Disability Support Services

Working Together: Faculty and Students with Disabilities

Legal Issues

While there are a number of federal and State laws that prohibit discrimination against individuals with disabilities, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 applies to recipients of federal financial assistance.  The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 applies to public services and accommodations, and to employment. Together they provide comprehensive coverage of most issues of discrimination involving individuals with disabilities that would arise at private and public colleges and universities.

According to these laws, no otherwise qualified individual with a disability shall, solely by reason of his/her disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity at Loyola.

Under Section 504, "qualified" with respect to post-secondary educational services, means "a person who meets the academic and technical standards requisite to admission or participation in the education program or activity, with or without reasonable modifications to rules, policies or practices; the removal of architectural, communication or transportation barriers; or the provision of auxiliary aids and services."

"Person with a disability" means "any person who 1) has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities [including walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, and working], 2) has a record of such an impairment, or 3) is regarded as having such an impairment."

Disabilities covered by legislation include (but are not limited to) AIDS, Cancer, Cerebral Palsy, Diabetes, Epilepsy, head injuries, hearing impairments, specific learning disabilities, loss of limbs, Multiple Sclerosis, Muscular Dystrophy, psychiatric disorders, speech impairments, spinal cord injuries, and visual impairments.  However, because the law is dynamic, please consult with Disabilities Support Services about the what is covered by statutes and case law and what we must do to be in compliance with the law.

Loyola College's Identification and Accommodation Process

Faculty members are encouraged to be responsive to the pedagogical needs of all students. However, students with disabilities may have some additional educational needs that they should discuss with each faculty member. It is helpful to include a statement on the class syllabus inviting students who have disabilities to discuss academic needs. An example of such a statement is,"To request academic accommodations due to a disability, please contact Disability Support Services, 4502 A Seton Court, (410) 617-2062, TDD (410) 617-2141 or mwiedefeld@loyola.edu.  If you have a letter from Disability Support Services indicating you have a disability which requires academic accommodations, please present it to me so we can discuss the accommodations you might need in this class."

A student with a disability needing accommodation will provide each instructor with an accommodation letter from Disability Support Services or the Center for Academic Support Services (CASS) which indicate possible accommodations. The faculty member can then work with the student to find the appropriate accommodation(s) for the specific class. Additional or different accommodations from those stated in the DSS letter might be provided, if deemed appropriate and reasonable by both the student and the faculty member.

Faculty members should not agree or refuse to make a requested accommodation until after receiving the appropriate documentation and consulting with Disability Support Services.  If agreement cannot be reached with a student on an appropriate accommodation, the faculty member should contact DSS for assistance.  If after working with DSS a satisfactory accommodation is not obtained, an appeal may be made to the ADA/504 Coordinator at (410) 617-2699.

If a student does not present a letter from DSS or CASS, and wants academic accommodations, the faculty member should refer the student to DSS prior to making any accommodations.

Examples of Academic Accommodations

Blindness accommodations:
• Audio-taped, Brailled or electronic-formatted lecture notes, handouts, and texts
• Verbal descriptions of visual aids
• Raised-line drawings and tactile models of graphic materials
• Braille lab signs and equipment labels, auditory lab warning signals
• Adaptive lab equipment (e.g., talking thermometers and calculators, light probes, and tactile timers)
• Computer with optical character reader, voice output, Braille screen display and printer output

Low Vision accommodations:
• Seating near front of class        
• Large print handouts, lab signs, and equipment labels
• TV monitor connected to microscope to enlarge images
• Class assignments made available in electronic format
• Computer equipped to enlarge screen characters and images

Hearing Impairment accommodations:
• Interpreter, real-time captioning, FM system, notetaker
• Open or closed-captioned films, use of visual aids
• Written assignments, lab instructions, demonstration summaries
• Visual warning system for lab emergencies
• Use of electronic mail for class and private discussions

Learning Disability accommodations:
• Notetakers and/or audio-taped class sessions, captioned films
• Extra exam time and/or alternative testing arrangements
• Visual, oral, and/or tactile instructional demonstrations
• Computer with voice output, spellchecker, and/or grammar checker

Mobility Impairment accommodations:
• Notetaker / lab assistant; group lab assignments
• Classrooms, labs, and field trips in accessible locations
• Adjustable tables, lab equipment located within reach
• Class assignments made available in electronic format
• Computer equipped with special input device (e.g., voice input, Morse code, alternative keyboard)

Health Impairment/Chronic Illness accommodations:
• Notetaker
• Flexible attendance requirements and/or extra exam time
• Assignments made available in electronic format; use of email to facilitate communication

Useful Teaching Techniques
Below you will find examples of teaching techniques in the classroom, laboratory, examinations, and fieldwork that benefit all students, but are especially useful for students who have disabilities.

Classroom
• Select course materials early so that students and the Disability Support Services office have enough time to translate them to audiotape, Braille, and large print.
• Make syllabi, short assignment sheets, and reading lists available in electronic format (e.g., disk, electronic mail, WWW).
• Face the class when speaking. Repeat discussion questions.
• Write key phrases and lecture outlines on the blackboard or overhead projector.

Laboratory
• Take the student on a tour of the lab he/she will be working in. Discuss safety concerns.
• Assign group lab projects in which all students contribute according to their abilities.
• Arrange lab equipment so that it is easily accessible.
• Give oral and written lab instructions.

Examination and Fieldwork
• Assure that exams test the essential skills or knowledge needed for the course or field of study.
• Some students will require extra time to transcribe or process test questions; follow campus policies regarding extra time on examinations.
• Consider allowing students to turn in exams via electronic mail or diskette.
• Ask student how he/she might be able to do specific aspects of fieldwork. Attempt to include student in fieldwork opportunities, rather than automatically suggesting non-field work alternatives.
• Include special needs in requests for field trip vehicle reservations.

Loyola College in Maryland Campus Resources

Many resourses are available if you need assistance providing access for students with  with disabilities at this link.

This publication was adapted from materials primarily funded by NEC Foundation of America, US WEST Communications, the National Science Foundation, and the State of Washington as part of DO-IT  (c) 1997, 1999 University of Washington. Permission is granted to duplicate this publication for educational, non-commercial purposes provided the source is acknowledged.