Faculty and Staff Resources

This section is designed to assist faculty and staff with providing meaningful educational opportunities for students with disabilities. While federal and state legislation ensure that all qualified persons have equal access to education regardless of the presence of any disabling conditions, access also means providing students with the tools they will need to be successful in higher education.

Accommodations for students with disabilities are designed to, “level the playing field,” not provide unfair advantages over other students. Reasonable accommodations may include:  use of a note taker, extra time for tests in a private location, permission to tape record lectures, use of an interpreter or captioning, use of adaptive technology and special classroom furniture. Failure to make accommodations for students with disabilities can place the university in violation of statutes resulting in costly penalties.

Process for Provision of Accommodations:

• Student registers with the Office of Student Disability Services
• Student provides current, medical documentation of the disability
• If the documentation is adequate, the accommodations will be approved and a memorandum will be provided for each professor for each semester.
• Student is responsible for presenting the memorandum to the professor at the beginning of the semester.
• If testing accommodations are provided, the student is responsible for scheduling the test and completing the Test Assistance Request Form in conjunction with the professor.
• Accommodations may be requested at any point in the semester.
• Accommodations are not retroactive.

Sample Syllabus Statement:

It is recommended that instructors include a statement on the syllabus informing students of the available services. For example,

"Students in need of academic accommodations for a disability may consult with the office of Student Disability Services to arrange appropriate accommodations. Students are required to give reasonable notice prior to requesting an accommodaton."

Note Taking

If a student requests a note taker, please make the following announcement to the class or on Blackboard:

"The Student Disability Services office has a paid job available for a student in this class to prepare a copy of class notes. Interested students should go to the SDS office in Terrace 200."

It is very important that a note taker be recruited as soon as the course begins so that the accommodation can be provided in a timely manner.

Testing Accommodations

Faculty may choose to administer tests and quizzes themselves as long as the student receives the assigned accommodations. Otherwise, Student Disability Services will provide the testing area in conjunction with the instructions from the professor. For evening classes, arrangements will need to be made for the student to take the exam earlier as our facility closes at 6pm. The student is responsible for scheduling all exams early in the semester, and completing the Test Assistance Request Form several days before the exam.

Course Accessibility

• For students who are blind/low-vision, reserve front row seats.
• Videotapes, movies, and streaming video should be open or closed-captioned.
• If the class is scheduled for a field trip, ensure that the site is accessible for students in wheelchairs or with other mobility issues. Also, transportation provided by the university must be accessible.

All Faculty are encouraged to contact the Office of Student Disability Services with suggestions, concerns or need for clarification about accommodations.

Links for Faculty Resources:

ASD:  Accommodating Students with Disabilities, Utah State University

Accessibility for the Web and Digital Media, University of Wisconsin

Fast Facts for Faculty, Ohio State University

The Faculty Room, University of Washington

Accommodations and Services, University of South Florida