General Faculty Information

Faculty members are usually the first to know that a student with a disability is in class. Students with disabilities are not required to register with any office or department on campus. However, when requesting specific classroom accommodations for a disability, these students are required to register with SDS before receiving accommodations.

The issue of fairness pertaining to classroom accommodation often is raised. Classroom accommodations provide an opportunity for students with disabilities to compete on equal terms with other students in class. Individual accommodations are a civil right guaranteed under federal law. The accommodations prescribed through Student Disability Services are not frivolous or arbitrary. They are individually designed for each student based on appropriate documentation on file in the SDS office. Although accommodations may appear similar for many students, they are based on individualized need and disability documentation.

SDS recognizes that instruction is the purview of the faculty member. Accommodations for disabilities must not infringe upon the academic standards of the course or program of study. Specific suggestions for teaching students with disabilities are offered in the sections devoted to each disability. For more information, please visit the faculty rights and responsibilities page.