Disability Support Services
Information, Policies, & Procedures for Faculty & Staff
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Disability Support Services
Mailing Address: Physical Address:
1530 3rd Avenue South 1400 University Boulevard
Suite 516 Hill University Center 516 HUC
Birmingham, Alabama 35294-1150 Birmingham, Alabama 35294
Phone 205.934.4205 TTY: 205.934.4248 Fax 205.934.8170
Available in alternative formats upon request
Preface
As an institution of higher education and in the spirit of its policies of equal employment opportunity, the university hereby declares its policy of equal educational opportunity. All applicants for admission will be considered without regard to an applicant’s race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability unrelated to program performance, disabled veteran status, or Vietnam era veteran status. This policy is noted in all student handbooks. Complaints or grievances of any student who has reason to think he or she has been affected by discrimination will be considered through established procedures.
Disability Support Services (DSS), located in 516 Hill University Center, serves as the central campus resource for students with disabilities. Working in partnership with students, faculty, and staff, the goal of DSS is to provide a physically and educationally accessible university environment that ensures an individual is viewed on the basis of ability, not disability. DSS staff members work individually with students to determine appropriate accommodations that will enable all students to have access to the same programs and services, and to have students’ academic performance evaluated, to the extent possible, without the limiting effects of a disability.
This resource guide for faculty and staff has been developed:
o To answer some of the most common questions about faculty responsibilities to students with disabilities;
o To offer suggestions and strategies concerning how to accommodate students with disabilities; and
o To help faculty and staff in locating offices and other resources which can provide detailed assistance when needed.
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Table of Contents
Section 1
Legal Mandates 1
Identifying Students with Disabilities 1-2
Section 2
Academic Accommodations 3-4
Accommodation Letters 4
Providing Reasonable Accommodations 4-5
Common Accommodation Requests 5
Conflict Resolution for Faculty 6-7
Faculty Accommodation Appeal Form 8
Section 3
Documentation of Disabilities 9
Categories of Disability 9
Learning Disabilities 10-11
ADHD 11-12
Mobility, Sensory, & Systemic 13
Psychiatric 14
TBI 15
Section 4
DSS Forms, Policies, & Procedures 16
The Accommodation Process 16
Accommodation Letter 17
Audiotape Recording Policy 18
Excused Absence Policy 16
Sign Language Interpreter Policy 19
Notetaker Announcement 20
Reader Services Policy 20
Exam Proctoring Policy 21-22
Section 5
Disability Information for Faculty 23
LD 23-24
ADHD 24-25
Mobility Disorders 26-27
Systemic Disorders 28-30
Visual Impairments 30-32
Hearing Impairments 32-33
Psychiatric 33-37
TBI 37-38
SECTION 6
Instructional Strategies for Faculty 39
Creating an Accessible Environment 39-40
Teaching Accessibly 40-41
Faculty Manual
Section
1
1
Faculty Manual
Legal Mandates…to Accommodate
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 states “that no otherwise qualified individual with a disability shall, solely be reason of his or her disability, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.” Compliance with this law requires that colleges and universities “make such modifications to [their] academic requirements as are necessary to ensure that such requirements do not discriminate or have the effect of discriminating,” on the basis of disability, against a qualified disabled applicant or student. “Modifications may include changes in the length of time permitted for completion of degree requirements, substitution of specific courses required for the completion of degree requirements, and adaptation of the manner in which specific courses are conducted.” [34 CFR Section 104.44]
The law does not require that students with disabilities be given special advantages that place them in a better position to succeed than their classmates. Rather, it requires that they be provided equal opportunity to achieve success by removing physical and instructional barriers so they may be allowed to compete on the basis of their academic abilities. Nor are academic institutions required to alter essential academic requirements. Requirements that can be demonstrated as essential to a course or program of study, or to any directly related licensing requirement, are not regarded as discriminatory.
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 reinforces the provisions of the Rehabilitation Act, requiring that public facilities, services, transportation, and communications be accessible to persons with disabilities and that auxiliary aids and services be provided unless an undue burden would result.
