DEVELOPING AN ADA POLICY FOR YOUR EVENT By: Bill Rowe (immediate past president of USA Track & Field) I enjoyed the last issue of Inside Track. However, the disabled athletes' article missed a great opportunity by not including a sidebar on how USATF, and I hope RRCA members, will address disabled athlete access to events. USATF has a very specific policy designed to assist race directors so they can deal with the complex questions surrounding disabled athlete participation. Just as USATF did with the complex transgender competition topic, we simply said we would follow the International Olympic Committee (IOC) policy where questions of eligibility to compete in a new gender classification came up. I hope RRCA members will simply refer to the USATF policy on Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Accommodations, because there is no need for RRCA members to re-invent a complex policy that speaks to disabled athlete participation. The following outlines the USATF policy on disabled athlete participation and RRCA members are encouraged to adopt a similar policy for their events.
USATF POLICY ON AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT ACCOMMODATIONS 1. Accommodation request: An individual submits a request for an accommodation, due to an asserted disability, either to an event/race director or a USATF committee. The request must be specific to a particular competition and to a specific event discipline or activity at the relevant competition. USATF will not grant "blanket" accommodation requests applicable to multiple competitions, activities or event disciplines. (Note: event directors will be encouraged to have a space on their entry forms requesting whether an ADA accommodation is needed and informing athletes that it takes four to six weeks after receipt of all medical documents to evaluate such a request.) Responsible party: Meet/race director or USATF committee. 2. Information review & privacy waiver: The event director will collect the name, contact information, specific accommodation requested by the individual, and the reason for the requested accommodation and forward this information to the applicable USATF committee chairperson. The committee chair and USATF General Counsel will contact the individual and request any additional documentation needed, including medical records. A release/waiver of privacy/confidentiality will be signed by the individual requesting the accommodation in order to permit USATF to review his or her medical records. These records will be maintained as confidential by the USATF Legal Department. The review of all relevant documents will not begin, and the four to six week clock will not start to run, until USATF has received all relevant documentation from the individual requesting the accommodation. Responsible party: Committee chairperson and General Counsel. 3. Determination ADA individual disability: The General Counsel shall forward the individual’s medical documentation to a representative of the USATF Sports Medicine & Science ADA Subcommittee (under the Medical Subcommittee) for review. This body or individual will evaluate and report back to the USATF committee chairperson and the General Counsel on whether the individual is disabled within the meaning of the ADA. (Note: A written release/waiver of privacy/confidentiality must be signed by the individual requesting the accommodation in order to permit USATF to review his or her medical records.) If the Subcommittee determines that the disability does not meet the ADA requirements, the request for an accommodation will be denied. Responsible party: Subcommittee.
ADA Subcommittee of USATF Sports Medicine & Science Committee's Medical CONTINUED ON PAGE 5
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