Faculty Resources for Working with Students with Disabilities

The Office of Student Learning Services (SLS) Disability Staff is a resource for faculty and staff at the University of Dayton.  Additional information may be available through consultation with SLS Disability Staff regarding specific needs or circumstances.

• Accessible Syllabus
• Disability Syllabus Statement
• Faculty Rights & Responsibilities
• Academic Accommodation

Accessible Syllabus

Imagine not being able to understand the information in a course syllabus —perhaps because you’re an auditory learner or English is your second language or the font is too small, etc.

A course syllabus is both the road map and the rule book for your course. It is a student’s most comprehensive resource for understanding your course expectations. This Accessible Electronic Syllabus Template is provided to help increase access to your syllabus for all students in your course. Instructions for how to create a new accessible electronic syllabus or update a previous syllabus to make it accessible are provided within the document. 

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Download the Accessible Electronic Syllabus Template >>

Disability Syllabus Statement

Every syllabus should contain a statement explaining the availability of arrangements for students with disabilities. Here is the statement recommended by SLS:

Your learning in this course is important to me. I invite you to come talk with me about ways to ensure your full participation in the course. If you feel you need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability, please contact me privately to discuss your Self-Identification Form as provided by the LTC’s Office of Student Learning Services (SLS). It is important that you be registered with SLS and notify me of your eligibility for reasonable accommodations in a timely manner, and, when appropriate, that we make special arrangements in case of an emergency building evacuation.

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Faculty Rights & Responsibilities

SLS recognizes that faculty may have concerns about their rights when working with students with disabilities.  This is a guide for better understanding of your rights and responsibilities. 

Neither SLS nor professors are obligated to provide academic accommodations if the student fails to make the request in a timely fashion as outlined in the established guidelines. If a student does not follow guidelines, their first step is to communicate with their professor to determine if the professor is in agreement with provision of the accommodation given the late request and how they can accommodate your request.

Faculty Rights

• Voice Concerns: If a faculty member has a concern related to the accommodations a student has listed in the Self-Identification Form, they are encouraged to contact SLS Disability Staff.
• Expectations for students: Faculty members should expect that enrolled students are academically qualified and students with disabilities should be held to the same academic and behavior standards as all other students.

Faculty Responsibilities

• Shared responsibility: It is the shared responsibility of all University of Dayton employees to adhere to federal laws by providing reasonable accommodations to students with disabilities who have registered with SLS.
• Review the Disability Statement during first week of each class and include in the syllabus
• Referrals to Student Learning Services: If a student requests accommodations or identifies him or herself as a person with a disability who has not registered with SLS, encourage the student to contact SLS and request an appointment with SLS Disability Staff. If a student reports study difficulties, SLS can also be of assistance through drop-in tutoring, study groups, supplemental instruction and student consultations.
• Provide approved accommodations: Students with disabilities will provide faculty members with a copy of their Self-Identification Form that indicates their recommended accommodations. It is expected that faculty members will work with students to provide the listed accommodations in order to give students with disabilities the opportunity to achieve the intended outcomes of the course. Know that faculty are only obligated to provide the accommodations that are listed on the Self-Identification Form. If you have questions about how to provide accommodations or question if an accommodation might fundamentally alter the objectives or essential requirements of the course, please contact SLS Disability Staff for additional guidance.
• Respect confidentiality: Confidentiality regarding a student’s disability is essential. A student’s disability and/or the fact that they use accommodations should not be announced in class and individual conversations should be held in a respectful and discrete manner.
• Communicate with your student: The student is to initiate communication regarding academic accommodations. By having a conversation with the student, you can determine how to put the listed accommodations into practice. Students may not be comfortable discussing their accommodations in front of others; offer to speak with them privately or during office hours.
• Communicate with SLS Disability Staff: If you have questions about how to provide accommodations or question if an accommodation might fundamentally alter the objectives or essential requirements of the course, please contact SLS Disability Staff for additional guidance. If a student requests an accommodation outside of the established timeframe and your are agreeable to allowing the accommodation, let SLS Staff know via e-mail. If a student is taking a test with SLS, provide test materials and instructions in a timely manner.

Academic Accommodation

Following successful registration as a qualified student with a disability at the University of Dayton, eligible students meet with SLS Disability Staff to complete the interactive process for determining reasonable accommodations. For reasonable accommodations in academic settings, an eligible student will receive a Self-Identification Letter identifying reasonable accommodation recommendations for each class in which the student is enrolled. Due to the diversity of individual needs relating to disabilities and the uniqueness each class presents, accommodations may vary from class to class. The student has the right to use any, all or none of their accommodations; however, they cannot come to the professor after the fact and request accommodations as a result of poor performance. Eligible students must deliver the Self Identification Letter to the professor of the course and discuss how to implement reasonable accommodations with the professor e.g., how will extended time on the exam be addressed. When addressing accommodations in an academic setting, professors are encouraged to consider out-of-class requirements as well. For example, if you are going to a community location, you should question the accessibility of the location; if you are providing transportation you should question the accessibility of the transportation, etc. If you provide services in remote campus sites e.g. another physical location or via distance learning, academic accommodations may still be necessary. In the event students are interested in receiving accommodations while participating in a clinical component of an educational program e.g. internship, practicum or student teaching, please meet with SLS Disability Staff. It may be necessary for SLS Disability Staff, the clinical experience professor, the on-site supervisor and the student to meet before the experience begins. Request for accommodation must be made to, and approved by, SLS and other university officials, as necessary.