The Accessibility Resource Center (ARC) collaborates and serves as a resource for you and students with disabilities in your class. The ARC is the university-designated office that determines, communicates, and coordinates disability-related accommodation requests in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Federal law prohibits discrimination against college students with disabilities and mandates that academic adjustments or accommodations provide equitable opportunity for students with disabilities. The ARC is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to ensure that students have equitable access to their education; partnering with students and instructors to make sure this process is as transparent, responsive, and supportive as possible.
Students with a disability who are unaware of the process may approach faculty about accommodations or academic adjustments. If a student mentions a disability (physical, medical or mental condition) please treat the information they share as confidential and direct them to the Accessibility Resource Center. Do not make disability-related accommodations for students without involving the disability professionals of the ARC.
Students who register with the ARC engage in an intake process with one of the ARC directors who evaluates the student's claim as a qualified student with a disability and engages in an interactive process to determine individual barriers and reasonable modifications or accommodations. Once accommodations are determined, the student can select which accommodations they wish to use for each course via our AIM system. Faculty will receive a notification of accommodations e-mail. Students can register with the ARC and activate their accommodations at any time during the semester. Accommodations are not retroactive and should typically be provided within 1-2 business days of faculty notification.
Many disabilities are not visible nonetheless they create barriers for our students to access their education. The ARC is responsible for reviewing a student's documentation of their disability to ensure that they are a qualified student with disabilities the ADA. The ARC keeps disability-related information confidential and cannot disclose confidential information about a student's diagnosis. Instructors should never ask a student about the specifics of the disability and its limitations.
An accommodation is a modification that removes or reduces a barrier caused by a disability or disabling health condition. Reasonable accommodations are required by the ADA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act for qualified students with disabilities. Accommodations are a means to provide equitable access, but do not guarantee success. The most common accommodations granted on our campus are extended time to complete tests and permission to audio-record lectures.
Accommodations are identified during an individualized, interactive process between the student and the ARC that includes a review of the documentation and discussions with the student about the functional limitations of their disability. For more complex cases, faculty and other resources may be included in some aspects of the interactive process. This process is legally mandated and helps us identify the student's needs and engage in solutions for accessibility.
Faculty receive a Notification of Accommodation e-mail. Faculty also have access to our electronic system called AIM and can view a list of students with accommodations enrolled in their classes and specific accommodations for each student. We also encourage students to have a conversation with you about how accommodations are to be managed in your course, but they are not required to do so.
A student may start the accommodation process at any point in the semester. If a student experiences a new or exacerbated barrier that requires a new accommodation, then they may return to the ARC to continue the interactive process for a modification.
Please contact the ARC to discuss the situation.
Below are some helpful things that will make your course the most accessible to the widest range of learning styles and help every student comprehend the valuable information you share in your course.