Faculty Accommodation Tools and Tips
Reasonable Accommodation
What is a reasonable accommodation?
A reasonable accommodation modifies the environment (including policies and/or procedures) or a task in order to provide access to a program or activity in the most equitable and feasible manner available. In Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, these accommodations are also referred to as auxiliary aids and academic adjustments.
An accommodation is designed to minimize the effects of a disability so a qualified student can benefit or participate in an activity to the fullest extent possible. Accommodations are determined individually for each student and are to be appropriate to the specific limitation manifested by a disability.
A reasonable accommodation is not required if such accommodation would significantly alter the essential or fundamental objective of an academic program or class. Students are responsible for requesting accommodations in a timely manner and must first be recognized as eligible for the accommodation through the Student Disability Center (SDC).
The underlying purpose of reasonable accommodations is to enable students to participate and be evaluated on the basis of their abilities, not their disabilities, as well as providing equal access to information in the classroom. Reasonable accommodations are mandatory based on federal regulations. As faculty and staff, we share the obligation to participate in the process of providing them.
Reasonable accommodations may require adjustments to how courses are conducted and/or how program requirements can be met. However, reasonable accommodations are not meant to alter the fundamental nature of the course or program or the essential learning outcomes of the course or program.
Students are encouraged to meet with SDC staff at the beginning of the semester; however, they may choose to identify as having a disability at any time throughout the semester. Although you may encourage students to identify themselves at the start of the semester, you cannot require students to identify by a specific point.
Reasonable accommodations can range from a need to change the presentation of materials to provide different ways for the student to demonstrate meeting the learning outcomes of a course/program. Reasonable accommodations are determined on a case-by-case basis and not all students with disabilities need them. While the primary driving force in the process is the student, faculty also have a stake in the process and the SDC exists to be partners to both you and the student in achieving the end goal – a reasonable accommodation.
In certain situations, reasonable accommodations may require modifications of standard classroom practices.
Accessible Course Materials
Accessibility by Design
The CSU Accessibility by Design website provides information and resources or creating accessible documents, presentations, websites, and other electronic information. It also provides information about how to have your content tested to assess its accessibility.
Accessible Electronic Content Short Course
This free online course is offered in conjunction with CSU’s Assistive Technology Resource Center (ATRC), this course provides a detailed introduction to creating accessible content for those with disabilities through accessibility best practices. Through discussions on the importance of accessible online content and practice using accessibility tools and strategies, you’ll learn how easy it can be to create materials that are usable for everyone. For the final project, you’ll put it all together into a plan of action – how will you start using what you’ve learned in your day-to-day work and teaching?
Accommodations in Canvas
Accommodations in Canvas Information
The CSU Canvas team has compiled information about how to provide accommodations for Canvas quizzes, exams, and assignments.
UDOIT Advantage
UDOIT Advantage is a Canvas plugin that allows you to check for accessibility within an entire Canvas course and prompts you with instructions on fixing problems. It can scan the course shell and documents uploaded into the course, including recognizing text in scanned PDFs.
Accommodation Log
The below spreadsheet has been created to help faculty with keeping track of students and their accommodations. If you are an instructor with multiple students who have accommodations in your class, this tool can be helpful to organizing and knowing what accommodations each student needs.
Online Faculty Training
This asynchronous online training will help learners understand more about the accommodations process and how you can ensure you are doing your part in meeting your responsibility for providing accommodations. This training is self-paced and is designed to take about one hour.