Information for Faculty Members
Faculty Syllabus Disability Statement ***EKU DISABILITY STATEMENT***
Faculty with Disabilities
Interacting with Wheelchair Users
Interacting with Individuals who have Psychiatric Disabilities
Handling Confidentiality
Determining Health and Safety Concerns
Transcription Services at EKU
Downloadable Resources
Note Taker Contracts and Instructions .doc
Example of an Accommodation Letter .doc
Faculty Training in ADA Federal Laws .doc
OSID Testing Procedures .doc
Request for Test Template .doc
Web Accessibility Awareness .ppt
US Census Individuals with Disabilities Statistics .pdf
Other Resources
The Learning Center's collection of tips on accommodating students with disabilities
OSEP Tool Kit on Teaching and Assessing Students With Disabilities (Tool Kit)
FAME (Faculty & Administrator Modules in Higher Education) - a resource to improve the quality of education for students with disabilities
Access By Design Online
Project Goals
ADA Basic Building Blocks online course
Kentucky Laws
AIT Law
AIT Matrix
KY-AITIS Section 508 Checklist
KY Textbook Act University
KY Textbook Act K-12
Federal Laws
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) 1990
Sections 504 and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
New Freedom Initiative 2001
No Child Left Behind (NCLB) (K-12)
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (K-12)
University lawsuits regarding accommodations
Faculty Syllabus Disability Statement
The following statement needs to be included on your syllabus, even if it is posted online in the Blackboard course. Many students print out the syllabus for reference.
Statement:
If you are registered with the Office of Services for Individuals with Disabilities, please obtain your accommodation letters from the OSID and present them to the course instructor to discuss any academic accommodations you need. If you believe you need accommodation and are not registered with the OSID, please contact the Office in the Student Services Building Room 361 by email at disserv@eku.edu or by telephone at (859) 622-2933 V/TDD. Upon individual request, this syllabus can be made available in an alternative format.
Faculty with Disabilities
Please contact Teresa Belluscio to discuss your needs.
Interacting with Wheelchair Users
- When addressing a person who uses a wheelchair, do not lean on the wheelchair. The wheelchair is a part of the person's personal space.
- Do not assume that a wheelchair user needs assistance and always ask before providing assistance. If the offer is accepted, ask the wheelchair user for instructions on assistance and follow the instructions.
- When talking to a person who uses a wheelchair, look at and speak directly to that person rather than addressing a companion.
- Relax and speak naturally and do not be embarrassed if you happen to use accepted common expressions such as "got to be running along" that seem to relate to the person's disability.
- When talking with a person in a wheelchair for more than a few minutes use a chair, if possible, to facilitate conversation and be at eye level with the wheelchair user.
- When giving directions to a person in a wheelchair,consider the distance, weather conditions and physical obstacles such as stairs, curbs and steep hills.
- Proper terminology should be used when referring to a person who uses a wheelchair. Terms such as "wheelchair bound" and "confined to a wheelchair" are inappropriate.
- Do not assume that all people who use wheelchairs have the same limitations.
- If person who uses a wheel chair has a service animal, do not pet or play with the animal. A service animal is working and should not be interrupted.
- When greeting a person who uses a wheelchair, it is appropriate to offer to shake hands with that person even if he/she has upper extremity limitations.
Interacting with Individuals who have Psychiatric Disabilities
- Dispel any myths about working with students with psychiatric disabilities.
- Mental illness is a disease and can be treated
- Depression and other psychiatric illnesses can be worked through with the appropriate combination of the following; a support system, counseling and medications.
- People with severe and persistent mental illness can be productive members of society.
- Remember your obligation to keep disability related information confidential. Information, however, is only shared on a "need to know" basis with other instructors in relation to targeted, specific situations.
- Remind students through disability statements on syllabi and if asked, that academic accommodations are given when student has completed the process to document a disability and a request for accommodation has been received.
As the EEOC noted in it's Technical Assistance Manual on Title I, (a faculty member) that believes that an individual is not an "otherwise qualified" individual with a disability because he or she poses a direct threat, must show that there is a significant, specific, current risk of substantial harm to themselves or others. The risk may not be speculative or remote and must be based on objective medical or other factual evidence concerning a particular event, contact or individual.If a significant risk of substantial harm exists, the faculty/disabilities coordinator must consider whether the risk can be eliminated or reduced below the direct threat level by a reasonable accommodation.
1/2000 T.Belluscio
Handling Confidentiality
Faculty should be prepared to handle questions from non-disabled students who perceive accommodations provided to students with disabilities as ‘unfair advantages’. Faculty may not divulge that accommodations are provided to comply with the ADA, according to the EEOC in its guidance on Reasonable Accommodation and Undue Hardship, because this would violate the ADA’s confidentiality provisions. Making such a statement by mentioning the ADA would immediately give away the fact that the individual/student has a disability. Instead, faculty should respond that she/he is meeting its obligations under federal law.
In addition, when a student asks for an accommodation or presents a “letter of accommodation” from the Disabilities Office, take time to speak confidentially with the student regarding the accommodation. This conversation is done best in the professor’s office or after class when other students are not present. Do not address the accommodation needs of students out loud in class.
Frequently, when students with disabilities such as a learning disabilities, hearing loss or other cognitive disorders request an accommodation it is precipitated by the need for a modification or need for equal access to the course material, lecture material and tests. The ADA requires Universities to provide equal access in the classroom, so providing such accommodations meets the standards of disability law. Students with disabilities are like all other students in their range of performance. Performance problems do not necessarily mean an individual with a disability needs an accommodation. Do not assume that performance problems are because of an individual’s disability. Instead of a disability, the problems may be due to a myriad of other reasons, including poor academic planning and study habits, or personal and/or financial problems or current drug or alcohol. Current drug usage is not a covered disability under the ADA.
1/2005 T. Belluscio
Determining Health and Safety Concerns
Faculty can require that individuals with disabilities do not pose a direct threat to the health or safety of other individuals in the classroom or within a cooperative work arrangement, practicum or any fieldwork placement, on or off campus. (42 U.S.C.12113 (b). The EEOC has added the requirement that the individual not pose a threat to his or her own safety as well. The determination of risk must be made on a case- by -case basis.
Section 36.208 of the ADA, Title III define direct threat as a significant risk to the health and safety of others that cannot be eliminated or reduced by a modification of policies, practices, or procedures or by the provision of auxiliary aids or services, (through a reasonable accommodation).
The regulations make clear that this criterion is a stringent standard, based on an individualized assessment of a person’s present ability to safely perform the essential elements of the course or job. A decision that a person poses a direct threat must be based on medical or other objective evidence, not opinion or speculation, even if the decision maker is a health care professional (Bragdon v. Abbott). In determining whether an individual poses a health or safety risk in the classroom or any job site, consideration must be given to:
- the duration of the risk;
- the nature and severity of the potential harm;
- the likelihood that the potential harm will occur; and
- the imminence of the potential harm.
Health and safety considerations probably receive the most attention in the area of contagious diseases such as AIDS and tuberculosis.
1/2005 T. Belluscio
Transcription Services
EKU transcription services is a collaborative effort between the Instructional Development Center (IDC), Web Accessibility (IT), and the Student Judicial Affairs & Services for Individuals with Disabilities Office to ensure university compliance with ADA guidelines. Any audio or video on an EKU web page or Blackboard site should also have a transcript version for compliance.
If you have audio or video files posted on your EKU web pages or Blackboard site, please send your files to Becca.Palmer@eku.edu for transcription.
