Disabled Student Development (DSD) has been charged by the university to determine reasonable and appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities as outlined in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. In determining who is eligible for accommodations, DSD reviews relevant medical and psychometric documentation of the student's disability. If a student requests a disability-related accommodation and has supplied DSD with appropriate documentation of the disability, DSD will supply the student with a letter to give to his/her instructors verifying the disability, listing the necessary accommodations, and describing how these accommodations can be provided.
While many of the same accommodations for students with disabilities are necessary for students taking distance education courses, classes taught in this manner create some challenges for DSD and faculty in properly accommodating students with disabilities. The information below addresses accommodation needs and issues for students with different types of disabilities. Additionally, suggestions are offered for working with students with disabilities in the distance education setting.
Also keep in mind that designing your class in a way that is accessible to persons with disabilities may also be beneficial to persons without disabilities. For example, a student might be in a noisy lab when watching a video. In this situation, captions on the video would be helpful for that student as well as a student who is hard of hearing. Additionally, using technology that is easy to navigate and accessible by screen readers will not only help students who are blind but it will also help all students become comfortable with the program more quickly.
Additional Points
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The best resource is the student with the disability. Don’t ignore him/her, as good open communication can lead to good solutions.
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For post-secondary institutions, the guiding principle is: “What is available to any of your students must be available for all of your students.” This includes courses offered through distance education.
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You are encouraged to
contact the DSD office if you have questions.
Both the failure to accommodate and over-accommodating are to be avoided.
Communicate with
DSD early in the process.
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Please remember that all information relative to disability must be handled in a confidential manner.