Accessible Formats are course materials including textbooks, documents, exams, handouts, etc., converted into various accessible MS Word documents, PDF’s, Braille, etc.

Faculty will receive a Notification of Academic Accommodation email from Disability Access Services (DAS) when eligible students have requested accessible format accommodations. If a student addresses faculty directly with a request for accessible formats, please direct the student to contact the DAS Office.

When accessible format conversions require substantial time to prepare, faculty will be asked to provide the class syllabus well in advance of the term.

When a new textbook is selected, ask the publisher if the textbook is available in electronic text (E-text). If the choice is between two textbooks of comparable content, and only one of these is available in E-text, the fully accessible textbook should be selected.

If the E-text format is unavailable, request a desk copy from the publisher for DAS to convert into an accessible format. DAS will donate the book to the Valley Library.

It is important to remember that some of the supplemental materials might not be accessible to all students.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact:

Assistive Technology Manager
Alt.Format@oregonstate.edu
541-737-3666

Updated 09/2015

DAS Alternative Testing Services offers proctoring for registered DAS students. DAS can provide alternative testing accommodations for both on-campus and Ecampus courses at the Corvallis campus and OSU-Cascades in Bend. Please select a campus from the links below for more information about student and faculty responsibilities, locations and hours of operation, and the DAS Testing Center’s policies and procedures.

• Corvallis Campus
• Ecampus
• Cascades Campus

Page updated 09/2018

Working with Students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

If a student who is Deaf, hard of hearing, or has an auditory processing disorder is in class, the “Notice of Academic Accommodation” email from Disability Access Services will list the accommodations that are appropriate for the student.  Among these are:

• FM/Assistive Listening Devices
• Real-time Transcribing
• Real-time Captioning (CART)
• Sign Language Interpreting
• Accessible Audio/Video Materials

Additional information about each of the listed accommodations can be found by clicking the links above.

There are several teaching techniques that are helpful for students with a hearing loss in your class. These include:

• Ensuring that lighting is adequate for the student to be able to see the interpreters.
• Avoiding standing with your back to light sources (such as windows). Doing so can create shadows on the face and prevents the student from speech-reading.
• Avoiding speaking while facing away from the class; avoiding covering the mouth and face with papers, books, hands, etc.
• Providing copies of overheads, PowerPoints, and other visual aids to the student in advance. A student watching an interpreter or a transcriber's computer screen cannot simultaneously see the material that you reference in class.
• Providing Disability Access Services information about media that you plan to use. A captioned copy will be provided for use when a student with a hearing loss is present in the class.
• Requesting an interpreter or transcriber for meetings with the student if such is necessary to ensure communication access. Fill out a Request for Interpreter or Transcriber form or contact DHOH.services@oregonstate.edu, preferably at least 24 hours in advance.
• Striving to minimize background/environmental noises.
• Using written notes to communicate with the student when interpreters or transcribers are unavailable.

For additional information, please contact the Manager of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Access Services: DHOH.services@oregonstate.edu or 541-737-3670

Page Updated 11/2014

Disability Access Services (DAS) provides technology to help students, independently, meet their notetaking accommodation.  All eligible students may use one of the following systems.  To use these technologies effectively, it is requested of faculty to provide PowerPoint presentations in advance of the lecture.

• Sonocent
• LiveScribe SmartPen

Two other types of notetaking services are available and is dependent on the impact of the disability in physically taking notes.  

• Peer-to-Peer Notetaking Services
• Real-time Transcribing Services

Peer-to-Peer notetaking services and real-time transcribing services requires approval from the DAS Documentation Review Team. 

Sonocent Technology

DAS is contracting with Sonocent to obtain subscriptions for students eligible for notetaking support.  Research shows that students who take good notes are more engaged in class and ultimately get better grades.  With Sonocent, students can focus on what they are hearing during the lecture, have the opportunity to highlight what the instructor identifies as important and then come back to their recording to create effective notes.  Student can also import slides and images that connects to their audio recording to create multi-media study resources. 

If electronic devices are not allowed in the classroom, please be aware that students eligible for Sonocent must use an electronic device to receive their accommodation.

Student Responsibilities

• When selecting Sonocent, students will sign an agreement to use the Sonocent audio recordings of course lectures solely for their own educational purpose. 
• Students also agree to not share the software access code,  make copies or release the audio recordings of course lectures to others, post to websites and/or social media, sell, or in any way hinder the instructor’s ability to obtain a copyright of this lecture content. 
• Failure to comply with this policy may result in a hold on notetaking services and referral to OSU's Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards.

