Under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act, universities are responsible for making all courses, programs and activities accessible to all students, including students with disabilities.
At UAB, it is the responsibility of faculty, staff and the Disability Support Services (DSS) office to collaborate in order to appropriately accommodate students.
Faculty Responsibility
While DSS exists to determine student eligibility, determine reasonable accommodations, prevent discrimination and serve as a resource for faculty, it is often faculty who provide direct service to students with disabilities. You are often the one providing accommodations such as testing, materials in accessible format, etc.
How Students Request Accommodations for Class
After following the procedures to become registered with DSS, students must do the following each semester:
- Electronically send accommodation notices to faculty via the DSS Student Portal
- Arrange a time to meet with each instructor in order to discuss accommodations
ALL STUDENTS ARE INSTRUCTED BY DSS TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT TO DISCUSS ACCOMMODATIONS WITH THEIR INSTRUCTOR. THIS DOES NOT ALWAYS HAPPEN. YOU MAY NEED TO PROMPT THE STUDENT TO SCHEDULE A MEETING IN ORDER TO DISCUSS ACCOMMODATIONS.
NOTE: Students send you an accommodation notice from DSS in order to be eligible for accommodations. If a student wishes to request accommodations in your class, you will receive notification via email.
Appropriate Follow Up By Faculty
It is okay to remind your class as a whole that students who are registered with DSS need to schedule a time to meet with you to discuss accommodations. Do not single any students out or publicly remind an individual student to meet with you about his or her accommodations.
After you have received an accommodation notice from a student, you are encouraged to follow up with that student to set up a time to discuss implementing their accommodations.
Do not ask a student about his or her disability or diagnosis. Keep your conversation with the student focused around their approved accommodations.
Call DSS if you are unsure how to implement an accommodation. The ADA Faculty Advisor is available to assist you by phone, email, or the Ask the ADA Faculty Advisor button on the DSS website.
Examples of Accommodations
- Testing accommodations (extended time, reduced distraction testing)
- Peer notetaker (a peer is paid by DSS to take notes for the DSS student)
- Reasonable number of disability-related absences (see pg. 23 &24 of the Faculty Handbook)