Disability Rights and Responsibilities for SDS, Students with Disabilities, and Faculty

The information below details that responsibilities and rights of students, SDS and faculty in the disability accommodation process. Please consult with SDS if you have any questions or concerns about your role in this process.

Student Responsibilities

• Meet qualifications of, participate in, and maintain the essential University standards for each course, program and/or activity.
• Self-identify to SDS as a qualified individual with a disability under the ADAA 2008.
• Request disability information, counsel, and reasonable accommodations in a timely manner.
• Demonstrate and/or provide documentation to SDS from an appropriately qualified professional in the areas of functional impairment.
• Explain how the functional limitation(s) impacts equitable participation in University courses, programs, services, and/or activities, and why an accommodation is necessary.
• Follow University procedures for obtaining reasonable accommodations, academic adjustments, and/or auxiliary aids and services.
• Inform SDS of any concerns about classroom accommodations, disparate or disparaging treatment related to disability, or access issues on campus as soon as the issue arises.

Student Rights

• The right to choose when and to whom they will disclose their disability.
• Equal opportunity to participate in courses, programs, services, and activities offered by the University.
• Reasonable accommodations and adjustments, when needed, to achieve equal access.

• Decide whether to use the curricular and co-curricular accommodations for which they have been approved.
• Seek resolution to concerns about access or discrimination through the use of the University’s procedures for filing informal and formal grievances.
• All other rights and privileges available to other students at the University.

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SDS Responsibilities

• Establish and disseminate criteria for the use of disability services.
• Meet with students to discuss access needs.
• Receive, review and store confidential disability documentation to support a student’s eligibility for disability services and accommodations.
• Determine whether or not a student is a qualified individual with a disability under the ADAA 2008, and to determine whether or what accommodations are reasonable.
• Provide written notification of the accommodation determination.
• Safe guard and maintain confidentiality of the student’s disclosed disability unless given written consent from the student.
• Collaborate with faculty and staff regarding essential course and/or program requirements and appropriate reasonable accommodations.
• Promote disability equity and inclusion on campus.

SDS Rights

• Identify and communicate essential functions, abilities, skills, knowledge, requirements, and standards for courses, programs, services, and activities in collaboration with campus partners.
• Request and receive relevant documentation that supports requests for accommodations, academic adjustments, and/or auxiliary aids and services.
• Deny a request for accommodations, academic adjustments, and/or auxiliary aids when the information provided by the student fails to substantiate areas of functional impairment, the documentation provided does not adequately support the requested accommodation, the requested accommodation will alter essential course requirement or result in a fundamental alteration of a course, program or service.
• Approve and select reasonable, equitably effective accommodations, adjustments, and/or auxiliary aids and services on behalf of the University.

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Faculty Responsibilities

• Provide accommodations for students who have submitted Accommodation Determination Letters in a timely manner. SDS will consult with instructors regarding complex and/or unique accommodations.
• Ensure instructional materials are accessible and usable by all students: SDS can work with faculty to ensure equal access to course content. Accessible materials may include captioning, exam proctoring, alternative course notes, and document conversion.
• Maintain confidentiality of a student’s disability status: Students must provide an Accommodation Determination letter to be eligible for accommodations in the course. The student’s eligibility for accommodations should not be disclosed or shared with other students. Instructors should limit discussions regarding accommodation implementation to University staff or faculty that are directly involved in the implementation of the approved accommodations.
• Provide and/or support  accommodation arrangements that meet the access needs of a student: Instructors are responsible for ensuring that students are afforded the testing accommodations listed in the Accommodation Determination Letter.  When arranging exam accommodations, ensure that students have the ability to direct questions to the instructor (or a designee).
• Ensure that the testing environment is equitable to peers in the class (i.e. testing without disruptions, allowed materials, identical instructions, etc.), and that the student has access to all clarifications and details provided during the exam given to the entire class.

• Require students to participate in the University’s accommodation request process, and to provide an SDS Accommodation Determination Letter verifying their eligibility for the requested accommodations. Faculty are not responsible for determining whether or what accommodations are appropriate for a student with a disability.

Instructor Rights

• Decline accommodation requests from students who have not provided verification of SDS approved accommodations. If a student makes a request for accommodations to instructor, stating a disability related need, and does not have an Accommodation Determination Letter, refer the student to SDS. Students are expected to engage in the University’s interactive accommodation process with the SDS Office, prior to receiving accommodations. Instructors should not to grant accommodations without formal notice from SDS.
• Receive verification of accommodations approved by SDS. SDS provides both College and graduate/professional students with access to an Accommodation Determination Letter (ADL). College student request that ADL’s be sent to faculty via the AIM portal. Instructors will receive emailed notification of a student’s approved accommodations directly from SDS. The process for notification to faculty for graduate/professional programs vary by academic division. It is common that the ADL notification will be provided to the Dean of Students or their designee, and will be communicated to the instructor as appropriate.
• Establish course design, curriculum, materials and assignments.  Accommodations are not intended to fundamentally alter essential requirements of a course. Instructors are expected to consult with SDS if a student makes such a request, or if they believe that an approved accommodation in a student’s letter would fundamentally alter the nature of the program or course.
• Receive timely notice of accommodation requests. SDS instructs College students to meet with instructors, and graduate/professional students to meet with disability liaisons early in the quarter to make arrangements for accommodations. At least one week’s notice is reasonable for test-taking accommodation requests. More notice may be needed for some accommodations, such as arranging adaptive transportation or interpreters for field trips. Because students can request services at any time during the quarter, instructors may receive accommodation requests throughout the quarter. Instructors need only to accommodate from the time of notice, and are not required to retroactively implement an accommodation.