Answers to questions frequently asked by faculty and staff in regards to Disability and Access Services.
If a student in your class has visited DSS, provided documentation, and requested accommodation, you will receive an email notification from DSS outlining the student's accommodations and instructions for each accommodation.
Yes, as long as it's in private. Speak to the student before or after class, set a time to meet, or send an email. As long as it's not in front of other classmates you have the right to discuss accommodations with the student.
Having a disability is not an excuse for poor behavior. You should grade and penalize the student as you would any other student. If the student is failing, then fail the student. Same standards and requirements apply to a student with a disability as without a disability.
Then you should not accommodate the student. Chances are the student is approved for accommodations but has not requested accommodations or the student has not gone through the intake process. In either case, referring the student to DSS is the best course of action.
Contact DSS. We can walk you through how to implement an accommodation, give you a quick tutorial, or even visit your classroom to make sure you are comfortable with the accommodation setup. Our main priority is to ensure that accommodations are met, but we equally want to assist faculty in this process.
Yes. When a student is approved to record lectures and discussions we have them sign a loan agreement in which they agree to not re distribute the information in any way. We also delete all content when they turn in the recorder at the end of the quarter.
No. If it is a test for any class at LCC, except for a clinical setting, then the extended test time needs to be implemented. Virtually all certification exams operate under the ADA in which case a student would be accommodated for the exam if they provide documentation to the test vendor. Furthermore, a student's approved accommodation at LCC in an educational setting must be implemented under the ADA and Section 504. Again, never hesitate to contact DSS and we can discuss any concerns you have.
Yes, but only if the student with a disability gives consent to do so and it's not in front of other classmates.
No. Once a student requests accommodations through DSS, they have asked for their accommodation to be implemented. If you need a reminder or assistance to extend test times we are happy to work with E-Learning to extend your test times. Just give us the okay, and we can collaborate in that manner. We strive to make your life easier if we can!
Please contact DSS and discuss your concerns. Everything is a case-by-case basis, and depending on the accommodation and the course structure an accommodation may not be applicable. For example if a note taking course is purely graded on note taking, a volunteer note taker wouldn't make sense. If the disability was physical we would have to find another way for the student to participate and show their work. Perhaps DSS would provide a scribe that the student would dictate information to.
Ultimately, if a student wants to pursue a career path they have every right to do so, regardless of disability. But, it's okay to discuss the pros and cons of a possible career so the student is as informed as possible. When we meet with a student in this situation, we discuss how their chosen field may affect their quality of life, health, and balance. Do they have a plan? Have they practiced strategies to address the stress that comes with being a nurse, for example? We cannot and should not steer them away from a chosen field, but having a healthy conversation about the reality of their career path is our responsibility. From there, the student can make an informed decision and we will do everything possible to support the student to be successful.
No. Accommodations are not retroactive and should be implemented from the point of student's request onward. Typically, when a student requests accommodations mid-way through the quarter he or she just conducted an intake with DSS and is newly approved for accommodations. Other times a student may not think they need accommodations until they are mid-way through the quarter and decide to request. Once a student is approved for accommodations they can request at any point in the quarter. We encourage our students to develop proactivity and request prior to the quarter. Some accommodations are time sensitive (audio books, enlarged materials, etc.).
A confirmation response of the notification is always appreciated.
If after multiple attempts, you cannot find a note taker please contact DSS. We can offer a few incentives like a gift card to the LCC Bookstore or writing a letter of reference for the note taker. Also, take a look at the structure of your class. If you post notes on Canvas after each class, or provide PowerPoint with complete information, then a volunteer note taker may not be applicable.
Within this notification email are directions to send your videos to DSS. We will close caption you video(s) through a third party company with about a week turn-around time. Some YouTube videos have the close captioning option as well.
Contact DSS and we will be happy to look into it. Sometimes, ergonomic seats are transferred from nearby classrooms without our knowledge and can clutter a classroom.
I feel I could teach the student more effectively if I know their disability. Can I ask the student?
No. Mainly you can discuss accommodations with the student. The majority of disabilities we serve are invisible. Some students are quite private while others elect to disclose to their instructor. Both behaviors are acceptable and should be respected. Often times the approved accommodations give way to the type of disability. For example if a student is approved for enlarged materials it is likely the student has a visual disability.
The nature of accommodation in K-12 versus higher education is vastly different. Many students who had Individual Education Plans in high school did not have the same curriculum as other classmates. It is likely they had reduced course load, different due dates, re-do exams and quizzes, a personal aid, and possibly different grading policies. Beyond this, students on IEP's do not request those services, they are automatically given. Coming from this world can be difficult for a student to adjust from. Now in higher education, the same rules apply to the student as everyone else. Same due dates, course load, curriculum, grading policies, and standards. They have to develop self-advocacy, proactivity, and resourcefulness. DSS helps to ease this transition with reasonable accommodations and academic coaching, but some transitions are harder than others.
You should not provide any additional accommodations outside of the approved accommodations that are sent to you. As long as the approved accommodations are implemented, you don't need to provide any additional services. For example if a student with extended test time is asking you for extended due dates, dismiss this request. This is not a reasonable accommodation in higher education. When in doubt contact DSS and we can clarify the student's accommodations. We can even reach out to the student in this instance.