Temporary Disabilities

Temporary accommodations are available for individuals experiencing a short-term disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and related laws and university policies. Short-term disabilities may include both mental and physical impairments that impact the ability to fully participate in educational or work activities, such as:

• Physical conditions: sprains, strains, fractures, concussions, recovery from surgery or pregnancy-related physical conditions (not pregnancy itself).
• Illnesses: Short-term conditions like severe infections or pregnancy complications (not pregnancy itself).
• Mental health: Acute conditions that temporarily and significantly impair an individual’s ability to function.

The goal of these accommodations is to minimize the impact of a temporary impairment and ensure continued access during recovery. Reasonable accommodations are determined on a case-by-case basis via an interactive process, based on medical documentation, the functional limitations of the impairment, and the essential job functions of staff and faculty.

As with all disabilities, the University of Maryland is committed to the principle that no qualified individual with a disability shall, on the basis of disability, be excluded from participation in or be denied the benefits of the services, programs, or activities of the university, or be subjected to discrimination.

Temporary reasonable accommodations may include, but are not limited to:

All individuals with disabilities:

• Transportation
• Parking
• Elevator Access (i.e., elevators with restricted access)

Faculty and staff:

• Reduced schedule/leave (for staff and faculty who are ineligible under the university’s Family Medical Leave Policy)
• Modified duty (depending on the nature of the restriction)
• Access/equipment/software

Students:

• Extended time on exams or assignments
• Note-taking assistance
• Use of assistive technology or alternate formats
• Adjustments to housing assignment, based on availability

The following resources are available to assist during this time:

Shuttle-UM offers Paratransit as its curb-to-curb, on-demand shuttle subscription service available to students, faculty and staff with temporary and permanent disabilities. Certification is required and users are strongly encouraged to schedule rides in advance as the schedule can fill up quickly. In addition, all Shuttle-UM transit buses have ADA seating located at the very front of the bus and are equipped with wheelchair ramps.

The following accessible parking arrangements can be made through DOTS:

• ADA parking with a state-issued temporary hang tag (available through the Maryland Department of Motor Vehicles)
• Alternative lot parking privileges

A campus parking permit is required.

DOTS can be reached by email at Transportation@umd.edu or by phone at 301-314-3687.

All faculty and staff in need of temporary work accommodations should contact the Leave & Accommodation Management team within University Human Resources by email at umdleave@umd.edu or by phone at 301-405-0001. UHR will work with the employee and their supervisor as part of the interactive process under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and/or the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) to determine reasonable accommodations.

The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants and employees for known conditions and limitations related to, affected by, or arising out of pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions during all stages of employment, unless doing so will cause an undue hardship. Accommodations can be requested by sending an email to umdleave@umd.edu.

Please note that any employee who experiences a job injury will also need to work with Environmental Safety, Sustainability, and Risk on workers’ compensation benefits. Reports of injury should be submitted by the employee and their supervisor within 48 hours.

All regular nonexempt and exempt employees who are recovering from an illness or injury may be eligible for modified duty via the policy on modified duty. Employees should contact University Human Resources at umdleave@umd.edu.  

Accessibility and Disability Service (ADS) coordinates temporary accommodations for students with longer-lasting injuries or illnesses (e.g., broken bones, concussions, ongoing conditions, etc.) beyond a six (6) week duration. ADS can be reached by email at adsfrontdesk@umd.edu or by phone at 301-314-7682.

Students should review the University of Maryland Policy on Excused Absence, which provides for events that include physical or mental health conditions of the student. Excused absences do not alter the academic requirements for the course. Students are responsible for information and material missed on the day of absence.

Title IX requires that the university provide reasonable adjustments to students who need them due to pregnancy-related conditions for as long as is medically required. Students should review the Pregnancy-Related Conditions page on the Office of Civil Rights & Sexual Misconduct website. Contact OCRSM by email at titleIXcoordinator@umd.edu or by phone at
301-405-1142.

Students with short-term disability issues (less than six weeks) may work with the University Health Center to coordinate their needs.

The UHC can assist an individual with a temporary disability by providing two weeks of access to Paratransit services. If the individual needs more than two weeks of service, they will need a letter from the medical provider stating the reason and how long services are needed. A UHC Paratransit Form must be completed.

UHC can be reached by email at health@umd.edu or by phone at 301-314-8184.