DAS Responsibilities

• DAS will review and approve students’ accommodation requests. 
• If approved DAS will email the students’ faculty member a notification letter, letting them know the student has requested to use Sonocent technology to meet their notetaking accommodation.

LiveScribe SmartPen Technology

A Smartpen is a high-tech writing tool that records spoken words and synchronizes them with notes written on special paper. The Echo from Live scribe is one of the most popular smart pens.

A student can record everything an instructor says and then replay any part of it later by tapping the pen's tip to the word on the paper. Although it looks and writes like an ordinary pen, the Echo is actually a multimodal computer.

A Livescribe Smartpen is about the size and weight of a large pen (5/8" x 6 1/8"), and is equipped with a removable ball-point ink cartridge, a microphone to record audio, a speaker for playback, The pen has a small OLED display, an infra-red camera, and internal flash memory that captures handwritten notes, audio and drawings.

The user can choose to record audio in addition to the handwritten text. Recorded audio is kept indexed with the handwritten text—tapping on a written word starts playback of the recorded audio from that part of the recording.

If electronic devices are not allowed in the classroom, please be aware that students eligible for Livescribe Smartpen must use an electronic device to receive their accommodation.

Student Responsibilities

• When selecting Livescribe Smartpens, students will sign an agreement to use the Livescribe Smartpens audio recordings of course lectures solely for their own educational purpose. 
• Students also agree to not share the pen with other individuals to record lectures/meetings,  make copies or release the audio recordings of course lectures to others, post to websites and/or social media, sell, or in any way hinder the instructor’s ability to obtain a copyright of this lecture content. 
• Failure to comply with this policy may result in a hold on notetaking services and referral to OSU's Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards.

DAS Responsibilities

• DAS will review and approve students’ accommodation requests. 
• If approved DAS will email the students’ faculty member a notification letter, letting them know the student has requested to use Livescribe Smartpen technology to meet their notetaking accommodation.

Peer-to-peer Notetaking

Providing peer-to-peer notetaker assistance is a cooperative effort between the professor and the DAS Office.

DAS makes every effort to identify a peer-to-peer notetaker for your class before the beginning of the term. In some cases, DAS may need faculty assistance in order to recruit a peer-to-peer notetaker. We greatly appreciate your assistance in the following:

1. Please contact us at Notetaking.Services@oregonstate.edu if you can provide the student(s) with complete lecture notes, or if the lecture notes are posted online via Canvas, so that we may inform the students. Please note: some students (due to their disability) may require a peer-to-peer notetaker in addition to the notes you provide. When this is the case, you may receive an email asking for your assistance in recruiting a peer-to-peer notetaker.

2. If lecture notes are not available, please help the DAS office by identifying a student in your class who you believe would be a competent and dependable notetaker. Please refer the student to sign-up online at http://ds.oregonstate.edu/notetaker. Please note: Notetakers are assigned on a first-come, first-serve basis. We are always recruiting through multiple channels, in order to provide notes as soon as possible.

3. If you cannot identify a student to take notes, please make the following announcement in class or through a Canvas announcement. (Not mentioning) the name(s) of the student(s): There is a student in our class who is eligible to receive a Notetaker through Disability Access Services. The pay for providing notes is usually $100 per course or students can request documentation of community service hours. If you have at least a 2.5 GPA and take accurate, legible notes, please go online to sign up as a notetaker http://ds.oregonstate.edu/notetaker or visit the DAS office in A200 Kerr Administration Building.

4. Professor/instructor - If you receive a second/third email requesting help with finding a note taker, please know DAS is having difficulties with finding a notetaker and we hope you will consider offering an incentive (i.e. extra credit/points) to increase the probability of finding a notetaker in your class.

Feel free to print the following information sheet to distribute to interested notetakers: Notetaker How-To's

If we are not successful in recruiting a notetaker, we may request a copy of faculty notes or loan Sonocent or a Livescribe Smartpen to capture the lecture.

Student Responsibilities

• Attend class in order to receive notes, unless the absence is disability related. DAS may request verification for disability related absences.
• Notes are for DAS students’ use only. Students are not allowed to distribute or sell the notes provided by the DAS Notetaker or faculty member.
• Failure to comply with this policy may result in a hold on notetaking services and referral to OSU's Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards.

