Faculty Information on the Americans with Disabilities Act
What Is the ADA?
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal law intended to stop discrimination against people with disabilities. It applies to employers, state and local government agencies, places of public accommodation, transportation facilities, telephone companies, and the U.S. Congress. Under Title II of the ADA, public colleges and universities are required to provide auxiliary aids and services to qualified students with disabilities. Providing auxiliary aids and services is not considered special treatment, but rather an equal opportunity to participate in the services, programs, or activities offered by the institution.
What Are My Responsibilities as a Faculty Member?
Campus compliance with the ADA is a shared responsibility, and faculty members play an important role in an institution's efforts. The ADA is a civil rights statute, ensuring that students with disabilities will have the opportunity to participate in postsecondary education without discrimination. For faculty members, providing reasonable accommodations or auxiliary aids and services is one way to prevent discrimination.
What is the purpose of the academic accommodations?
Students with disabilities are capable individuals who experience some limitations that may require adaptation of materials, methods, or environments to facilitate learning. Accommodations may also ensure that when students are evaluated, they are able to demonstrate what they learned rather than the effects of their disability.
How Do I Decide Which Accommodations Are Appropriate for a Particular Student?
Because appropriate documentation is usually provided by the student to staff within the disability services office, faculty members are not responsible for making decisions about accommodations. Disability services professionals recommend the accommodations which will be most effective in assuring the student's access to academic programs. Students have the responsibility for requesting accommodations and services and must provide documentation of conditions that may warrant academic accommodations. Before providing particular accommodations for a specific course, the disability specialist carefully considers the nature of the student's disability and how this disability may affect the student's ability to learn, and to demonstrate achievement, in the course.
How Will I Know That a Student in My Class Is Supposed to Have an Accommodation?
It is fairly common practice for disability services offices to notify faculty members of the type of accommodations that will be provided each term. Some of these accommodations, such as sign language interpreters, may be provided by the disability services office itself, while other accommodations, such as extended time for exams, may be provided by the faculty member. Accommodations may include notetakers, sign language or oral interpreters, assistive listening devices, alternative format course materials, open-captioned videos or films, and extended time on exams. Not every student needs every accommodation, and the disability services office is the best campus resource for working with each student to determine the accommodations that are recommended.
Occasionally a student may ask you to provide accommodations, but you never received official notification from the disability services office. To protect yourself, the student, and your institution, you should recommend that the student channel any accommodation requests through the disability services office.
Students have a right to privacy in disability matters, and their confidentiality must be maintained. Please file notices of accommodation in a secure place and refrain from discussing their disabilities and necessary accommodations in the presence of fellow students or others who have no educational need to know.
Will Accommodations Compromise the Integrity of My Class or Academic Program?
No. When providing accommodation for disabilities, institutions of higher education are not required to lower academic standards or compromise the integrity of the school or program. Essentially, accommodations and auxiliary aids and services are provided to "level the playing field" for the student with a disability, enabling the student to compete with his or her peers. Once you have provided accommodations, you should grade the work of a student who has a disability as you would grade the work of any other student. There is no need to give them a break by being unduly lenient. To grade students more harshly because they have had the opportunity for additional time for exams or other instructional modifications would nullify the effect of the accommodations.
What Else Can I Do?
Do not be afraid to ask a student to describe how they learn best. You can also make your course more disability-friendly by including information on your course syllabus that encourages students with disabilities to contact the disabilities services office for assistance in receiving accommodations. If you need additional information or specific resources, please contact ODS.The Faculty of Xavier is committed to the retention of students while promoting academic success. Students are recruited to the university with the understanding that the Faculty is responsive to their needs and will provide reasonable accommodations. Providing reasonable accommodations is a cooperative effort between Xavier’s Faculty and The Office of Disability Services (ODS).
These guidelines are designed to help Xavier’s Faculty understand how accommodations work and what parts of the accommodation process they are responsible for. The information in this guide is separated into sections based on accommodation type.
General Information
OFFICE OF DISABILITY SERVICES (ODS)
The Office of Disability Services (ODS) has the responsibility for administering, reviewing, maintaining, and supervising a variety of support procedures and services for students in accordance with state and federal laws. When appropriate, ODS provides oral and sign language interpreters, note-takers, taped textbooks, assistance in working with instructors, or equipment loans. Faculty and ODS staff work cooperatively to decide when adjustments to academic requirements, testing formats and substitution of classes may be necessary.
NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY
Federal and state laws prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability. It is the intent of the University’s Disability Advisory Committee that Faculty of Xavier go beyond legal requirements in fostering an atmosphere of enhanced learning. The Vice President of Student Affairs established the University Disability Advisory Committee as an advisory committee to recommend policy and procedures on disability issues.
STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES
From their initial contact with Xavier, students with disabilities who need accommodations should contact the ODS office. It is the student's responsibility to acquire information concerning technological accommodations, resources on campus for parking, housing services and Student Health Services. Students are responsible for providing documentation, making timely requests for services and communicating with their professors regarding accommodations specific to the course.
DOCUMENTATION OF DISABILITY
Assistance is available to students whose disabilities have been documented by the appropriate professional and in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Disability verification is solely the responsibility of the ODS office. The student is responsible for providing appropriate documentation. Faculty should not be involved in the process of documenting a disability. As a faculty member, you can assist students by directing them to ODS's resources, thereby easing the student's adjustment and assuring a more positive early university experience. If you do receive a letter from ODS, the student's disability has been documented.
Faculty and Staff Responsibilities
CLASS SYLLABUS
Please be sure that your syllabus contains this statement:
Accommodations for students with disabilities are determined and approved by The Office of Disability Services (ODS). If you, as a student, believe you are eligible for accommodations but have not obtained approval please contact ODS immediately at 504-520-7607 or at disabilityservices@xula.edu. ODS notifies students and faculty members of approved academic accommodations and coordinates implementation of those accommodations. While not required, students and faculty members are encouraged to discuss details of the implementation of individual accommodations.
Please bring the ODS syllabus statement to the attention of your students at the first-class meeting.
NOTIFICATION EMAIL FROM ODS
Faculty will receive an email from ODS identifying appropriate accommodations for the student. Please review the email, submit any requested information, and consider the impact of the accommodations in the context of your class. Discuss any questions or concerns you have with our office.
CONFIDENTIALITY
Information concerning a student's disability should be disclosed only to those with a legitimate "need to know." Sharing of information with other faculty and staff needs to be balanced with the student's interest while maintaining their privacy. Further disclosure should only be made with the express permission of the student or in consultation with appropriate ODS staff. Please do not discuss a student's disability or need for accommodations in front of other students.
WEB ACCESS
All course web pages must be constructed in an accessible format. Web pages need to be accessible across multiple platforms (text-to-speech software, screen readers, screen enlargers etc.). If media is embedded into pages, descriptive text or captioning must also be provided.
Place the information below to the left with hyperlinks to the perspective pages
Faculty and Staff Guidelines
Accessible Formats
Alternative Testing
Deaf and Hard of Hearing Access Services
Notetaking Services
Classroom Access
Personal Care Attendants (PCAs)
Flexibility with Attendance/Assignments
Reasonable and Unreasonable Accommodations
Additional Information