a “Verified Individualized Services and Accommodations: or VISA, which is an individualized document that enables students to validate and communicate their accommodation needs to faculty. A variation is the Verified Individualized Services and Temporary Adjustments (VISTA) document, which performs the same functions as a VISA for students with conditions of a temporary nature.

RCPD also assists employees with accommodations. More details are available on the RCPD website at www.rcpd.msu.edu.

The Department PA Medicine faculty approved this student handbook and policies on March 16, 2020.
Revised and approved by the Faculty of the Department of PA Medicine on 3/19/2021, 3/15/2022, 4/18/2023.