Faculty Guide
FAQ: Academic Modifications
What does the law require of postsecondary institutions?
Institutions must make modifications to academic requirements to ensure that these requirements do not discriminate against students with disabilities or have the effect of excluding students solely on the basis of disability. Colleges and universities must consider these accommodations and adjustments on a case-by-case basis:
- extending the time permitted for a student with a disability to earn a degree
- modifying examination formats to meet the needs of students with disabilities
- developing course substitutions for degree requirements
- permitting the use of tape recorders, word processors, calculators, laptop computers, spell checkers and other equipment
Colleges and universities may not:
- limit the number of students with disabilities admitted
- make preadmission inquiries regarding an applicant's disability
- exclude a student from a course of study
- counsel a student with a disability toward a more restrictive career
- measure achievement using methods that discriminate against students with disabilities
Who qualifies as a disabled individual under the law?
A disability is defined as any mental or physical condition that substantially limits an individual's ability to perform one or more major life activities. Disabilities include physical disabilities, learning disabilities, visual or hearing impairments, neurological impairment, chronic or temporary health problems, communication disorders and psychological disabilities.
Who decides what accommodations are appropriate?
To ensure consistency, Disability Services (DS) is charged with verifying disabling conditions and academic accommodations. DS professionals verify disabilities based on medical or psychological documentation. The office determines the appropriateness of academic accommodation requests and helps facilitate accommodations.
Faculty are encouraged to contact DS for consultation and assistance.
Am I being asked to compromise academic standards?
Definitely not. All students must meet the required level of understanding and performance competencies for the course. You may need to modify the evaluation or testing method; you should not change the content.
Compromising academic standards and watering down course requirements do not help students acquire a competitive degree. Not only does this give students with disabilities and unfair advantage, it also prevents them from making informed educational choices based on a true assessment of performance.
If, despite reasonable accommodation, a student does not pass the exam, remember that he or she, like any other student, may not have mastered the course material.
Does allowing extended time for tests give student with disabilities an unfair advantage?
Absolutely not. Test accommodation lessens the impact of the disability on the student's performance. For example, a learning disability often prevents the processing of information in a give time frame. Extended time does not give the student with a disability any advantage over other students; it levels the field.
The goal is to provide the accommodation that appropriately enables the student to demonstrate mastery of the information being tested and to minimize or eliminate the disability's impact. The exam's credibility will not be compromised in any way.
Based on their knowledge of a student's disability and its impact on performance, DS professionals determine the amount of additional exam time a student is allowed. Most are allowed up to time-and-a-half the regular test time. Some are allowed up to double the regular test time. This determination is made case by case. Based on documented need.
Faculty may deliver exams to their division offices for DS staff to pick up, or exams may be hand delivered to DS at the 1604 Campus (MS 2.03.18) or DS at the Downtown Campus (BV 1.302). Faculty may also fax (1604: 458-4980 or Downtown: 458-2949) or e-mail (1604: ds1604@utsa.edu or Downtown: dsdowntown@utsa.edu) exams to DS; if they use e-mail, they should call to confirm that the exam was electronically received.
I'm concerned about test security. What procedures does DS use to safeguard tests?
DS is fully aware of its responsibilities in handling tests from every department and exercised precautions to maintain strict test security. Tests are logged in, kept locked in the office and handled only by authorized personnel. Tests are administered by trained proctors according to instructions provided by the faculty member. After administration, tests are promptly hand delivered to the division office in a sealed envelope. DS never returns tests by campus mail.
Can a faculty member forbid a student with a disability to use a tape recorder in class?
No, not if it has been deemed a reasonable accommodation for the student's disability. Tape recorders are among the accommodations mentioned in the Rehabilitation Act as a way to ensure full participation in educational programs or activities.
Concerns about the privacy of information presented may be addressed by adoption of contract between the faculty member and the student, detailing the specific, limited use of tapes and arranging for their disposal when that function that been fulfilled.
What are my responsibilities in identifying a note-taker for students?
UTSA relies on a volunteer program for note-takers. Instructors are asked to identify a student volunteer from whom the student with a disability can obtain copies of class notes. If a general request is made in class for volunteers, please do not identify the student by name; this may cause embarrassment. Refer the student volunteer to DS for instructions.
Occasionally we are asked how to encourage students to volunteer. Some instructors offer extra credit to the volunteer note-taker, and others allow students to copy their own lecture notes or overheads. If you choose this option, DS will photocopy your notes for the student. If you have difficulty identifying a note-taker for a student in your class, please contact DS for assistance.
Can faculty be sued for refusing to provide accommodation?
