A Faculty Guide: Students with Disabilities

By law, the University of Houston-Victoria must make reasonable accommodations for qualified students who have a disability; however, the university is not required to lower its standards.

Achieving reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities requires shared responsibility between students, faculty, and staff. In most instances, responding to the needs of a student with a disability requires little adjustment to the classroom environment or to teaching style. With some flexibility, planning, and a genuine willingness to help, faculty and academic departments can find ways to accommodate special needs.

The information in this guide is designed to facilitate that process. Procedural help is available for faculty from the Office of Student Activities & Services, located on the Victoria campus.

Office of Student Activities & Services
(361) 570-4287 or 570-4137 or toll free at (877) 970-4848, extension 287 or 137

Confidentiality

Federal and state law requires that information regarding students with disabilities for which special accommodations must be made remain confidential. Every effort must be made to preserve the privacy of the student who needs special accommodations and to treat the individual with the same dignity and courtesy accorded all other student in the classroom.

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University Policy on Accommodations for Persons with Disabilities

In accordance with Section 504 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the University of Houston-Victoria endeavors to make reasonable accommodations for qualified persons with disabilities to participate in all educational programs and activities. Whenever a reasonable accommodation is necessary for access or participation in university courses or services, the faculty and/or departments responsible for the courses or service will work with Office of Student Recruitment and Relations and the Office of Instructional Support Services, along with appropriate federal and state agencies to ensure that reasonable accommodations are made.

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Impact of Section 504 on Post secondary Institutions

According to the American Council on Education and the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, Section 504 mandates that the university make accommodations to qualified students with disabilities to ensure that our academic programs and courses are accessible to the greatest extent possible.

Under the provisions of Section 504, universities and colleges may not:

• exclude a qualified student with a disability from any course of study;
• counsel a student with a disability toward a more restrictive career;
• measure student achievement using modes that adversely discriminate against a student with a disability;
• establish rules and policies that may adversely affect students with disabilities;
• prohibit the use of tape recorders or dog guides in campus buildings if that limits the participation of the student in educational programs or activities.

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Procedures for Academic Accommodations

To assist students with disabilities in the classroom, faculty must follow the steps outlined below:

1. Talk with the student make sure he or she has identified himself or herself to the Coordinator of Student Activities & Services in Victoria. If the student has not documented the disability with that office, refer the student to that office (toll free 877-970-4848, ext. 287) before you make any accommodations. The office of Student Activities & Services (University West, Room 107) needs to have the disability documented prior to any accommodations being made in the classroom.
2. Send the student to speak with the Coordinator of Student Activities & Services in Victoria or to the Advising Specialist located at the Sugar Land Campus if the student has already documented the disability with the university. These individuals will talk with the student to determine what accommodations the student can reasonably expect to receive.
3. Review and sign the Student Accommodation Form you will receive from either the Coordinator of Student Activities & Services in Victoria or the Advising Specialist in Sugar Land. This form will contain all accommodations that have been deemed reasonable and necessary.
4. Send the signed Student Accommodations form back to either the Coordinator of Student Activities & Services in Victoria or the Advising Specialist in Sugar Land.
5. Contact the Advising Specialist in Sugar Land (281-275-3316) or the Coordinator of Student Activities & Services in Victoria (361-570-4287) during the semester if any other accommodations seem necessary.

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Appropriate Disability Documentation

Students requesting accommodations need voluntarily to provide documentation of their disability to the Office of Student Activities & Services (University West, Room 133, Victoria). The office of Student Activities & Services will use appropriate sources of documentation including information from appropriate medical personnel (e.g. ophthalmologists, optometrists, physicians), mental health professionals (e.g. psychologists, psychiatrists), or state agencies (e.g. Texas Commission for the Blind, Texas Rehabilitation Commission).

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Examples of Typical Accommodations

Some examples of typical accommodations that faculty have been asked to make are listed below. Once you are asked to make a reasonable accommodation, the Instructional Support Assistant in Instructional Support Services will help you fulfill that request.

• Instructions for information normally read aloud by an instructor may have to be written.
• The student may need to tape lectures.
• The student may require someone to help take notes in class.
• A special edition of an exam, i.e., on tape, individually read, larger print, or Braille may be required.
• The student may need a proctor for exams.
• A longer time frame for taking exams or completing in-class assignments may be required.
• The student may require an alternate method for recording answers on exams, such as typing or taping.
• A written exam may be substituted for an online exam.
• The student may need a quiet room without distractions for exams.

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Emergency Evacuation Procedures

In the event of an emergency situation requiring evacuation from the building, the safe exit of every individual will be a priority.

As first choice, the wheelchair occupant or other persons with a disability may attempt to use the elevator, although in a fire, elevators will be inoperable. These students should then move to the nearest marked exit.

The person with a disability may request help from you and/or others. If you are asked to help, follow these steps.

1. Ask the individual for instructions on lifting or moving. Must the individual be moved in the wheelchair or with other support, for example? If so, where can the chair be safely grasped for lifting, i.e., handlebars, wheel rims, etc.
2. If a power wheelchair must be moved downstairs, remove batteries before attempting to transport it. Make sure the foot rests and arm rests are locked. If a seat belt is available, secure the person in the chair. A team arrangement may be needed.

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University of Houston - Victoria
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Comments/Questions: iss@uhv.edu