Design Preview
CurrentNext
Berea.eduarrow_forward
The NESTarrow_forward
Office of Disability and Accessibility Servicesarrow_forward
Faculty and Staff Resourcesarrow_forward
How To: Providing Accommodations

How To: Providing Accommodations

As the number of students with disabilities attending postsecondary institutions continues to rise, it’s essential for faculty and staff to be well-informed about their roles, rights, and responsibilities in supporting these students. This section outlines the key legal frameworks, faculty obligations, and the role of DAS in ensuring all students receive equal access to educational opportunities.

Faculty Roles and Responsibilities

1. Provide Reasonable Accommodations

Faculty members are required to provide reasonable accommodations to students who are registered with DAS and present an official accommodation letter. These accommodations are designed to ensure equal access to the learning environment without compromising academic standards.

Some common accommodations include:

  • Extra time on exams or assignments
  • Use of assistive technology (audio recorders, note-takers, etc.)
  • Providing materials in alternative formats (e.g., large print, electronic text)
  • Allowing flexibility in attendance or assignment deadlines in certain cases

2. Ensure Access to Classroom and Course Materials

It is the instructor’s responsibility to create an inclusive learning environment. This may involve adjusting teaching methods or course design to ensure all students can participate fully. If a student identifies barriers in the classroom, faculty should work with DAS to determine the best solution.

Examples include:

  • Providing accessible course handouts or videos upon request
  • Ensuring digital materials are compatible with screen readers
  • Offering alternative ways to demonstrate mastery of course content

3. Confidentiality

Maintaining the confidentiality of students’ disability status and accommodation needs is critical. Faculty should store accommodation letters in a secure location and refrain from discussing a student’s disability or accommodations in the presence of others who do not have an educational need to know.

4. Collaborate with DAS

If there are any questions or concerns about an accommodation, faculty should reach out to DAS. Faculty should not deny an approved accommodation without consulting DAS and ensuring that any fundamental alterations to the course are documented.

5. Exams and Assignments

If accommodations for exams or assignments are needed (e.g., extended time or alternate formats), faculty may either provide these themselves or arrange for testing services through DAS or other appropriate offices. Faculty must ensure that exams are delivered on time and with clear instructions when administered outside of class.

Faculty Rights

Faculty members have the right to:

  • Maintain academic standards for their courses
  • Determine course content and instructional methods
  • Confirm and clarify accommodations with DAS
  • Deny accommodation requests if the student does not provide an official letter from DAS
  • Award grades based on the student’s performance in meeting course objectives, with or without accommodations

Faculty do not have the right to:

  • Refuse an accommodation that has been approved by DAS
  • Challenge the legitimacy of a student’s documented disability
  • Review a student’s confidential disability documentation

Understanding Fundamental Alterations

While faculty members can maintain academic integrity and uphold essential course requirements, they must work with DAS to ensure that accommodations do not result in a “fundamental alteration” of the program. If an accommodation request seems to conflict with core course objectives, it is the faculty’s responsibility to collaborate with DAS to determine if adjustments can be made without altering the essential nature of the course. More about this process can be found under the Fundamental Alteration section of this page.

Working with DAS: A Collaborative Effort

Faculty should consider DAS a key resource in their work to ensure equitable access to education. If concerns arise related to accommodations or course objectives, faculty are encouraged to consult with DAS early and often to ensure that both the needs of the student and the requirements of the course are being met.

This checklist is designed to guide you through the lifecycle of a course accommodation, helping you support student access while maintaining your course’s academic integrity.

– Before the Semester Starts (Proactive Access)

  1. Include a DAS Syllabus Statement: Ensure your syllabus contains an approved Berea College accommodation text. This signals a welcoming environment and sets clear expectations for how students can request adjustments. Our preferred text is below.

    Berea College values diversity and seeks to create learning environments that are equitable, inclusive, and fully accessible. I am committed to supporting the learning of every student in this class.