Faculty must accept that being employed by institutions that have compliance responsibility under federal statutes and regulations entails a responsibility to help those institutions satisfy their compliance obligations. In several judicial decisions, faculty have been held personally liable when failure to provide accommodation was the direct result of their actions, in opposition to institutional policies and mandates for the provision of accommodation to students with disabilities.
Providing reasonable accommodation: student and faculty responsibilities
- In keeping with DS's philosophy of encouraging independence, self-advocacy and self-reliance, students have a responsibility to self-identify and request accommodation.
- At the beginning of each semester, students registered with DS present to the instructor a letter from DS that verifies the disability, describes the accommodations the student is eligible for and-hopefully-facilitates communication.
- Disclosure of a disability and the need for accommodation is an extremely sensitive subject that requires utmost confidentiality. Discussions between the student and the instructor should always take place in a setting that ensures privacy.
- Faculty can facilitate communication by announcing at the beginning of each semester that they are available to assist with classroom accommodations.
- In the syllabus, faculty should include this statement: "If you need accommodation related to a disability, please make an appointment during my office hours to discuss your needs."
- As early as possible in the semester, the instructor and student should come to an agreement regarding accommodations and the way academic performance will be evaluated. The instructor should discuss with the student class assignments, projects, deadlines, examinations and related course matters.
- The student is the best source of information regarding accommodation needs. DS is available for consultation if questions or problems arise.
Accessiblity of Instructional Materials
Alternative print formats
Alternative print formats (audiotape, braille, electronic and large print) allow people with visual impairments and other disabilities to have access to standard print materials. Federal law requires the University to provide access to print materials upon request.
DS requests that faculty select course materials early and distribute syllabi, assignments and reading lists in advance to facilitate translation to audiotape, braille and large print. Providing class materials in electronic format (i.e., disk, network) is especially helpful.
Audio CDs
Many textbooks, novels and periodicals are available on CD and can be obtained from the Texas State Library or Recordings for the Blind and Dyslexic (RFB&D). DS can help students obtain digital text from these sources. Requests should be made as far in advance as possible.
Braille
Original documents may be submitted in print, on computer disk or via e-mail to DS for braille transcription. Documents in electronic format can be
transcribed quickly; print materials require more time because they must be scanned or keyed in by hand. Additional time is required for transcription of material containing mathematical or scientific symbols or notation.
Electronic
Many students have access to computers with synthesized voice or braille output devices and may request an electronic version of the material. Anyone can produce an electronic version of a document simply by copying the document onto a computer disk for the person making the request. Documents can also be made available by placing them on the Internet, thereby benefiting all students who have access to a computer network.
Large Print
Anyone with access to a computer or copy machine can create large-print documents. If a document has been created using a standard word processing program, it can easily be enlarged before printing. An 18-point type size is generally best. Bold characters also make the print clearer. Documents can also be enlarged by duplicating them on a copy machine that can print on 11-by17-inch paper. The quality of the enlarged version will depend on the clarity and condition of the original document. DS can help faculty enlarge print materials for students.
Films and Videotapes
Video presentation to deaf and hard-of-hearing students can sometimes result in missed information. Students who are hard of hearing may have difficulty because soundtracks aren't quite as clear as discussions or lectures. For students who use interpreters, having a video interpreted can facilitate communication but not at an optimal level. The divided attention between the video and the interpreter can cause the student to miss important information.
Not every hard-of-hearing student requires captioning, but deaf students who use interpreters usually prefer closed captioning during videos. Closed captioning allows deaf and hard-of-hearing people to have access to the audio portion of videos and movies. Similar to subtitles, these captions show narration, dialog and sounds in the program.
The term "closed" indicates that these captions appear on the screen after they have been filtered through a closed-caption decoder-standard equipment on all new television monitors. Many televisions on campus have decoders built in but not activated. Academic Technology and Center for Distance Learning staff can help faculty activate closed-caption decoders.
Since closed captioning on videotapes has only been available in the 1990s, DS urges faculty to update their video libraries to ensure accessibility for all students. Most material copied from current television programs is also closed captioned.
The Captioned Media Program, sponsored by the National Association of the Deaf, has more than 4,000 free-loan captioned media, including educational and general interest titles. Faculty can access a catalog of available films on the Web at www.cfv.org. DS can help instructors order media through this program.
Computer Technology
Federal law requires the University to ensure that computer technology used in classrooms, laboratories, libraries and computer labs is accessible to people with disabilities.
Students with physical disabilities may require a computer equipped with an input device (voice activation software, trackball or alternative keyboard).
Students with visual impairments may need a computer with large-print capability, an optical character reader, voice output or braille printer output. DS staff and UTSA's adaptive technology specialist are available to consult with faculty who utilize computers in the classroom to ensure access to this technology for students with disabilities.
