Confidentiality of Services

All material shared with the Students with DisAbilities Office (SDO) is held in the strictest confidence. Due to privacy and confidentiality laws, please be aware that we will only respond to current and potential students regarding their specific information requests. In conformity with Quebec law, the university considers all Bishop’s students to be adults, responsible and accountable for their actions and decisions within the university context. The SDO is no different in this regard. SDO staff are not permitted to share any academic or personal information with parents, other relatives, or with health professionals without your signed consent. Current and potential students wishing to permit others to speak or make inquiries on their behalf must provide written consent for such communication. There are, however, exceptions mandated by the law whereby a staff at the SDO is required to release private information. These exceptions include:

• where a student presents as a serious danger of violence to others or is likely to harm himself or herself unless protective measures are taken;
• in case of emergency situations such as a medical crisis;
• in rare cases in which the court subpoena an individual's records.

Students files are kept in locked file cabinets at the SDO. Please note that all staff have taken an oath of confidentiality and understand the importance of protecting this information.