Identifying Students with Disabilities
Students are responsible for informing the University of their disability and their need for accommodations and services by presenting Disability Support Services with documentation verifying their disability. Students who choose not to self-identify when they enter UAB do not forfeit their right to identify themselves and to request accommodations at a later date. However, the University is not obligated to provide accommodations and services for students with disabilities until students are registered with DSS, and make known their need for accommodations.
Disability Support Services is responsible for determining the acceptability of documentation, and reserves the right to require additional information to determine the nature of an individual’s disability. DSS maintains the right to reject documentation that does not adequately document a student’s disability or delineate appropriate academic adjustments. DSS also reserves the option of seeking a second, professional opinion regarding documentation presented to verify disabilities. UAB guidelines for documentation of disabilities may be found in Section 3.
Documentation presented to and accepted by Disability Support Services is valid as long as a student is continuously enrolled at the University. However, if there is a break in the student’s enrollment, he/she may need to present updated documentation to receive services through DSS.
Disability Support Services is responsible for receiving and holding all documentation related to a student’s disability. Such documentation is considered confidential. Faculty and staff do not have access to information related to the diagnosis of a student’s disability, but may be provided with information related to the services and/or accommodations requested by a student. Generally, no information is released by DSS without the informed, written consent of the student. General information on specific disabilities and UAB services for students with disabilities is available from DSS.
Section
2
Academic Accommodations
Reasonable accommodation is not a new concept. Historically, faculty members have accommodated students who present legitimate personal needs. However, Section 504 and ADA require procedures that may be unfamiliar to faculty. For this reason (and because some accommodations may require resources outside the department), DSS was established to facilitate the accommodation process for faculty. Please remember that DSS staff are available to assist faculty in any accommodation situation.
Reasonable accommodation is essentially a problem-solving process; the task is to determine the necessary adjustments that will enable students with disabilities to have access to the same programs and services available to other students, and to have their academic performance evaluated without the limiting effects of their disability. The objective of such adjustments is to accommodate the functional limitations of the student’s disability while maintaining the integrity of University courses and programs.
Disability Support Services determines reasonable academic adjustments for students, taking into consideration recommendations from the physician, psychologist, or other clinician that diagnosed the student’s disability. DSS also investigates accommodations that previously have been used in educational settings with the student. In addition, DSS staff consult with faculty to assist in tailoring reasonable accommodations to individual course requirements. DSS staff meets individually with students to discuss accommodations. Although some persons may have similar diagnoses, each person’s requests for accommodations are considered on a case-by-case basis, as required by law.
Disability Support Services issues accommodation letters after documentation of a student’s disability has been reviewed and accepted. Thus, students who present accommodation letters to instructors are recognized by UAB as students with disabilities, and are entitled to services under UAB policies. However, if students identify themselves as disabled to instructors, but do not have accommodation letters from DSS, they are NOT eligible for services under UAB policies. It is recommended that instructors include a statement similar to one of the following in their course syllabus and repeat it during the first class meeting:
If you are registered with Disability Support Services, please
make an appointment with me as soon as possible to discuss
any course accommodations that may be necessary. If you have
a disability but have not contacted Disability Support Services,
please call 934-4205 or visit DSS at 516 Hill University Center to register for services.
or
Students who may need course adaptations because of a disability are welcome to make an appointment to see me during office hours.
Students with disabilities must be registered with Disability Support Services, 516 HUC, and deliver an official accommodation letter before receiving academic adjustments.
Faculty members need not feel responsible for accommodations that are not requested. Faculty members are not required to, and should not, assess the needs of students with disabilities, and address those needs in the absence of any request from Disability Support Services.
Accommodation Letters
It is the student’s responsibility to deliver accommodation letters to each instructor in whose course the student is requesting accommodations, and to discuss with those instructors methods for providing the requested academic adjustments. However, some students with disabilities may not deliver those letters to their instructors until some time after the beginning of the semester. Instructors are not obligated to provide academic adjustments until they have received accommodation letters. If a student delivers an accommodation letter to his/her instructor within a few days of an assignment or exam, the instructor may not be able to arrange an optimal adjustment. However, the instructor is obliged to “do the best you can” in providing reasonable academic adjustments on short notice.