DAS Responsibilities

• DAS will review and approve students’ accommodation requests. 
• If approved DAS will email the students’ faculty member a notification letter, letting them know the student has requested to have another student in the class (peer-to-peer) to take notes.  See above process for working with DAS to provide this accommodation.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Notetaking Services at 541-737-3672 (voice) or Notetaking.Services@oregonstate.edu (email).

Real-Time Transcribing

Under certain conditions, real-time transcribing services may be needed to accommodate the student.  Real-time transcribing is a method of using specialized software to convert spoken language into text onto any device with a web browser and internet access.

If electronic devices are not allowed in the classroom, please be aware that students eligible for transcribing must use an electronic device with internet to receive their accommodation.

• Lecture material, class comments, questions, and social interactions  among the student's peers are all transcribed.
• The transcriber captures both the meaning and style of what is said.
• The text from the transcriber is not "word-for word." The transcriber has been trained to condense information in order to keep up with the pace of the lecture, while retaining all essential points of the material.
• The use of two linked computers allows the student to type questions and comments to the transcriber during class. If needed, the transcriber can then read ("voice") for the student. 
• The transcribing process always involves a slight lag time. The student using the service will require a few additional seconds in order to respond to questions and/or participate in class discussions.
• The student is responsible for copying the information on overheads or written on the board. It is impossible for the student to simultaneously copy the information and watch the transcribing on a computer screen. Therefore, it is very helpful to a student who is deaf/hard of hearing to receive copies of overheads used during lecture in advance.
• Transcribers are typically added to the Learning Management System (LMS) as “observers” so that they can read posted material, become familiar with vocabulary, and prepare for the class. Instructions for this process are available at Accommodations in Canvas or the OSU Computer Helpdesk at 541-737-3474 can provide assistance if needed.
• The transcriber must be seated towards the front of the classroom to ensure that the faculty can be easily heard.
• The transcriber will begin to set up equipment immediately upon arrival in the classroom. If the student is absent, the transcriber occasionally might be rescheduled to a different class. In such cases, the transcriber will break down the equipment and exit the classroom as unobtrusively as possible. Otherwise, the transcriber will stay in the class and transcribe in order to remain current with the vocabulary and concepts used during the class.
• By the end of the day of the class, the transcriber will edit out non-subject related and confidential material and will provide a copy of the transcript to the student to serve as notes for the class. Students are not permitted to share the transcript with any other person and will not receive transcripts of classes they did not attend except if the absence is documented as disability-related.
• Students are instructed to delete all transcripts after final grades have been posted and there is no dispute regarding the grades.
• Transcribers are required to follow the Transcriber Code of Ethics, which include an obligation to keep all assignment related information strictly confidential.

TypeWell Transcriber's Code of Ethics

• The transcriber will keep strictly confidential all information learned during transcribing assignments.
• The transcriber will accurately transcribe the meaning of the spoken utterances made by individuals in the class or other transcribing situation.
• The transcriber will accurately voice comments and questions in reverse interpreting situations.
• The transcriber will not answer student questions about class content. The transcriber will instead facilitate communication between the instructor and student/reader, by transcribing or voicing as needed.
• The transcriber will not offer opinions or input of any kind in classes and meetings, even if invited to do so by instructors or others.
• The transcriber will accept only those assignments for which he or she possesses appropriate skills.
• The transcriber will strive to continually improve his or her transcribing skills.
• The transcriber will prevent unauthorized people from using TypeWell to provide services for students and others.

For additional information, please contact the Manager of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Access Services at DHOH.Services@oregonstate.edu or 541-737-3670

Updated 09/2017

Much of Oregon State University is located within a historic district. Some of our historic buildings present accessibility challenges, which require relocation of classes or placement of specialized furniture. Classroom access may also require an additional aid (lab assistant, classroom assistant, library assistant, etc). Classroom access accommodations are generally provided by Disability Access Services.

Physical Accommodations

Accessible Classroom/Classroom Relocation

This is exactly what it sounds like. Some of our classrooms are inaccessible or impossible to use for students with certain disabilities. DAS works with the registrar's office and the faculty member to find a new location for the class.

How Faculty Can Help

Please be specific when putting in your classroom requests with the registrar's office, so that if your class needs to be relocated, we choose a location that meets your needs.

Accessible Computer

While accessibility addresses more than physical access, this particular accommodation refers specifically to how physically accessible the computer desk is. Can the height be adjusted? Is there enough room underneath for a wheelchair or a footstool as necessary? Contact DAS or the Office of Equal Opportunity and Access (OEA) for information about how to make accessible stations in your computer and science labs.

