CRPD/C/GC/4 30. The definition of what is proportionate will necessarily vary according to context. The availability of accommodations should be considered with respect to a larger pool of educational resources available in the education system and not limited to resources available at the academic institution in question; transfer of resources within the system should be possible. There is no “one size fits all” formula to reasonable accommodation, as different students with the same impairment may require different accommodations. Accommodations may include: changing the location of a class; providing different forms of in-class communication; enlarging print, materials and/or subjects in signs, or providing handouts in an alternative format; and providing students with a note taker or a language interpreter or allowing students to use assistive technology in learning and assessment situations. Provision of non-material accommodations, such as allowing a student more time, reducing levels of background noise (sensitivity to sensory overload), using alternative evaluation methods and replacing an element of the curriculum with an alternative must also be considered. To ensure that the accommodation meets the requirements, will, preferences and choices of students and can be implemented by the institution provider, discussions must take place between the educational authorities and providers, the academic institution, students with disabilities and, depending on the students’ age and capacity, if appropriate, their parents, caregivers or other family members. Provision of reasonable accommodation may not be conditional on a medical diagnosis of impairment and should be based instead on the evaluation of social barriers to education. 31. The denial of reasonable accommodation constitutes discrimination and the duty to provide reasonable accommodation is immediately applicable and not subject to progressive realization. States parties must ensure that independent systems are in place to monitor the appropriateness and effectiveness of accommodations and provide safe, timely and accessible mechanisms for redress when students with disabilities and, if relevant, their families, consider that they have not been adequately provided or have experienced discrimination. Measures to protect victims of discrimination against victimization during the redress process are essential. 32. For article 24 (2) (d) to be implemented, students with disabilities should be entitled to the support they require to facilitate their effective education and enable them to fulfil their potential on an equal basis with others. Support in terms of general availability of services and facilities within the education system should ensure that students with disabilities are able to fulfil their potential to the maximum extent possible, including, for example, the provision of sufficiently trained and supported teaching staff, school counsellors, psychologists and other relevant health and social service professionals, as well as access to scholarships and financial resources. 33. For article 24 (2) (e) to be realized, adequate, continuous and personalized support is to be provided directly. The Committee emphasizes the need to provide individualized education plans that can identify the reasonable accommodations and specific support required by individual students, including the provision of assistive compensatory aids, specific learning materials in alternative/accessible formats, modes and means of communication, communication aids and assistive and information technology. Support can also consist of a qualified learning support assistant, either on a shared or on a one-to-one basis, depending on the requirements of the student. Individualized education plans must address the transitions experienced by learners who move from segregated to mainstream settings and between levels of education. The effectiveness of such plans should be regularly monitored and evaluated with the direct involvement of the learner concerned. The nature of the provision must be determined in collaboration with the student, together, where appropriate, with the parents, caregivers or other third parties. The learner must have access to recourse mechanisms if the support is unavailable or inadequate. 9

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