Include a statement in your syllabus and make the announcement on the first day of class. A sample syllabus statement is available here. 

Tell the student that in respect for her/his confidentiality, you would like to meet during office hours where you can discuss the request further. Tell the student this will give you both an opportunity to review the letter and accommodations. Talking with students about accommodations helps students practice self-advocacy skills.

You may not legally ask students if they have a disability, but you can make inquiries about the nature of their academic difficulties. You may ask if they had difficulty before and how they were able to succeed in their classes. The student may voluntarily disclose the disability. A referral to the Center for Accessibility Resources is appropriate at this point. If he/she does not disclose, you may simply tell the student that you notice he/she is having academic difficulty and encourage him/her to talk with you about gaining assistance, just as you would with any student.

You are not obligated to provide additional accommodations for which you have not received documentation; however, please contact the director of disability resources so the accommodation request can be reviewed. It may be an appropriate and reasonable accommodation to add for the student. 

You should be given an Accommodation Letter from the student that lists the approved academic adjustments that are determined and authorized by the director of accessibility resources. 

Completely! Instructors must maintain a policy of strict confidentiality about the identity of a student with a disability, the nature of their disability, and the disability–related accommodations they require.

Absolutely not. We understand that this may be difficult for some individuals who teach; however, requiring that a student disclose her or his disability puts the university at great legal risk. Although you may be open to listening if a student chooses to explain her or his disability to you—without your actual or implied solicitation of information—it is very important that you communicate respect for the student’s privacy regarding the specific nature of her or his disability. 

Students will be asked to complete a general registration form. Their disability, as they understand it, will be discussed with the director of disability resources. The student will be informed that to be granted accommodations, she or he will have to submit appropriate documentation of disability from a licensed professional. Once received, the documentation will be reviewed for appropriateness. After review, the director will discuss reasonable accommodations based on the documentation available. Students without appropriate or current documentation will be given an appropriate referral, if the student so desires.

A student who wishes to receive disability-related accommodations must register with the Center for Accessibility Resources before receiving accommodations. Once determined eligible for accommodations, the student provides each of their instructors with a letter written by the director, which substantiates proof of the disability and identifies approved academic accommodations.

Announce at the beginning of the course that you are available to discuss instructional methods and appropriate course modifications with students who have disabilities. In addition, you should include a note to this effect on your course syllabus. 

A reasonable accommodation is a modification that allows the student equal access to the learning opportunity. Academic accommodations include, but are not limited to, testing accommodations, adaptive technology services, and assistance in arranging other support services (e.g., interpreters, note-takers, scribes, and readers).

Any exceptions that a professor chooses to make in her or his instructional and/or testing procedures is not deemed an accommodation of a disability if the student has not self-identified and registered with the Center for Accessibility Resources at LVC. We all know that most professors choose to make exceptions for particular students from time to time (e.g., allowing a student to take a make-up test in the event of a family member’s death). However, any exceptions made based on a students alleged, but undocumented disability, can put the university at legal risk. 

Absolutely! Because you are the person most intimately familiar with your own courses and teaching style, you may provide very valuable input in the process of tailoring the specifics of several accommodations for a given student. Also, any prior experience that you have had with the student or in working with other students with disabilities can be helpful. We welcome your ideas and suggestions as we all work together to meet the needs and accommodations of LVC students with disabilities.

If you have questions about the validity of a letter presented by a student, you are urged to contact the director of disability resources. Although we cannot disclose the specifics about a student’s disability without the student’s consent, the director can review the files and tell you if the forms you were presented were originated from the Center office and if the accommodations listed are in fact the accommodations granted. Students are issued new letters each semester and must present current letters to faculty. Faculty are not to accept letters that appear altered or are dated for previous semesters. 

An LVC focus group representative of several faculty members helped to develop specific language to include in accommodation letters for students who may miss class due to exacerbation of disability-related symptoms. When this accommodation is needed, students must notify professors in a timely manner. If absences exceed the instructor’s attendance policies, the student must meet with his or her academic advisor to discuss the impact excessive absence may have in completing the course successfully. 

Yes. The laws mandate access to education for students with disabilities, not guaranteed academic success. 

The following is a compliance checklist that may be helpful:

• Stand by academic standards and freedoms, which include full and equitable access to academic programs.
• Provide verbal and written notice to your students of your willingness to accommodate.
• Communicate clear and concise expectations for performance to your students.
• Distinguish between essential and non–essential components of the course.
• Respect requests for reasonable accommodations.
• Permit students to use auxiliary aides and technologies that ensure access (e.g., note takers, readers, scribes, tape recorders, assistive listening devices).
• Assure that your course materials, whether printed or electronic, are accessible and available in alternative formats.
• Consult with the director of accessibility resources if you have questions regarding an accommodation.
• Keep student disability–related information strictly confidential.