Instructors are asked to sign and return the accommodation letter, confirming their intent to provide the accommodations recommended by DSS. If instructors have questions or concerns about implementing specific accommodations, they are encouraged to contact DSS staff members as soon as possible. If DSS is not contacted, faculty members will be considered to have agreed to provide the recommended accommodations. Samples of DSS accommodation letters are included in Section 4.
Accommodation letters delineate services for which a student is eligible. It is the student’s responsibility to discuss with his/her instructors which academic adjustments they intend to use in each class.
Providing Reasonable Accommodations
Providing reasonable academic adjustments for students with disabilities is a collaborative process between the student and his/her instructor. For example, extended time for exams should be arranged to match both the student’s and the instructor’s schedules. A student might start a test before the rest of the class, finish a test after the rest of the class, or take a test in two halves at two different times. Extended time adjustments should be appropriate and efficient for both the student and the instructor.
The same is true for reduced-distraction settings for exams. Federal law requires that students with disabilities receive services in the most integrated setting possible, unless separate services are the only method of providing appropriate accommodations. Faculty should, if at all possible, provide academic adjustments in their own departments. The instructor should arrange a location close to the regular classroom (with a minimum of distractions), so the instructor is available if the student has questions. Testing in reduced-distraction settings does not have to coincide with the scheduled exam time. Again, reduced-distraction settings should be arranged to suit both the student and the instructor. Disability Support Services has very limited space and personnel to monitor exams, and does so primarily under special circumstances (such as a student’s need for a Brailled test or a scribe).
Examples of common academic accommodation requests:
Testing Accommodations - Testing accommodations may include extended time, reduced-distraction testing situations, taped or orally administered tests, alternate test formats, readers, and/or scribes. Testing accommodations are provided within each department, if possible. Students should discuss testing accommodations with their instructors at the beginning of each term. DSS proctors examinations for students that need to use assistive technology or whose instructor is unable to provide test proctoring. Students are obligated to comply with DSS test proctoring guidelines to ensure smooth delivery of services and maintain integrity of faculty examinations.
Alternate Formats for Assignments – In many cases, assignments may be submitted in formats other than those stated in course requirements.
Tape Recording and/or Notetakers - Students may be permitted to tape record class lectures and/or may request peer notetakers. DSS will assist in providing NCR (No Carbon Required) paper for notetakers, and/or arranging for peer notetakers.
Reading Assistance - Students may secure Books on Tape through Disability Support Services. Reading machines are available in the DSS computer lab, Mervyn Stern Library, Lister Hill Library, and several other computer labs on campus.
Academic Classroom Aids – In many cases, students may be permitted to use calculators, dictionaries, word processors, spell checkers, and/or grammar checkers for in-class and out-of-class work.
Adaptive Computer Technology - Adaptive technology labs are located in the DSS office and several other locations on campus. Adaptive applications vary from lab to lab, but most have screen reader and magnification capability.
Academic Assistance – Academic assistance may be provided through notetakers, scribes, readers, and/or sign language interpreters. However, federal law does not require the University to provide services that place an undue administrative or financial burden upon the University. The University is not required to provide services of a personal nature, including assistance with eating, toileting, or mobility.
Conflict Resolution for Faculty
When a qualified student with a disability requests accommodations, the University has a legal obligation to make an effort to provide effective and reasonable accommodations. However, the University is not required to make adjustments that impose an undue financial or administrative burden on the institution, or fundamentally alter the nature of the University program, service, or activity. The obligation to reasonably accommodate students with disabilities does not require reduction of academic standards or course requirements, nor does it require acceptance of behaviors that pose a direct threat or disrupt the learning or teaching environment. If a particular requested academic adjustment is judged to be inappropriate, the University is obligated to consider other reasonable accommodations.