The Department of Accessibility & Learning Excellence (DALE) would like to share the following guidelines with you to help facilitate communication with students utilizing academic accommodations at The College of Idaho. By keeping the lines of communication open, the needs of students with disabilities can be met in a collaborative effort.
The responsibility of postsecondary institutions to provide accommodations to students with disabilities derives principally from two federal laws: Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (“Section 504”) and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (“ADA”).
Disability Accommodation Statement
The statement is emailed to you each semester and should be included in your course syllabi:
The College of Idaho seeks to provide an educational environment that is accessible to the needs of students with disabilities. The College provides reasonable services to enrolled students who have a documented permanent or temporary physical, psychological, learning, intellectual, or sensory disability that qualifies the student for accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act or section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. If you have, or think you may have, a disability that impacts your performance as a student in this class, you are encouraged to arrange support services and/or accommodations through the Department of Accessibility & Learning Excellence, located in Hendren Hall (208-459-5188) and available via email at [email protected]. Reasonable academic accommodations may be provided to students who submit appropriate and current documentation of their disability. Accommodations can be arranged only through this process and are not retroactively applied.
In your syllabi, this should be called “Disability Accommodation Statement" and not "Special Accommodations."
First Day of Class Announcement
As you review the syllabus in each class, please note the above statement and invite students to meet with you either during office hours or by appointment. These invitations are important in helping your students feel at ease and for encouraging self-identification. Due to confidentiality, the DALE staff does not directly notify instructors of students’ disability, unless requested by the students.
Confidentiality
Confidentiality of your students’ information is essential. At no time should the class be informed that any of your students have a disability, unless the student makes a specific request to do so. All disability related information that your student gives to you is to be used specifically for arranging reasonable accommodations for your student’s course of study.
Faculty Notification Letter
Students utilizing accommodations must provide you with a faculty notification letter from DALE. Students who ask for accommodations but do not have faculty notifications letters should be referred to the DALE to initiate services. DALE staff prepares faculty notification letters for all the students who submitted documentation. All students are instructed to schedule an appointment with DALE staff at the beginning of the semester to receive those letters. It is recommended that students provide faculty notification letters during office hours or by special appointment. At that time, arrangement of accommodations can be discussed in private.
Discuss Student Accommodation Request(s)
Once you receive a copy of the faculty notification letter, discuss with your student the specific accommodations requested for the course. Each faculty notification letter includes a list of recommended accommodations, based on documentation provided by the student and discussions with the DALE staff. These accommodations may not automatically apply to every assignment. Appropriate accommodations should be based on the faculty notification letter, the course requirements, appropriate documentation, and the students’ needs.
If the suggested accommodations cannot be implemented, faculty members are encouraged to consult with the DALE staff. If you have any questions regarding a requested accommodation, cannot reach mutual agreement with a student, or need assistance, please email [email protected]. The accommodation process is an interactive, individualized process that will be different with each student for each class.
Compliant Course Materials (PDF)