Accessible Fieldtrips

OSU is responsible for ensuring access to all facets of learning - that includes making sure fieldtrips and other class outings are accessible.

How Faculty Can Help

If you have a student who has a mobility concern, make sure you check the accessibility of your class trip destinations before the trip. If you will be visiting a business or other building, are there accessible routes and entrances? For outdoor trips, are there paved or other wheelchair accessible paths? How are you getting to the destination? Can the student access the transportation?

Foot Stools

Chair - No Arms or Padded with Lumbar Support

Some students need chairs that provide them with additional back support, padding, or space. This furniture is managed by DAS. You can recognize it either by the ADA furniture signs or the small AeroScout location tags placed on each piece of furniture.

How Faculty Can Help

Faculty members often like our chairs - they are more comfortable than most classroom furniture, and we do not mind them being used, so long as they are in place for our students when they are needed. Please do not use or block the DAS chairs when there is a student in your class who receives a lumbar support chair as an accommodation.

Podium in Class

DAS provided podiums are actually small desks on wheels that can be quickly and easily raised to a standing position.

Preferential Seating

Some students with disabilities need to sit in a specific part of the classroom due to access, allergies, medical need, visibility, volume, etc. Most students are able to get a seat in an acceptable location on their own. However, particularly in large or crowded classrooms, students may work with DAS and faculty to reserve a seat.

Table

DAS provided tables are large and height-adjustable, with no obstructions in the center. This allows students using DAS lumbar support chairs and students using wheelchairs to have a table that they can adjust to the height they need.

How Faculty Can Help

These height adjustable tables are often pushed to the sides or the teaching areas of the classroom over time. DAS works to make sure that the tables are placed properly at the beginning of each term. Many of the students who need these tables cannot move them. Please be aware that a student may need assistance, if someone in a previous class has moved or blocked a table.

In-Class Assistants

Classroom Assistant

DAS occasionally provides an in-class assistant for students. Classroom assistants are assigned for a variety of reasons, but they are meant only to be the hands or eyes of the student they are helping. They will not participate in class, and should not coach or prompt the student. They are only in class to perform tasks as the student directs them.

In Class Services Animal

Service Animals are specially trained to perform a specific task. The task could be one of many, from acting as a guide for someone who is blind or has low vision, to warning of an oncoming medical emergency such as a seizure. If you have questions about service animals in classroom or lab settings, please contact us.

Lab Assistant

DAS occasionally provides a lab assistant for students. Lab assistants are assigned for a variety of reasons, but they are meant only to be the hands or eyes of the student they are helping. They will not coach or prompt the student. They are only in the lab to perform tasks as the student directs them.

Oregon State University (OSU) is committed to providing access to all individuals. One way that OSU does this is by acknowledging that some students may require a Personal Care Attendant (PCA) while in the learning environment.

Please be aware:

• OSU does not provide PCA services
• PCA’s are hired, paid and employed by the student they are assisting
• PCA’s are not classroom or lab assistants
• PCA’s are required to abide by all OSU policies, including but not limited to the Student Code of Conduct
• PCA’s are only permissible in the classroom or lab when the student is in attendance
• PCA’s may not be enrolled in the class they are working in and will not receive academic credit for the class

A student bringing a PCA to OSU must register with Disability Access Services (DAS) prior to the PCA attending classes with the student. A student must identify the classes the PCA will attend with the student on DAS Online Services each term.

If a student will require a PCA while living in the residence halls the student must register with DAS and request housing accommodations through University Housing and Dining Services (UHDS).

Refer to the PCA guidelines for more detailed information regarding student, PCA and Disability Access Services (DAS) roles and responsibilities.

Students are expected to attend class and meet deadlines for assignments and exams. However, if a student has a disability with random or cyclical acute episodes that may occasionally impact their ability to attend class, complete exams or assignments at the scheduled time, Flexibility in Attendance/Assignments may be considered an appropriate accommodation. The number of allowable absences and length of assignment extensions depends on the interactive or participatory nature of a course, or is based on department, college or accrediting agency rules.

DAS has created guidelines for OSU students & faculty to help navigate this accommodation. Please see the detailed policy below. A PDF version is available online.

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Disability Related Flexibility in Attendance/Assignments Policy and Guidelines

Students are expected to attend class and meet deadlines for assignments and exams. However, if a student has a disability with random or cyclical acute episodes that may occasionally impact their ability to attend class, complete exams or assignments at the scheduled time, Flexibility in Attendance/Assignments may be considered an appropriate accommodation. The number of allowable absences and length of assignment extensions depends on the interactive or participatory nature of a course, or is based on department, college or accrediting agency rules.

