The Office of Equal Opportunity and Title IX Services ensures access for people with disabilities to the academic, employment, and cultural life of the University of Maine System (UMS). Disability services are provided for students, employees, and guests of the university. UMS provides reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request.

Requesting Accommodations

Select a section below to expand it and view the procedures for requesting accommodations.

ADA Accommodations

Incoming and current students who have not previously requested accommodations from their university accessibility/disability office need to complete a Student Accommodation Request (Secure Form) as the first step in the process. Once the form is submitted, staff at your university accessibility/disability office will be notified and you will receive instructions about next steps.

View a list of university accessibility/disability office contacts (Word Doc).

Student Accommodation Request

Service Animals

Service animals are permitted in all areas of University property where members of the public, students, and employees are allowed to go, except in specific locations where the presence of the animal would compromise safety or pose a risk, such as certain laboratories, sterile medical environments, or areas involving food preparation.

If a student requires a service animal in an area where it is not typically permitted, they should work with a disability or accessibility services provider to request an accommodation.

While individuals are not required to register a service animal, students are strongly encouraged to inform their institution’s Disability/Accessibility Services Office (DSO) of their use. This allows faculty and staff to be appropriately informed and supportive.

Emotional Support Animals (ESA)

Students requesting an emotional support animal (ESA) must complete the following steps. Please contact your university accessibility/disability office (Word Doc) with any questions about requesting or documenting ESAs.

Step 1: Review policy and procedure

Read the Administrative Practice Letter on Emotional Support Animal in Campus Housing to review the policies, procedures, and responsibilities related to having an ESA in campus housing.

Step 2: Submit request for ESA

Submit your request for an ESA using the Student Accommodation Request (Secure Form) in Accommodate. If you already have some approved accommodations, you can make a supplemental accommodation request.

Student Accommodation Request

Step 3: Provide documentation

Download the ESA Documentation Form (Word Doc) and give it to your licensed healthcare provider to confirm your mental health disability and need for an animal.

Students can upload the completed form to your Accommodate portal (External Site), or your provider can email or fax it to your university accessibility/disability office (Word Doc).

ESA Documentation Form

Step 4: Complete consent form

If approved for an ESA, students will receive an ESA Acknowledgement and Release of Information Consent Form to complete in Accommodate (External Site).

ADA Accommodations

Employees seeking reasonable employment accommodations related to a disability must submit a Request for Accommodation Under the ADA (Secure Form) as the first step in the process. This form will help assess your eligibility for accommodations and determine what those accommodations might be.

Employee ADA Accommodation Request

Service Animals

Service animals are permitted in all areas of University property where members of the public, students, and employees are allowed to go, except in specific locations where the presence of the animal would compromise safety or pose a risk, such as certain laboratories, sterile medical environments, or areas involving food preparation.

If an individual requires a service animal in an area where it is not typically permitted, they should work with a disability or accessibility services provider to request an accommodation.

Faculty and staff who have service animals may have them with them in their office and other areas of University property. Service animals must be harnessed, leashed, or tethered, unless these devices interfere with the service animal’s work or the individual’s disability prevents using these devices. In that case, the individual must maintain control of the animal through voice, signal, or other effective means. Employees with service animals are encouraged to contact the ADA Coordinator if they require accommodations in the workplace.

Lactation or Breast/Chestfeeding Accommodations

Employees seeking reasonable employment accommodations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions must submit a Request for Lactation or Breast/Chestfeeding Accommodation (Secure Form) as the first step in process. This form will help assess your eligibility for accommodations and determine what those accommodations might be.

Employee Lactation/Feeding Accommodation Request

If you have questions or concerns regarding accommodations or other disability services for employees, please contact the Office of Equal Opportunity and Title IX Services:

Amanda Paradis
ADA Coordinator and Deputy Title IX Coordinator
412 Chadbourne Hall
Orono, ME 04469
207.581.1227
amanda.paradis1@maine.edu

Guests seeking accommodations should contact the Office of Equal Opportunity and Title IX Services:

Amanda Paradis
ADA Coordinator and Deputy Title IX Coordinator
412 Chadbourne Hall
Orono, ME 04469
207.581.1227
amanda.paradis1@maine.edu

Accommodating Individuals with Disabilities

If you receive a request to accommodate an individual with a disability or if you have questions or concerns about means of accommodating someone with a disability, please contact the office listed for your university (Word Doc).

For more information, review the UMS procedure for Accommodating Individuals with Disabilities.

Appealing Accommodation Decisions

For students: Appeals for student housing, academic accommodations, or other accommodation decisions can be made by contacting your university accessibility/disability office (Word Doc).

For employees: Appeals for employment decisions can be submitted online via the Office of Equal Opportunity and Title IX Services Appeal of a Disability Determination form (Secure Form).

Filing a Complaint

It is the policy of the University of Maine System to provide reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals with disabilities. Federal law, including the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 and its amendments, and the Maine Human Rights Act establish the rights of individuals with disabilities. These laws provide that recipients of federal funds, employers, state agencies, and places of public accommodation shall make reasonable accommodations to the known physical or mental limitations of an otherwise qualified person with a disability upon request. Refusal to provide reasonable accommodation constitutes illegal disability discrimination. 

Individuals who wish to notify the University of Maine System of a potential civil rights violation may file a complaint online (Secure Form) or contact the Office of Equal Opportunity and Title IX Services:

5713 Chadbourne Hall, Room 412
Orono, ME 04469
Tel: 207.581.1226
Fax: 207.581.1214
equal.opportunity@maine.edu

Additional information about our complaint procedure may be found here.

File a Complaint