Disability Resource Center (DRC)
Student Center Suite 240/246
Phone: (734) 487-2470
Fax: (734) 487-5784
Faculty Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the purpose of accommodations?
The DRC believes that disability in and of itself is simply a personal difference, not a deficiency.
The manner in which an environment is designed (class teaching and assessment styles, office
policies and procedures, physical layouts, etc.) often determines the extent a person feels the
impact of a disability in any given situation. Because the design of an environment impacts
people of all abilities in various ways, the environment should be assessed for its general
usability and inclusivity. Ideally, any classroom setting, office practice, or physical layout is
proactively designed to be usable by everyone to the greatest extent possible. When the
environment is not naturally accessible, accommodations are coordinated in order to make it
accessible.
From a legal perspective, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of The
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 require protection from discrimination and equal access to opportunity
for people with disabilities. Students with disabilities are entitled to accommodations so that they
may receive an education in a nondiscriminatory fashion. The purpose of providing college
academic accommodations to students with disabilities is to ensure that a student has equal
access and is not discriminated against because of the presence of a learning or medical
disability.
2. What is a reasonable accommodation?
A reasonable accommodation is any modification or adjustment in the usual method of teaching,
demonstrating, and/or evaluating a course objective that A) provides the student with an equal
opportunity to succeed in the class without discrimination and B) does not fundamentally alter
the goals and objectives of academic courses or office/university policies, procedures, and
practices.
A reasonable accommodation does not negate requirements for successful completion of either
a program, course, service and/or activity or adherence to generally acceptable standards of
behavior, rights, and responsibilities.
3. How does a student get connected with the office? How are accommodations
determined?
To receive accommodations not naturally available within the environment, students with
disabilities are required to contact the DRC meet with a Disability Advisor. The Advisor will
assess each situation on a case-by-case basis based on the information collected and will
coordinate with the student and course instructors reasonable accommodations as deemed
appropriate.
4. Can faculty be held legally responsible for refusing to provide accommodations? What
happens if an instructor does not agree with a requested accommodation?
Because EMU receives federal money to support our operations and students’ educational
experiences, everyone has a responsibility to satisfy obligations of compliance under federal
statutes and regulations. However, this does not mean that students have to receive any
requested accommodations under any circumstances. Accommodations must be requested
within a reasonable timeframe and must be reasonable given the situation. When
reasonableness clearly exists, instructors must coordinate the appropriate accommodation.
When questions about reasonableness exist, instructors should consult with the DRC about how
to best address the situation.
5. When we provide accommodations, are we preparing students with disabilities for the
“real world”?
At the postsecondary level, our job is to ensure educational equity and to facilitate the learning
process. What may or may not happen in the work world cannot be our responsibility. The
educational environment impacts students with disabilities in ways differently from the work
environment. Classroom performance is often measured through only a few events (tests,
papers, projects, etc.) whereas work performance is often assessed over a period of weeks and
months. Furthermore, successful students, including students with disabilities, tend to choose
careers and jobs that match their strengths and may be less likely to need accommodations as
a result. When students with disabilities request academic accommodations for a specific
course, it is because the design of the course specifically impacts the disability.
6. Am I being fair to other students by granting one student accommodations?
Reasonable accommodations do not weaken academic standards or the overall integrity of the
course. Accommodations provide an alternative way of accomplishing the course requirements
by eliminating or reducing barriers within the environment that impact the disability. It is not fair
to the student with a disability to have to participate in and to be assessed in an environment
that is not accessible to the student.
7. What if I suspect that a student may have a disability due to some indicator seen in
class or in conversation out of class? What is the appropriate way to address?
Ultimately, there is nothing wrong with referring a student to Disability Services if:
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You are comfortable with making that recommendation;
You have consulted with the student and learned more about the situation;
You truly have the student’s best interest at heart.
Such referrals are only problematic if the tone of the referral suggests that the basis of the
referral is because of a discriminatory attitude or suggests to the student that you have
personally come to the conclusion that a disability definitely exists.
Talking to the student and asking how your class is going for the student in conjunction with
other classes and activities will help you gain information about the source of the student’s
struggles. A student may be struggling in a particular course for any number of reasons. The
issue may be one of time management, difficulty transitioning to college, lack of good study
Disability Resource Center (DRC)
Student Center Suite 240/246
Phone: (734) 487-2470
Fax: (734) 487-5784
skills, inappropriate course schedule given the student’s situation, personal life challenges, etc.
A particular disability may or may not be the primary reason behind the academic struggles.
It is appropriate to comment to the student that you believe the student’s class participation
does not reflect the current grade or that the quality of the submitted work is not meeting course
standards. You can ask if the student is having particular trouble with one aspect of the course.
To the extent you are comfortable, consider making adjustments to the created academic
curriculum if such adjustments would be a reasonable way to better align the curriculum with the
student’s learning style.
You might want to mention various resources on campus (Holman Success Center tutoring or
Academic Success Coaches, counselors at Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS),
possible accommodations at the DRC, academic advisors, etc.) so as to provide a broad
resource perspective and to avoid making the student feel as though he or she is being labeled
into one distinct category. See how the student responds and go from there.
If the student shares information that leads you to believe the student may be experiencing
depression or another mental illness, you should first refer to CAPS. Counselors at CAPS will
refer students to the DRC if they see a need for academic accommodations. Students
sometimes accept a referral to the DRC more easily from a counselor at CAPS. If you are
absolutely unsure on where is the best place to refer a student, consider making a referral to
CAPS first.
If it is absolutely clear to you that the student’s struggles are directly related to specific
academic difficulties (not a death in the family, a failed dating relationship, mental illness,
depression, etc.) based on comments from the student, then the student may be more open to
receiving a referral to the DRC. Common phrases from students that suggest a higher
probability of a disability history (either known or unknown to the student) are those that present
a long-standing history of concerns, such as:
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“always have trouble writing papers”
“never finish tests on time”,
“usually very anxious prior to or during exams”
“always take longer to read textbooks”
“can never listen to lectures for long periods and/or copy notes at the same time”
“always received extra help in high school”, etc.
8. Should I share the information about the student's disability with anyone else?
All students sign releases in our office that allow us to talk to course instructors about
accommodation situations. Beyond the DRC, the student’s situation should not be shared with
anyone else unless deemed necessary and considered appropriate under FERPA. Faculty
members are advised to be careful with what they share with others within the department.
While some information sharing can be beneficial to other instructors who may work with a
student in the future, other information may generate perceptions and attitudes that could work
against the student if a future instructor has already “made up their mind” about a student before
ever having the student in a class.
9. What is a preferred syllabus statement?
It is my goal that this class be an accessible and welcoming experience for all students,
including those with disabilities that may impact learning in this class. If anyone believes s/he
may have trouble participating or effectively demonstrating learning in this course, please meet
with me (with or without a Disability Resource Center (DRC) accommodation letter) to discuss
reasonable options or adjustments. During our discussion, I may suggest the
possibility/necessity of your contacting the DRC (240 Student Center; 734-487-2470;
drc@emich.edu) to talk about academic accommodations. You are welcome to talk to me at
any point in the semester about such issues, but it is always best if we can talk at least one
week prior to the need for any modifications.