SAS Faculty Resources

Welcome Faculty 

Student Accessibility Services is here to work with you in providing the appropriate support for all Alvin Community College students in and out of the classroom. Working with students to provide appropriate academic accommodations can be tricky, and you may experience individual differences, even in providing the same academic accommodation. Please know that SAS Staff are available to assist you. If you have any questions concerning the student, or an accommodation, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Accommodations do not give some students an unfair advantage over other students. Students who have a learning, physical, or psychological disability have academic limitations that other students do not. Accommodations simply level the playing field so each student has equal and full access to lectures, books and to sharing what they have learned. We accommodate for "equal access" so the student's level of academic success can be assessed just as it is with any other student.

Be aware that students are given the choice to pick up and deliver paper copies or have accommodation letters sent to instructors electronically. And while all students are encouraged to secure letters at the beginning of the semester, students occasionally forget to request letters or get approved for accommodation mid-semester. In all cases, accommodations should never be applied retroactively.

Accommodation Guidelines for Instructors

Accommodation Provision Examples - Communicating with the Student

The student is responsible to:

• Initiate the request for accommodations with each instructor upon receiving an accommodation letter to make specific arrangements for any necessary academic accommodations.
• Meet with you to discuss his/her accommodations at the beginning of the semester or as soon as he/she receives academic accommodations.
• Set up any testing arrangements with the instructor and for making an appointment with the Testing Center.

The instructor is responsible to:

• Meet with students who provide an Accommodation Letter from SAS to discuss implementation of their approved accommodations.
• Provide accommodations in a timely manner, and ensure instructional materials are in accessible formats, which include captioned videos, text readable documents, etc. Understand that accommodations are not retroactive and are not applicable until the student has discussed the academic accommodations with you.
• Maintain appropriate confidentiality of accommodation notifications and communications regarding the student’s involvement with the Student Accessibility Services Office.

The instructor CANNOT:

• Deny a student's reasonable accommodation as listed on his/her Accommodation Letter. If you believe the accommodation would result in a fundamental alteration to an essential component of the course please contact SAS.
• Ask students questions about his/her disability, diagnosis or the reason academic accommodation is necessary. If you have questions about any academic accommodation please contact SAS.
• Request documentation of a disability directly from a student.
  • In the case of medical absences, the student can choose to present necessary documentation to the instructor or SAS for verification of absence relate accommodation for missed assignments, test dates or other course requirements.

Things to consider as you build your course - Universal Design:

1. Are you using supplemental materials, do you have additional materials posted online?
   • Please make sure all articles scanned and posted online are in Word or OCR pdf format. If not, contact Student Accessibility Services or Distance Education to learn how to ensure your materials are accessible.
     
     
2. Is your course required textbook(s) available in digital or electronic format from the publisher?
   • If you have a choice between two textbooks, please ask the publisher if it is available in pdf format, or choose the one that is. This will save time and expense in ensuring the student has access to required materials.
     
     
3. Are you using a companion site or publisher’s learning platform?
   • Please have technical assistance contact information and numbers available, many of these sites are not 100% accessible to all students and through all modes of access.
     
     
4. Are all videos or films to be used in the class captioned?
   • If not, SAS Staff can help, but it is the instructor’s responsibility to have audio / video captions, a complete transcription, or otherwise accessible version of all presented materials. The ACC Library may be able to help you locate updated, accessible  educational materials.

SAS is available to support faculty in the following ways:

Counsel: Understanding how academic accommodations apply to your course, Counsel if what you are doing is appropriate, Mediator when dealing with a difficult student (general information about ADA / 504 Compliance, ADA and Online Content, Video Accessibility and 508 Compliance)

Classroom Assistance: Teaching resources and assistance for specific disabilities (Braille, ASL Interpreters, CART Services, recording devices, etc.), Alternate textbook formatting, 1:1 assistance for referred/identified students

Best Practices: Universal Design for Learning (UDL), Online Accessibility, Classroom Management Techniques and General Practices for Identified Student Groups

Trainings & Workshops: Academic Accommodations & Compliance, Autism Spectrum Students, Veterans, Mental Health in the Classroom, etc.

 

Related Links / Resources

ADA and Online Content - Web Content Accessibility Guidelines

Free/Low Cost Assistive Technology for Everyone

Principles of Universal Design

Service Animal Awareness

Sign Language Interpreter - Classroom / Remote Services

CART (Computer-Aided Real-time Translation) - Classroom / Remote Services