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The actions that you will take around student accommodations follow a predictable rhythm. While the practices below are shared in the approximate order in which they usually happen, the order can vary due to many factors — when instructors are assigned to courses, when students are approved for accommodations, when students make their requests. As much as possible, be flexible with when and how you use these strategies. Together, these practices create the foundation for a welcoming and inclusive environment for disabled students.
The first class session
This is an excellent opportunity to both establish an inclusive environment and share important information about the accommodation process.
Before your first class:
- Pin an announcement about accommodations to your course home page in Canvas.
At your first class:
- Talk explicitly about creating a welcoming environment for everyone.
- Review the syllabus statement about accommodations. (It’s also useful to repeat this reminder on a slide for the next few class sessions.)
- Remind students to generate their Student Accommodation Letters early in the semester.
- Encourage students to connect with you about their accommodation plans during office hours or other scheduled times, even if their formal paperwork isn’t ready yet.
Communication and expectation-setting
Communication between you and your students is essential both at the beginning and throughout the course.
The goal of these conversations is to set clear expectations for how the accommodations will be implemented – without fundamentally altering the learning objectives or course requirements. Some accommodations are straightforward and the conversation is more related to process (e.g., how testing accommodations will be implemented), while others might be more complex and dependent on the course’s design (e.g., how Limited Attendance, Assessment, and Deadline Flexibility or modification of participation in class discussion will be implemented). The McBurney Center Access Consultants listed on the Student Accommodation Letters are available for consultation with you at any point.
- While students are trained to send a follow-up email after a Student Accommodation Letter is sent to instructors, it is also fine for you to reach out to the student (particularly if students do not send a follow-up email) to have your initial conversation.
- Do not ask students what their diagnosis(s) or disability(s) is, or question their disability status or need for accommodations. Some students may choose to share specific diagnosis or treatment info with you, but they are not required to. Instead, you can ask about the barriers they may experience in your class, and how their approved accommodations can be implemented to address those barriers. If you have further questions or concerns, please consult with the student’s Access Consultant.
- Send an email after the initial conversation summarizing the implementation plan so that you and the student are clear on the details and any possible limitations.
- Subsequent conversations can be initiated as needed by students, the instructor, or McBurney Center staff. Although an agreement is put in place at the beginning of the semester, disability and other factors may affect students differently as the semester goes on. Students may reach out to you or to the McBurney Center to revisit their plans and to discuss any reasonable adjustments that may be possible, depending on the time of the semester.
- If you are ever concerned about the reasonableness of a request, contact the Access Consultant listed on the student’s Student Accommodation Letter.
Throughout the course
You can adopt design and teaching strategies to reduce the need for accommodations and benefit many students (not just those with formal accommodations). While we won’t go into detail here about universal design for learning, good practices include:
- Helping students estimate how much time course activities will take (for example, you do the activity and tell students an estimate of 50% more time than it took you);
- Posting materials in more than one format (for example, sharing a captioned video that explains a complex topic, as well as posting the text transcript of what you say in the video); and
- Giving students options for how they take action, express themselves, and show what they know in assessments (for example, asking students to meet the same assignment criteria via a written essay or via a video report).
You can also contact the Center for Teaching, Learning & Mentoring to request a consultation.
Be sure to avoid these well-meaning but counterproductive practices:
- Immediately suggesting that struggling students drop the course. Instead, consider how to help the student and if you’re not sure, contact the Access Consultant listed on the Student Accommodation Letter.
- Telling students with alternative format accommodations that they should take an inaccessible resource you have provided and modify the format themselves. This means that it’s up to them to find out how to create alternative media. Campus resources and the McBurney Center can provide you with guidance on making your course content more accessible.
Making course content accessible
As you create course documents and other content, you can lower access barriers for students with disabilities (and many other learners) by using the formatting tools that are built into applications to create well-structured documents that aren’t just visually formatted. Some examples include:
- In word-processing applications, using the Styles feature to create ordered heading levels (e.g. Title, Heading 1, Heading 2) instead of using manual font styling;
- In Canvas and other web editing tools, applying ordered heading levels (e.g., H1, H2, H3);
- Using well-formatted tables for tabular info and data instead of using the tab key to create columns; and
- Providing descriptive alternative text (ALT text) for visual information like charts and pictures.
Visit the Make it Accessible guide for more details.
Testing and assessment
Most testing accommodations have to do with the environment (quiet/few distractions), the time allowed for testing (extended time limits, breaks), or test format (text size, computer based, etc.). Remember that each student has specific needs, and don’t assume that all students with disabilities need extra time.
- Plan ahead for testing accommodations. Student Accommodation Letters often contain starting points to help you to set up testing conditions that allow students to demonstrate their knowledge and skills successfully. By noting patterns among your students who have accommodations, you can make group arrangements for students who have similar testing needs. Work with your department to find appropriate space within the department to proctor students if at all possible, so they have access to the instructor during the exam like other students.
- If students require assistive technology not available in the department, or if you do not have adequate space or personnel to proctor an exam, you may arrange for students to test at Testing and Evaluation.
- Please note that the McBurney Center does not proctor exams.
What does success look like?
Remember, the goal of accommodations is to provide conditions so that all students have the opportunity to participate, learn, and demonstrate their learning.
It’s all about giving everyone an equal opportunity to engage in the learning process – not every student will earn high marks, regardless of disability barriers.
If your students are able to engage with you and take an active role in their own learning, you’re on the right track.