Faculty

Student Accessibility Services (SAS) is charged with collecting appropriate disability-related documentation and identifying academic accommodations for eligible students with disabilities. Collaboration with faculty is often necessary, and important, in discussing what may be reasonable in a particular situation.

Syllabus statement:

Students with disabilities are expected to meet the same standards, requirements, and expectations of the course. Accommodations allow for “equal access” and “equal opportunity”, and may be considered unreasonable if they:

1. Fundamentally alter an essential element of the program; and/or
2. Result in an undue administrative or financial burden.

Otherwise, accommodations are based on a standard of “reasonableness” – what a reasonable person would reasonably expect to be reasonable (legal comment).

While implementation of accommodations may vary, it is illegal to deny identified and reasonable accommodations. 

ACCESSIBILITY v. ACCOMMODATION
SAS works toward an inclusive, universally accessible community. Issues related to Accessible Instructional Materials (e.g., videos, pdfs, lectures), classroom access (e.g., building, room, seating), and communication (e.g., interpreter/CART) are addressed ongoing with a specific focus on identified student needs in order to create access. These efforts provide access, rather than accommodation, and are separate from the student accommodation letter. No accommodation letter is necessary to address these needs.

An accommodation letter, which the student initiates and sends via ClockWork directly to instructors, identifies the classroom accommodations to be provided that generally are only done on the basis of "disability" and once the letter is received.

It is important to note the distinction between ACCESSIBILITY, which is done to remove known barriers, and ACCOMMODATION, which is a formal letter of notification.