CREATING AN INCLUSIVE SERVICE ENVIRONMENT

Boston Teacher Residency and Dudley Promise Corps are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment.   Both programs comply fully with the requirements of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (Section 504). No qualified individual with a disability shall, by reason of disability, be excluded from participation in or be denied the benefits of the program, services, or activities of the program, or be subjected to discrimination by the program. Nor shall the program exclude or otherwise deny equal services, programs, or activities to an individual because of the known disability of an individual with whom the individual is known to have a relationship or association.

BTR and DPR will make reasonable accommodations in policies, practices, or procedures when the accommodations are necessary to allow an individual with a disability to perform the essential functions of a position, unless making the modifications would fundamentally alter the nature of the service, program, or activity, and/or impose an “undue hardship.” A reasonable accommodation may include: modifications to make facilities readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities; position restructuring; modified schedules; acquisition or modification of equipment or devices, training materials or policies.

SELF-IDENTIFICATION

A Resident or Corps Member with a disability is not required to disclose information about any physical or mental limitations, whether or not they believe it will interfere with the their ability to perform the essential functions of the position sought or held.  If a Resident or Corps Member requires an accommodation for a physical or mental impairment, they must describe the functional limitation(s) and barriers, and cooperate with program staff to identify possible accommodations to overcome the limitation(s). Medical verification of the condition may be requested by Boston Plan for Excellence for the individual to be protected under Section 504.

BPE’s Human Resources manager serves as BTR and DPC’s Section 504 Coordinator.  The Section 504 Coordinator is responsible for ensuring the organization’s compliance with Section 504.

SECTION 504 COORDINATOR

Chris Plummer, Human Resources Manager
67 Kemble St. Suite 2.5
Boston, MA 02119
cplummer@bpe.org
617-275-0750

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS AND SITE ACCESSIBILITY

BPE will address all inquiries regarding site accessibility and all requests for reasonable accommodations.  These include requests relating to the admissions process, school-based service, and graduate coursework. BPE is committed to seeking qualified applicants with disabilities and can provide reasonable accommodations during the application process and time of service upon request.

Site Accessibility:

• BPE ensures that all interview days, including the interview portion of the admissions process (Selection Days) are a) held in locations that are accessible, b) held in locations that can readily be made accessible, or c) can be relocated to an accessible site, should the original site not be accessible or readily made accessible for mobility impaired applicants.
• BPE provides details regarding accessibility of interview sites and options for mobility impaired applicants (as described above) to all applicants invited to interview at Selection Day.  The invitations also include the Program Director’s contact information with instruction for confirming accessibility of Selection Day sites, and/or making other arrangements so that mobility impairments do not prevent full participation in admissions activities.  These other arrangements may include rescheduling or relocation of interview activities.
• Admitted and enrolled Residents are given instruction to contact the Program Director to coordinate services for ensuring full access to all BTR sites during the residency.

Requesting Reasonable Accommodations:

• BPE provides details regarding required performance activities to all applicants invited to interview at Selection Day.  The invitations also include the Program Director’s contact information with instruction and timeline for requesting accommodations.  Individuals requiring accommodations are responsible for making their needs known within the communicated timeline.  The Program Director will respond and clarify the individual’s needs in order to identify appropriate reasonable accommodations required to meet those needs.
• Once admitted into the program, all Residents and Corps Members have the opportunity to meet the Program Director at Info Sessions held prior to program start; during which they provide an overview of services with instructions for qualified individuals to request reasonable accommodations.  As soon as the Resident or Corps Member is aware of a needed accommodation in order to perform their service in the Boston Public Schools, they should contact the program
• BPE actively seeks to create an inclusive service environment and will make reasonable accommodations to ensure that facilities are readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities. Qualified individuals who would like to request reasonable accommodations or who have questions about site accessibility may contact Chris Plummer at cplummer@bpe.org

CONFIDENTIALITY

Information provided to BPE regarding an individual’s disability shall be kept confidential, except to the extent that appropriate supervisors, managers, and safety and health personnel may be informed regarding any restrictions in service duties or necessary accommodations. Once a Resident or Corps Member has contacted the Program Director regarding a disability, the Program Director will get permission from the Resident or Corps Member to discuss their disability with the relevant team in order to provide necessary accommodations.