Disability-Related Flexibility in Attendance/Assignments Guidelines

WHAT DOES FLEXIBILITY IN ATTENDANCE/ASSIGNMENTS MEAN?

It is a DAS-approved agreement between the student and faculty to clarify expectations should an unexpected flare-up of the student’s chronic condition occur during the term. 

ATTENDANCE/ASSIGNMENTS DEADLINES:

Students are expected to attend classes on a regular basis. The number of allowable absences depends on the interactive or participatory nature of a course, or is based on department, college or accrediting agency rules. Therefore, attendance policies are set by faculty at the college or departmental level.

Students are expected to meet all deadlines for assignments and exams. Faculty have the right to establish late work policies based on course design and learning outcomes.

Please note:

• The Flexibility in Attendance/Assignments accommodation is not intended to be used every week, for every assignment, or every exam. This accommodation does not mean that the student is able to miss as many classes as they want. The student is still responsible for completing all coursework.
• Discussion boards act as “in-class” participation time, particularly for Ecampus/hybrid classes. As a result, the dialectic engagement between peers is important for the class topics to be discussed and for the class to move forward to new topics. As a result, the discussion board component of the course may not be able to be extended, or an alternative may not be available.

WHEN ARE FLEXIBILITY IN ATTENDANCE/ASSIGNMENT DEADLINES APPROPRIATE?

Some disabilities are random or cyclical in nature, and as a result, the disability may occasionally impact the student’s ability to attend class, complete an assignment, or take an exam at the scheduled time. In cases such as these, flexibility in attendance/assignments may be considered an appropriate accommodation. The process for requesting this accommodation is through Disability Access Services (DAS). All requests are considered individually.

DETERMINING SPECIFICS IN THE FLEXIBILITY AGREEMENT

DAS will contact faculty regarding Flexibility in Attendance/Assignments as an accommodation to gain an understanding of the attendance/assignment requirements, course design and learning outcomes.

Specifically, DAS asks faculty to consider the following:

• What is identified in your syllabus as the course attendance policy?
• Is the attendance, late work and missed exam policies applied consistently? Are there exceptions to a policy made for extenuating circumstances, such as athletic travel or religious observation?
•  Do student contributions constitute a significant component of the learning process?
  • How much interaction is there between the instructor and students and among students and their peers?
  • Does the design of the course rely on student participation (e.g., attendance and/or assignment/project contributions) as a significant method for learning? Is the content only offered in class?
• To what degree does a student’s failure to attend class or complete an assignment on time compromise the educational experience of other students in the class?
• What method is used to calculate the final grade? (attendance, assignments, discussion board posts, exams, etc.)

If the Flexibility with Attendance/Assignments is determined to be a reasonable accommodation, DAS will work with faculty and students to clearly specify:

• Issues related to attendance
  • Absence communication and notification plan
  • Identified number of disability-related absences beyond what the syllabus states
• Issues related to assignments/discussion boards
  • Communication and plans for making up missed assignments
• Issues related to missed quizzes/exams
  • Communication and plans for making up missed quizzes/exams

WHAT IS THE PROCESS?

1. DAS determines that Flexibility with Attendance/Assignments is a reasonable accommodation.
2. DAS explains to the student that this accommodation does not mean that they are able to miss as many classes as they want. The student is still responsible for completing all coursework.
3. It is the student’s responsibility to request the Flexibility with Attendance/Assignments accommodation each term.
4. DAS will send a Flexibility with Attendance/Assignments Agreement to faculty along with guidelines to fill out the agreement. Any questions should be directed to DAS (541-737-4098). Faculty should complete and submit the agreement to DAS within 3 business days. Important: The accommodation is considered to be in effect at the time notification is sent to faculty, even if the flexibility agreement is not submitted by faculty within 3 days.
5. Once DAS receives the faculty-completed agreement, DAS will review the agreement to ensure a reasonable accommodation is met.
6. DAS will send the faculty-completed, DAS-approved agreement to the student for review.
7. If the student has concerns or questions regarding the faculty-completed, DAS-approved agreement, DAS will resolve these issues with conversation between the faculty and/or student.
8. Once the faculty-completed, DAS-approved agreement is sent to the student, it will be considered active in three (3) business days if the student does not respond. If the student notifies DAS that they approve the agreement, it will be considered active immediately. DAS will send the student and faculty member a copy of the finalized Flexibility with Attendance/Assignments Agreement.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

