When a student approaches an instructor with a request for disability accommodation, the instructor should (1) document the request, and (2) refer the student and the request to the ADA Compliance Coordinator.
The ADA Compliance Coordinator will meet with the student, require appropriate documentation, and arrange to make the reasonable accommodations as needed. A committee of instructors may be included in these discussions. If the requested accommodation is not appropriate, the ADA Compliance Coordinator states the reasons in writing. However, all individuals concerned will make a good-faith effort to achieve the accommodation.
The key to providing reasonable accommodation in the classroom is a well-defined statement of the essential academic functions of the course or program. All students must be able to meet the essential academic functions, with or without accommodations.
When accommodations are requested, the statement of essential functions serves to inform all concerned, including the ADA Compliance Coordinator, what the student must do (with or without accommodations). This statement becomes vital in case of a legal challenge involving compliance with current disability regulations.
The essential academic functions should be developed and agreed upon at the division level. Tests and other evaluative measures in each class should reflect mastery of the essential functions.
For students with disabilities, modifications may be made in the presentation of the material or in the ways by which the student demonstrates mastery of the material; the essential academic functions, however, do not change. For instance, a speech-impaired student taking Fundamentals of Public Speaking may develop and present a speech using a voice synthesizer or may use sign language to present the speech through an interpreter. An English composition student who does not have the use of his or her hands may find alternate ways of producing written assignments. In either case, however, the standards of organization, documentation, and authenticity are the same for the student with the impairment as for all other students.
An instructor may not impose an accommodation on a student (e.g., require a student to sit in front because of a hearing impairment). Accommodations may be offered, not required. The meeting of the essential functions, with or without accommodations, is required.
A student’s disclosure of a disability must be kept confidential. As a result of potential legal complications, instructors should avoid questioning about the disability – how the disability occurred, how long it may last, or the extent of the limitation. The instructor should never question, nor imply to question, the genuineness of the disability to the student. Such questions may be communicated to the ADA Compliance Coordinator, who will require appropriate professional documentation of the disability before negotiating accommodations. Questions may safely focus on how the student can be helped to achieve the essential academic functions of the course.
The statement of essential academic functions should be made available to all students through a course outline distributed at the beginning of the course or program. This handout should include a statement to the effect that students who require reasonable accommodations to meet the essential functions should consult the ADA Compliance Coordinator.