Smaller Font  Bigger Font  Print Page  Bookmark page

 

Although enrollment rates of students with disabilities in higher education are increasing, some faculty and teaching staff may not be aware of the many services and supports available to students with disabilities.  In particular, instructional staff members may not always be aware of the types of accommodations available or what steps are involved in the accommodations process.  The following is a list of frequently asked questions regarding the roles and responsibilities of faculty in providing accessible learning for students with disabilities.  As you are confronted with some of your concerns, keep in mind that the Office of Student Access is the office on campus that determines appropriate accommodations.  We hope that you find the following questions to be a quick and useful resource guide, but we encourage you to contact Anna Meadows at ext. 8496 when you are in doubt about how best to meet the needs of a student with a disability. 

 

 

Q:  Who is responsible for determining appropriate accommodations?

 

A:   The Office of Student Access (OSA) is the office on campus that determines appropriate accommodations.  The decision is based upon documentation collected from a student with a disability and the student’s current functional limitations. 

 

 

Q: Are all students with disabilities registered with OSA?

 

A:   No, it is likely that many students with disabilities have chosen not to be registered with OSA or they may not have met the eligibility criteria for services. In either instance, faculty members do not need to provide these students with accommodations.

 

 

Q:  What would be the best way to inform students in the class that I would like to help in facilitating exam accommodations or any classroom accommodations?

 

A:   It is important that all instructors put a statement about accommodations in their syllabus. It should go something like this: “Any student who feels s/he may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact me privately to discuss your specific needs.  Please register with the Office of Student Access at ext. 8496 (2^nd level of the Randall Campus Center) to coordinate reasonable accommodations for documented disabilities.”

 

 

Q:  Am I required to provide exam accommodations to students who request it? 

 

A:   Yes, if they have delivered a letter of accommodation to you (listing exam accommodations) from the Office of Student Access.  Students with disabilities are protected by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504.  This law requires that qualified students with disabilities get equal access to an education, and this includes exam accommodations.

 

 

Q:  A student has asked for accommodations. How do I know the student truly has a disability and is eligible for accommodations?

 

A:   You should ask the student to provide you with a letter verifying that s/he has a disability. The student, if registered with the Office Student Access (OSA), will be given letters of accommodation to deliver to his/her instructors the first week of each semester. OSA has on file documentation of the disability for every student who is registered with the office and uses services.

 

 

Q:  I have a student in class who told me that s/he has a disability, but since that time has never requested any accommodations.  Am I still responsible for accommodations?

 

A:   No, you are only responsible for reasonable accommodations if requested.  In these types of situations, however, it would be appropriate to speak to the student privately to let the student know that you welcome the opportunity to discuss reasonable accommodations if the student is interested.

 

 

Q:  What are some of the types of exam accommodations available to students with disabilities?

 

A:   First of all, the exam accommodations are based upon the student’s functional limitations and the documentation of disability that the student has provided OSA.  Some of these accommodations include: extra time for exams (usually 50% extra time but in some cases as much as double time), a reader or scribe (a person who writes answers verbatim), a computer, an enlarged exam, an exam scanned onto a disk and use of computer (student uses enlargement options or spelling/grammar check), and/or a distraction-reduced testing area.

 

 

Q:  A student with a disability has requested that s/he take an exam in the Office of Advising & Testing.  How do I know that my exam will be safe and that the student will get no unfair advantage?

 

A:   Advising & Testing has developed a very systematic and secure procedure for getting exams from faculty and returning them once the student has taken the exam. They are very rigid checking in and checking out exams, and no student is able to take an exam with accommodations without authorization. While exams are in the Office of Advising & Testing, they are kept in a locked file during the night. While students are taking the exam, they are monitored. The testing room has a small window to enable the staff to periodically view the students while they are taking tests.

 

 

Q:  I’ve been debating about what book I want to use for my class, but OSA keeps asking me to select a book as soon as possible. Do I have to?

 

A:   Please try. It takes a trained reader an hour to read ten pages of a textbook (to tape) and sometimes fewer pages depending upon the technical nature of the course. Students who are print impaired have a legal right to equal access to their textbooks. They need to be able to listen to taped or scanned textbooks at the same time as others in the class. By delaying the selection of textbooks, DSS may not be able to get books converted to an appropriate format in a timely fashion. This means that students may have to start the semester without access to their textbooks. None of us want to contribute to a student getting behind or failing a class.

 

 

Q:  When I have a deaf student in class, am I required to have an interpreter or real time captioning in the class too?  The room is very crowded and also, the students sometimes watch the interpreter instead of me.

 

A:   There is no question about it. You are required by law to have what is essential for the student to have equal access to an education, and this includes a sign language interpreter and/or real time captioning.  Currently at Malone, we do not have any deaf students enrolled.  This may change and DSS will be required to hire a certified sign language interpreter for future students with this disability.

 

 

Q:  A student with a disability has asked me for a copy of my notes and overheads. Do I have to give this to the student?

 

A:   Some students with disabilities have difficulty taking notes. Sometimes faculty notes are only a brief outline of the actual lecture given. These notes may not be too helpful. It is important that you assist the student in getting access to class notes. You may want to help the student find a volunteer note taker in class by making an announcement in class without revealing the student’s name.  If you feel your notes are good, sharing your notes would be another option. Many faculty have developed website guided notes. This has been extremely helpful to many students who lack the ability to keep up the pace in taking thorough notes.  It may also be appropriate for some students to tape a class.

 

 

Q:  I have a student who is having difficulty in my class. I think this student may have a disability. What should I do to help the student?

 

A:   Talk privately with the student to discuss your observations. The student may reveal s/he has a disability. If this is the case refer the student to DSS.  Anna Meadows will work to collect the appropriate documentation and determine the needed accommodations for referred students.

 

 

Q:  Am I required to lower the standards of a required assignment because the student has a disability?

 

A:   No, the standards should be the same for all students; however, some students with disabilities may exhibit their knowledge, production, and other course expectations differently than their peers.  For example, a student with a learning disability in writing may produce an essay exam by using a computer or scribe rather than writing out an answer without the use of accommodations. The quality of the work should be the same.

 

 

Q:  I have a student with a disability getting behind in his/her schoolwork.  This student is missing a number of classes and has not handed in several assignments.  Although s/he has taken a midterm and used accommodations, the student’s grade is about a D.  At this point, the student is not passing the class. Do I have a right to fail a student with a disability?

 

A:   The student with a disability has the same right to fail as anyone else.  Their work should be the equivalent of their peers.  It may be a good idea to discuss your observations with this student just as you would with anyone else in your class who is experiencing difficulty.

 

 

Q:  I have a student who is visually impaired in my chemistry lab. How is s/he going to participate and be graded in his/her lab work?

 

A:   If possible, assist the student in getting a lab partner or assign a student assistant to work with the student with a disability. In either situation, the student who is visually impaired should direct the assistant to carry out the functions of the lab assignment. If a volunteer lab partner cannot be found, suggest to the student that s/he needs to contact OSA as soon as possible for assistance in getting a lab partner. The speed in making these arrangements is critical so that the student will not get behind.

 

 

Q:  Do I have any recourse if I disagree about requested accommodations?

 

A:   To clarify any disagreement about a requested accommodation, you should first contact Anna Meadows. If there continues to be conflict, you may contact the Provost.