Accessibility Services Guidelines (For Faculty) | Center for Student Success

Table of Contents

Collaboration

The Wellness and Accessibility Services (WAS) staff is here to support student and faculty interactions. The institution has designated an accessibility services office to evaluate documentation and notify faculty regarding academic accommodations. An institution of higher education actually protects faculty members from unwarranted and dysfunctional pressures by designating a particular office as the place where documentation about disabilities is filed and where the institution’s experience is concentrated for accommodation design and development. Faculty members are protected by compliance with the accommodations recommended by the WAS office keeping the Reasonable Accommodations Policy in mind and are encouraged to consult with WAS staff regarding the propriety of accommodations within the curriculum.

Faculty are encouraged to announce at the beginning of the semester and put a statement in the syllabus inviting students with disabilities to schedule a meeting to discuss the nature of the disability. If the faculty members suspects that a student has a disability, he or she should discuss the concern with the students, and then, if appropriate, refer the student to the WAS
office. If a disability is brought to the attention of the faculty members, the faculty member is encouraged to refer the student to the WAS office so appropriate accommodations can be put in place for the student. WAS will not ask faculty to compromise the quality of instruction or evaluation or sacrifice class standards or objectives.

Syllabus Statement

Faculty members can copy and paste this statement in their syllabus:

Services for students with disabilities are provided through the Wellness and Accessibility Services office in the Global Resource Center room 103. Services include, but are not limited to: alternative text format, assistive technology information, campus accessibility, testing accommodations, advocacy, academic accommodations, or assistance with any other campus needs related to a student’s disability or diagnosis. (Available to all WNMU students). Please reach out to Wellness and Accessibility Services at (575) 538-6277 or accessibility@wnmu.edu to get your accommodation needs processed.

Testing and Accommodations

Testing accommodations are provided when there is a disability-related need for them. Faculty are not expected to lower their academic standards. Using approved reasonable accommodations, students should be able to demonstrate their knowledge without the need for alternative tests or different evaluation/grading standards. The accommodation letters state the appropriate testing accommodations, depending upon the nature of the coursework and the disability-related needs of the individual student. The faculty member should not modify their evaluation/grading standards rather assure that they are providing the reasonable accommodations previously approved for the specific student.

Commonly requested accommodations

Extended time on assignments: the request for extended time on assignments is one of the most common accommodations for all disability groups. Students must always request the extension before the due date of the specific assignment. It is never expected that this is a blanket accommodation. The faculty member and student will discuss a specific time frame for the extension according to the student need and assignment requirements. This accommodation requires communication from both the student and the faculty for it to properly be executed. If the student is unable to communicate with the faculty member about the need for an extension, the student will contact WAS as soon as they are able to so they can work on a resolution.
Accessible seating: students who may need front row seating include those who cannot walk up or down steps, have difficulty maneuvering through a row of seats, have a vision or hearing impairment, or have disabilities that affect their ability to remain focused on visual or auditory lecture material.
Quiet testing environment: if a student has this accommodation, the faculty member needs to provide a
quiet testing environment for the student to take all quizzes and exams (with the exception of strictly online classes). The faculty member has the option of letting WAS know that they have a student who needs to take an exam in the appropriate proctoring space with WAS or provide a quiet testing environment in their appropriate building (i.e. the classroom next to theirs, their office, with the department assistant, etc.) so long as it provides a low distraction environment for the student. If the student wishes to take the exam with WAS, they must let WAS know at least 24 hours in advance of the exam date and time. The faculty member will send the exam to WAS via email at accessiblity@wnmu.edu or drop off the exam at the WAS office located in the Global Resource Center room 103.
Alternative text format: if the student requires an alternative text format, the WAS office will be primarily responsible for providing this to the student.
Excused medical absences: often, students will have a need for excused medical absences when they are actively working through their disability with a health care professional or if they have a flare-up type of
diagnosis. When a student must miss a class due to a disability, the student will make WAS aware of this and provide proper documentation to show that their absence was medically necessary. WAS will make the faculty member aware of this and the absence will be excused.

Faculty FAQ’S Regarding Disability

Students with disabilities may use assistive technology or services that require additional time to use. Also, students with learning disabilities may require extra time in order to process and comprehend the information on the test or to write their answers to the questions.

The student’s documentation is given in confidence to the Student Accessibility Services office. As long as a student has a letter of accommodations from the service office, the professor is required to implement the accommodations. If you have any questions about the accommodations, please contact the service office to discuss your concerns.

The student will give you an accommodation letter that verifies the qualification to receive accommodations. This letter also states what types of accommodations the student will need. If you have questions or concerns about the letter of accommodations, please contact the service office instead of asking the student.

You are under no obligation to provide accommodations to students who do not have an accommodation letter from the service office. Direct that student to the disability service office so that staff and the student, together, can determine what eligibility and accommodations are needed to meet that student’s needs.

Students with disabilities are held to the same honor code stated in the institutional policy. When a student with a disability breaks the code, he/she must also face the same consequences as students without disabilities.

Disabilities are often described as “visible or invisible.” Invisible disabilities are those in which the characteristics are not obvious to an independent observer, and may involve cognitive processing or psychological challenges. Typical invisible disabilities include learning disabilities, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorders, traumatic brain injuries, several health impairments and psychological impairments. Encourage students to get an accommodation letter from the service office where staff will review student documentation to determine if the student has a disability and authorize appropriate accommodations.

By providing the extra time, the student can be evaluated for what he/she knows about the material being tested rather than the effects of his/her disability, therefore, leveling the playing field.

Some students with disabilities attempt courses without obtaining accommodation as they may feel embarrassed to disclose their disability, or do not need an accommodation. When they may realize that they need to access the accommodations, they seek support in order to maximize their classroom performance. Instructors can help facilitate the disclosure process formally to the university by including a statement about disability and accommodation options in the syllabus. When the student speaks with you concerning their disability, refer them to disability service office if they do not have an accommodation letter.

No, students with disabilities are held to the same academic standards as all students. However, students with disabilities may require modifications/accommodations so that they may fully participate in the lessons, assignments and tests.

Students with an auditory processing problem may have a difficult time relying only on lectures to access information. Whenever possible, it would be helpful to add a visual prompt to your lecture. This not only enhances learning for those students with auditory processing problems, but also for the students in your class who are visual learners as they benefit from having an outline of the class material prior to class lecture.

Further Support or Questions