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Accommodation FAQs
Q.
What language should I use when referring to
a student with a disability?
A. You
should use language that empowers people. One way to do that is to use
"people first" language. That is, you speak of the person first (i.e. a
student who is blind, a person with a disability, a woman who is hard of
hearing) instead of “the blind student”, “the deaf student”, or “the
wheelchair-bound student”. If you are unsure, ask the student.
Q.
How much should I do to accommodate a
student? What is considered a “reasonable” accommodation?
A. An "accommodation" is a
modification to the environment or the way an essential function is
performed. The purpose of the accommodation is to allow an otherwise
qualified person to enter or to continue in the classroom by removing or
reducing significant disability-related limitations. The accommodation is
considered to be "reasonable" if it does not cause an "undue hardship" to
the setting or the institution. "Undue hardship" can refer to an excessive
financial burden or interference with the nature of the environment or
process. An accommodation should not change the essential elements or
requirements of a course or program.
You should not change the curriculum for the course or
modify assignments to the degree that they alter the core requirements. For
example, changing test formats or giving extended time on tests would not be
altering the requirement of learning the same course material, and therefore
may be within reason for a given student.
Q.
What if a student fails a test then decides to inform me of his or her
disability? What is my responsibility at this point?
A.
A student with a disability is not required by law
to identify her or himself to the student disability services office,
faculty, staff, or to provide documentation of a disability. If a student
desires accommodations (particularly such things as testing modifications),
the student is then obligated to complete the necessary forms and provide
disability documentation at the time the request is made. If the student did
not inform you of his or her disability prior to the administration of the
test, the law does not require you to make changes on what has already
occurred. You may begin making accommodations from that point forward.
Before you do however, you should refer the student to the disability
services office.
Q. Whose responsibility is it to
provide accommodations, the faculty member or the student disability
services provider?
A. The student, the faculty
member, and the student disability services provider all share
responsibility in ensuring that the necessary accommodations are in place
for the student and that those accommodations are effective. Roles and
responsibilities vary from university to university, so it is best to check
with the student disability services office and the faculty handbook.
Q.
Am I required to abide by a student's request for accommodations?
A.
According to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973, you are required to provide requested
accommodations if the student has a documented disability. Most students who
request accommodations will be registered with the disability services
office. However, there will be students who will ask for accommodations who
are not registered. If their disability is clearly visible and the
accommodation request is reasonable, providing the accommodation is
appropriate. Encourage the student to register with the disability services
office so the student can take advantage of other campus services.
Q.
Is it fair to other students to provide accommodations to a student with a
disability?
A.
It would be unfair and discriminatory not to provide the accommodations, as
the individual with the disability learns and performs in a different manner
than the student without a disability. One way to address this issue and to
improve the class for all students is to consider implementing the
principles of Universal Design for Learning into your curriculum. This
levels the playing field for students with disabilities as well as offering
similar advantages to all students.
Q. Is there
anything I can do to encourage students in my class to make accommodation
requests before they run into trouble with assignments and test grades?
A. Make an
announcement at the start of the semester to encourage students with
disabilities to make an appointment with you to talk about their
accommodation requirements. Also include a statement on your syllabus that
indicates the institutions policy regarding requesting and providing
accommodations. A student with a disability is not required to inform you
of his or her disability unless they are requesting an accommodation. If a
student waits until the middle of the semester, you only have to make
changes from that point forward. You are not obliged to make changes to any
tests or assignments that have already taken place.
Q. Does the
accommodation letter that I receive from the student have to include the
name of the student’s disability and do I have the right to question the
disability?
A. No.
The Americans with Disabilities Act provides students with disabilities the
right to decide when to disclose and to whom they will disclose their
disability status. This right is protected by the student disability
services office by providing only a description of the accommodations that
the student is requesting and not a description of the disability. The
choice to disclose is an individual one and some students may prefer to
offer this information as a courtesy. Remember that many disabilities are
hidden. Faculty and administrators should rely on the student disability
services office to review the documentation provided by the student and
determine that the student has the right to request accommodations.
Q. Could you
please explain the definition of “extended time on exams”?
A.
Extended time generally means double time. So if a class period is 50
minutes in length, then extended time would be an hour and 40 minutes. In
some cases, a student may need more than double time due to their particular
disability or because of the use of assistive technology. The amount of
time needed by the student is usually documented and depends on the
student’s disability. It is important to remember that a student has the
right to ask questions during the exam period so remember to provide
periodic contact with the student.
Q. How can a
make a room “low distraction”?
A. The
definition of low distraction can mean different things to different
students. Usually, it means a quiet place to take a test. An office or
empty classroom could fit this description. Asking a student to use the
hallway is not a legitimate interpretation of “low distraction.” Ask the
student what would work best for him or her.
Q. How can a
notetaker be obtained without breaking student confidentiality?
A. Make an
announcement at the start of the semester that a notetaker is desired and
explain the responsibilities of the job. Ask the volunteers to meet with
you after the class. As they take notes they can give them to you at the
end of each class period to keep the identity of the student with the
disability confidential. You can also ask the student with the disability
if he or she prefers to keep the information confidential, if not then you
may introduce the notetaker to the student. If there is more than one
volunteer, you can ask both to provide notes so that the student with the
disability can choose the notes that suits him or her best and having more
than one notetaker can be an advantage in case one of them is absent during
the semester.
Q. What if
providing the requested accommodation would be a hardship in my class?
A. Contact
the student disability services office to see if there are other ways to
meet the student’s needs.
Q. Why do
students with disabilities need textbook information before the semester
starts?
A. Some
students require text in alternative formats or need extra time to read the
information necessary for the class. Putting a text book into alternative
format may take several weeks to months to complete. Other students may
need to begin reading required materials before the course begins in order
to keep up with the scheduled reading requirements.
For additional frequently asked
questions, please view The Ohio State University’s Partnership Grants Fast
Facts for Faculty referenced in Other Projects
on this website or click on
http://telr.osu.edu/dpg/faq.html and The Faculty Room from the
University of Washington’s DO-IT program at
http://www.washington.edu/doit/Faculty/Rights/Faq. For more frequently
asked question regarding Universal Design
for Learning, visit
http://www.facultyware.uconn.edu/faq.cfm.
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