NCAA Appendix H Accommodations for Student-Athletes with Disabilities
Accommodations for Student-Athletes with Disabilities
The NCAA encourages participation by student-athletes with disabilities (physical or mental) in intercollegiate athletics and physical activities to the full extent of their interests and abilities, An NCAA member institution will have the right to seek, on behalf of any student-athlete with a disability participating on the member’s team, a reasonable modification or accommodation of a playing rule, provided that the modification or accommodation would not:
1. Compromise the safety of, or increase the risk of injury to, any other student-athlete;
2. Change an essential element that would fundamentally alter the nature of the game; or
3. Provide the student-athlete an unfair advantage over the other competitors.
To request any such modification or accommodation, the member’s director of athletics, or his/her designee, must submit a rule waiver request, in writing, to the secretary-rules editor. Such written request should describe:
a. The playing rule from which relief is sought;
b. The nature of the proposed modification or accommodation;
c. The nature of the student-athlete’s disability and basis for modification or accommodation; and
d. The proposed duration of the requested modification or accommodation.
Additionally, each request should be accompanied by documentation evidencing the student-athlete’s disability (e.g., a medical professional’s letter). Upon receipt of a complete waiver request, the secretary-rules editor will consult with NCAA staff, the applicable sport/rules committee, other sport governing bodies, and/or outside experts, to conduct an individual inquiry as to whether the requested modification or accommodation can be made. In making this assessment, the NCAA may request additional information from the member institution. The secretary-rules editor will communicate the decision in writing (which may be via email) to the requesting member institution. If the request is granted, the member institution should be prepared to provide the written decision to the officiating staff, opposing coach(es), and tournament director (if applicable) for each competition in which the student-athlete will participate. NCAA members are directed to consult Guideline 2P of the NCAA Sports Medicine Handbook for further considerations regarding participation by student-athletes with impairment.