The student is required to register with Disability Resources and Services (DRS). Student will need to provide documentation of a disability. DRS Program Advisors are responsible for determining reasonable accommodations. A Faculty Member is not obligated to provide reasonable accommodations without a signed Instructor Notification Form.
Many disabilities are obvious; however, there are cases in which a faculty member may have no way of knowing that a student has a disability. Therefore, the following statement should be included in the syllabus: "If any Student has a disability, including a learning disability, please see me as soon as possible to discuss your accommodation needs. In order to receive appropriate accommodations you will need to make an appointment with Disability Resources & Services."
The instructor should insure that the student with a disability is fully aware of the requirements of the course that is clearly stated in the beginning of the semester and in written form. If requirements or date of exam or outside assignments should change during the semester, the instructor should make these changes available to the student in written form.
The goal is to minimize or eliminate the impact of the disability and allow the student to demonstrate knowledge of course material. In instances where teaching aids are used, and do not accommodate the student disability, the instructor should provide accessible materials. For example, the instructor who makes heavy use of audio tapes might provide transcriptions of the tapes to a deaf and hard of hearing student.
It is the primary responsibility of the student to initiate the discussion of the accommodations needed; however, the outcome depends on the receptivity, flexibility, and understanding of the instructor. It is important that accommodations are discussed. Both faculty and the student, together or separately, may find it useful to consult with the DRS Department for advice and/or assistance.
Where possible, and within reason, allow extra time for assignments, remembering that for a student with a disability, the process of research, etc. may involve scheduling an assistant for help.
For extended test taking accommodations, the DRS Department will determine time limits, and will be stated on the Instructor Notification Form. It is the responsibility of the student to complete the Testing Accommodation Request Form at the DRS Department if services, adaptive equipment, or if a private testing room is needed. Consider alternative test design when appropriate. An example is a head injury. Students with these types of disabilities may have trouble with essay format or multiple choice tests.
For In-Class Note Taking accommodations, Faculty will need to assist the student with locating a volunteer note taker. A sample announcement will be provided to the disability student. Additionally, the campus provides printing passes to the Note Taking Aides, in order to photocopy notes.
If a video is going to be shown in class, and a student requests to have it closed-captioned, arrangements can be made with Media Services for this purpose. Request to have a monitor delivered to the classroom that has closed-captioning capability, or have the videotape run through the closed-captioning machine located in Media Services.
If there are any questions, or for advice or assistance, please call Disability Resources and Services.
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