    If you encounter digital, physical, or instructional barriers in this course, please reach out to me as soon as possible so we can look at design adjustments. You are also encouraged to establish official accommodations by contacting the Disability and Accessibility Services (DAS) office:

    Because accommodations are not retroactive, I encourage you to connect with DAS and me early in the term. However, you maintain the right to request accommodations at any point during the semester if new barriers arise. All conversations regarding disability or health conditions will be kept strictly confidential.

  2. Review Course Materials for Digital Accessibility: Take a quick look at your digital handouts, readings, and video content.

    • Tip: Are PDFs selectable text (not scanned images)? Do video materials have captions? Catching these early prevents last-minute scrambling.

– Upon Receiving an Accommodation Letter (Review & Clarify)

  1. Review Promptly and Privately: When a student presents or emails an official DAS letter, review the approved accommodations.

  2. Check for Intersections with Course Design: Consider how the listed accommodations interact with your specific syllabus.

    • Example: If a student has “flexibility with assignment deadlines,” think ahead about how that applies to scaffolded group work versus independent papers.

  3. Connect with the Student Discreetly: Reach out to the student (via email or a private office hours chat) to acknowledge the letter.

    • Focus on Implementation: You do not need to ask why they have the accommodation. Instead, ask: “I received your letter. Let’s talk briefly about how we can best implement these adjustments in our specific class sessions.”

– Throughout the Term (Implementation)

  1. Provide Adjustments Professionally and Timely: Implement accommodations (like extended testing time or alternative formats) without delay.

  2. Coordinate Testing Accommodations Early: If a student requires a reduced-distraction testing environment or extended time that overlaps with another class, coordinate with DAS or arrange the testing parameters well in advance of exam day.

  3. Protect Student Privacy (Strict Confidentiality): Keep all accommodation letters secure. Never announce a student’s accommodation needs or disability status in front of peers, during class, or in group emails.

– Handling Boundaries & Uncertainties (Protecting Integrity)

  1. Refer Unregistered Students to DAS: If a student discloses a barrier or requests disability-related changes but has not provided an official letter, gently direct them to DAS.

    • Say this: “I want to ensure you have the full, official support you need. Please connect with DAS so they can formally establish these adjustments with me.”

  2. Pause and Consult on “Fundamental Alterations”: Remember, accommodations are meant to provide access, not change what your course measures. If you feel an accommodation fundamentally alters an essential requirement of your curriculum, do not deny it on your own.

    • Action: Contact DAS immediately so we can collaborate on a solution that upholds your academic standards while ensuring access.

A Note on Course Context

Accommodations are a collaborative partnership between you, the student, and DAS. They are designed to remove arbitrary barriers, not to lower the bar of performance. When implemented smoothly, they ensure every student is evaluated solely on their mastery of your course content.

When you receive a DAS accommodation letter, it will specify the approved adjustments for that student. Below is a practical guide on how to implement the most common classroom accommodations within your course.

Testing Accommodations (Extended Time / Reduced Distraction)

  • For Online Exams (Moodle): You are responsible for adjusting the timer settings for the individual student before the exam opens. (We can include a quick link here to a 3-step Moodle guide or IT help desk).

  • For In-Class Exams:

    • If your classroom space or schedule allows you to provide the extended time/quiet space yourself, you may do so.

    • If you cannot accommodate the request due to back-to-back classes, coordinate with DAS. Have the student submit a proctoring request to our office at least one week in advance, and ensure your exam materials are delivered to DAS securely.

Alternative Formats & Digital Materials

  • Course Readings & PDFs: Ensure all digital readings uploaded to Moodle are screen-reader accessible. Avoid uploading blurry, scanned photocopies (which read as flat images to assistive tech).

    • Quick Check: If you can’t highlight and copy the text in your PDF, a screen reader can’t read it. Contact DAS for quick document remediation support.

  • Physical Handouts: If a student has an accommodation for large print or digital-only delivery, please provide materials in their requested format at the same time they are distributed to the rest of the class.

