Accommodating Students with Disabilities in the Learning Environment - Information for Faculty
Faculty play a crucial role in helping students with disabilities achieve academic success, but that is only part of the story. At the Center on Disabilities we recognize that students with disabilities, faculty and staff at the Center all have responsibilities in the accommodation process. Without the contribution of each party, students will not be able to fully access both classroom and out of classroom activities necessary for academic success. The following guide is intended to clarify the roles of faculty, students and staff in the accommodation process.
Faculty's Role
- Maintain Confidentiality
- Make Reasonable Accommodations
- Provide Access to Classroom & Materials
While it is the instructor’s responsibility to ensure that the learning environment is accessible, students must request accommodations. Instructors may find it useful to include a statement on their syllabus which directs students with disabilities about the steps they need to take to receive classroom accommodations. You may wish to use the following statement or something similar:
Students with disabilities must register with the Center on Disabilities and complete a services agreement each semester. Staff within the Center will verify the existence of a disability based on the documentation provided and approve accommodations. Students who are approved for test taking accommodations must provide an Alternative Testing Form to their faculty member signed by a counselor in the Center on Disabilities prior to making testing arrangements. The Center on Disabilities is located in Bayramian Hall, room 110. Staff can be reached at 818.677.2684.
In certain situations, reasonable accommodations may require modification of pedagogical approaches. The following are examples of accommodations that may be necessary to ensure equal access to education:
- Provide necessary accommodations for exam taking or provide the exam to the Center where the student can receive the accommodations needed
- Provide alternative ways to fulfill course requirements
- Allow adaptive technology such as tape recorders, electronic note takers, and laptop computers to be used in the classroom
- Consider alternate ways of assessing students that allows the student’s academic abilities to be measured and not his or her disabilities.
Confidentiality in the accommodation process must be maintained by all parties. The Center on Disabilities cannot provide specific information about a student’s disability but can verify that a student has a disability if they have signed a service agreement for accommodations in an instructor’s class. It is very important that faculty maintain confidentiality and do not discuss a student’s disability or accommodation request with other faculty or other students.
Staff at the Center on Disabilities are always available to serve as a resource for faculty seeking assistance in providing accommodations to student and welcome your questions. If you need assistance or just want to consult with a staff member about questions you may have regarding reasonable accommodations, please contact the Center on Disabilities at:
(818) 677-2684
codss@csun.edu
Student's Role
- Make Decisions about Disclosure
- Meet Academic Requirements & Deadlines
- Appropriately Advocate for Self
Of course students must take responsibility for their educational experience and register with the Center on Disabilities in order to be eligible for accommodations. If a student approaches you and requests an accommodation and has not registered with the Center, you should simply direct them to our office.
Students are responsible for:
- Registering with the Center on Disabilities and identifying themselves as having a disability by providing documentation from a medical professional which states the functional limitations and duration (temporary/permanent) of the disability
- Seeing a counselor in the Center each semester to sign a Service Agreement
- Requesting special testing procedures at least seven (7) days in advance
- Ordering special materials for class such as electronic text, Braille textbooks or large-print material through Center on Disabilities as soon as the schedule is set for the next semester
- Arranging for in-class note takers
- Initiating contact with special programs at the Center on Disabilities
- Finding, training, and employing personal care attendants if necessary.
If a student does not reveal they have a disability and does not request accommodations, you cannot be held responsible at a later date for not providing accommodations.
Center's Role
- Verify Disability
- Approve Accommodations
- Act as a Resource Center for Students and Faculty
- Provide Support Services
Staff in the Center on Disabilities are always available to assist and support faculty, staff, and students in order to provide a successful learning experience. The Center on Disabilities is designated by the Chancellor’s Office as the administrative unit responsible for determining a student’s eligibility for reasonable accommodations and services based on information provided by the student’s health care provider. In fact, students with disabilities may not require accommodations in every class. Accommodations for students are determined by the Center on Disabilities staff on a case-by-case basis, after considering the functional limitations resulting from the disability.
Reasonable accommodations from a legal perspective are those accommodations which allow equal access to the educational environment for students with disabilities and do not pose an undue burden on the institution. You are not required to provide students with special advantages in order to help them pass courses or assess them differently than their classmates, as that would not be considered a reasonable accommodation. Instead, steps that can be taken without significant difficulty or expense to allow otherwise qualified students to fulfill course requirements by limiting as much as possible the effects of their disabilities on their performance, are reasonable. Staff at the Center on Disabilities are available to help you consider ways in which your class can be made accessible if you are facing challenges in providing reasonable accommodations.