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.