Multimedia & Captions (Audio/Visual)

  • Videos Shown in Class: Any video shown during lecture, assigned for homework, or hosted on Moodle must have accurate captions. Turn on closed captioning (CC) by default during class screenings.

  • Auto-Generated Captions Warning: Platforms like YouTube or Zoom auto-generate captions, but they are often inaccurate for technical terms or names. If you have a student with a documented hearing impairment, reach out to DAS early so we can help audit and polish your video media transcripts.

Attendance and Deadline Flexibility

  • The Scope: This accommodation is intended for students with chronic, unpredictable health conditions or episodic disabilities. It is not a blanket pass to miss class or skip deadlines.

  • Establishing Boundaries: When this is listed, you and the student should have a conversation at the start of the term to define what “reasonable flexibility” looks like for your specific course. Then, document the terms and conversation for both parties in an email. For example: How many additional absences can be tolerated before core learning outcomes are compromised? How many days past a deadline is an assignment still viable?

When Accommodations Seem to Conflict with Course Design

If you teach a course heavily reliant on group lab work, spontaneous discussions, or strict scaffolding, some of these implementations might feel tricky.

Don’t guess or compromise your standards. Reach out to DAS immediately, and we will hop on a quick call or meeting to help you map out a smooth logistics plan that preserves your course’s pedagogical goals.

Some disabilities—particularly chronic health conditions, mental health diagnoses, or episodic illnesses—involve unpredictable, cyclical flare-ups. In these cases, DAS may approve short-term flexibility for deadlines or attendance.

The Golden Rule of Flexibility

These adjustments are designed to provide access, not to lower academic standards or waive core requirements. Students are still expected to achieve all learning outcomes. If a student’s absences or missed work reach a point where the core objectives of your course can no longer be met, the accommodation is no longer reasonable.

Short-Term Assignment / Deadline Flexibility

This accommodation gives a student a brief buffer if an unexpected, disability-related episode prevents them from completing a task on time.

  • What it IS: A safety net for unexpected flare-ups. It allows a temporary extension (typically 1–3 days) to submit work or make up an exam without penalty.

  • What it IS NOT: An open-ended pass for unlimited extensions, retroactive excuses for poor time management, or a license to skip scaffolded assignments.

  • Faculty Action Steps:

    1. Get it in Writing: When you receive this letter, meet to discuss and establish clear boundaries with the student immediately. Send a quick follow-up email confirming your agreement (e.g., “For our class, assignments may be extended by up to 48 hours, but must be turned in before the next module begins”).

    2. Evaluate the Assignment Type: Long-term projects with weeks of advance notice rarely warrant an extension unless a major medical emergency occurs right at the deadline.

Attendance Flexibility

Attendance flexibility modifies your existing syllabus policy to ensure a student isn’t automatically penalized or dropped due to documented, involuntary medical absences.

  • What it IS: A reasonable modification of a strict attendance policy to accommodate chronic, unpredictable health barriers.

  • What it IS NOT: A blanket exemption from attending class, participating in group work, or being present for essential interactive learning.

  • Faculty Action Steps:

    1. Assess Course Dependency: Consider how critical daily presence is to your pedagogy. Ask yourself: Does student learning happen via hands-on labs, peer discussions, or studio work? Does a student’s absence compromise their peers’ educational experience?

    2. Define the Limit: If your syllabus allows 3 unexcused absences, determine if your course design can reasonably tolerate 2 or 3 additional disability-related absences before the student misses irreversible learning.

When Boundaries are Crossed: What to Do

If a student has missed so much class or fallen so far behind on deadlines that they cannot realistically catch up or meet your course’s essential standards, please do not navigate this alone.

  1. Do Not Unilaterally Deny: Avoid telling the student “no” without consulting our office first.

  2. Contact DAS Immediately: Reach out to us. We will initiate a collaborative review with you to evaluate the course structure.

  3. Explore Institutional Alternatives: If the accommodation is no longer viable due to the sheer volume of missed material, we will partner with Student Success Central to help the student explore options like an Incomplete or a medical withdrawal, protecting both your grading integrity and the student’s academic standing.