• This accommodation is not a blanket reason to miss class.
• Faculty are still responsible for this accommodation even if they delay in responding to DAS. DO NOT WAIT!
•  Some students register late in the term or wait to request this accommodation until late in the term.  In these cases, faculty are not expected to provide retroactive accommodations. However, it may still be helpful   to have a DAS-approved, faculty-completed finalized agreement, even at a late point in the term.
• At no time is the student required to present the faculty member with medical documentation verifying their disability-related absence for this accommodation.
• If the absences meet or exceed 50% of those agreed upon in the Flexibility in Attendance/Assignments Agreement, DAS should be informed. This will allow DAS to be of assistance in answering questions about the accommodations from both the student and the faculty member.
• Absences that are not related to the effects of a disability are not included in this accommodation (e.g. absences due to a common illness, car trouble, childcare, etc.) and should be addressed according to the attendance/absence policy stated in the syllabus.
• Faculty are not obligated to re-teach material missed due to not attending class.
• Not every course component can be provided an extension.
• Students are responsible for completing all class work and should be held to the same standard as all other students.

Page updated 9/2019

A reasonable accommodation includes actions to eliminate or reduce physical or instructional barriers to learning. Accommodations are individualized to a student’s needs, which can include physical accessibility and participation in course activities.

Accommodations are reasonable unless they:

• Alter or remove essential requirements.
• Fundamentally alter the nature of the program.
• Impose undue financial or administrative burden.
• Pose a threat to others.

The determination that an accommodation is unreasonable is an institutional decision that must meet legal and educational requirements. Though the academic judgments involved in such decisions are typically the prerogative of the academic unit involved, those judgments must be made within legal parameters. Therefore, such determinations require collaboration between faculty, the academic department and DAS. Faculty members may not unilaterally determine that an accommodation is unreasonable.

Accommodation Disputes

Faculty can dispute the accommodation if it is felt the accommodation is unreasonable per the definition in “Unreasonable Accommodations” above. If a faculty member is concerned about providing an accommodation, the concern should be raised with DAS promptly preferably before the term begins or by the next business day after receiving an accommodation notice.

DAS shall immediately attempt informal resolution of the matter. If informal resolution efforts are unsuccessful, DAS shall notify the student of his/her right to file a grievance with the Equal Opportunity and Access (EOA). EOA will attempt to resolve the dispute as quickly as possible and within the term in which the issue was raised. Unless there is an appreciable threat to the safety of the student with a disability or others (with EOA concurrence), the student should be allowed to proceed under the proposed accommodation until the matter is resolved. EOA will comply with the time limits prescribed by OSU's Discrimination Complaint Procedures.

Download and print the Accommodation Dispute Form (pdf).

Updated 09/2015

Thank you for reading the DAS Faculty & Staff Guidelines. Below are some additional tips and resources to help better support students with disabilities.

Please contact DAS with any questions or comments. We are always happy to hear from you!

Disability Access Services
A200 Kerr Admin Bldg
Corvallis, OR 97331
Email: Disability.Services@oregonstate.edu

General Awareness

• Be careful not to make assumptions about an individual based on his or her disability.
• Life experiences, combined with the nature and duration of a disability, strongly influence the educational adaptations developed by people with disabilities.
• People with disabilities are impacted in a variety of different ways. Two people with the same disability may require very different accommodations.
• A person with a disability may appreciate assistance. However, be sure to ask first.
• Individuals with non-visible disabilities have needs that are just as real as those of persons with visible disabilities.
• Expect students with a disability to meet the same standards of performance as all other students. They are here because of their abilities, not their disabilities.
• All information about a person's disability is confidential. If having a discussion with a student about his/her needs, move to a private area.
• Additional information is available in the Disability Access Services training module.

Communication

• Use "person first" language. (e.g., person who uses a wheelchair, student who is blind).
• Speak directly to an individual with a disability and not to an interpreter or an attendant.
• Individuals who are blind are not generally hard of hearing. Don't raise your voice when speaking.
• When speaking with persons who have speech impairments, do not finish their sentences to save time and do not pretend to have understood what they're saying if you haven't. It is fine to ask someone to repeat themselves.
• When speaking for any extended period of time with a person who uses a wheelchair, sit down (do not bend or squat) so that you are at the same level.

External Resources

• Faculty Information page on The Americans with Disabilities Act.
• University Life and Students with Asperger's Syndrome: A Professor's Guide