The Office of Accessibility Services has received additional feedback and wanted to take an opportunity to answer some questions that have been presented by faculty. We appreciate your ongoing feedback as we work to refine the language of our new accommodation process.
The Office of Accessibility Services has also updated its accommodation process to help ensure faculty have received and read the accommodation letters for their classes in addition to offering additional guidance for implementing accommodations in the classroom.
This new process is designed to be quicker and simpler for both students and faculty.
Faculty will receive a link to this new guidance document along with their official accommodation authorization emails.
New and/or additional information will be noted below.
What has changed?
Faculty are asked to attest that they have received and read the accommodation letters for each of their classes. Letters will still be delivered to faculty via their MIX email and they will also be available for viewing at any time in the newly streamlined Faculty Accommodation Letter section of their portal within the OAS SAMM System — the same system faculty have always used to sign their letters.
In the past, faculty were asked to wait to sign the letters until after they had met with students to discuss implementing accommodations. Under the new process, faculty are simply asked to sign off on these letters upon receipt, attesting that they have received the letter, read the letter and are aware of their responsibilities as the instructor of the course as outlined in the letter.
Faculty do not have to have a discussion with students prior to signing this letter.
Why are these changes being implemented?
The ADA requires that faculty and staff not introduce unnecessary barriers to student accommodation. This new process was requested both by faculty and by students in the latest stakeholder survey as a common sense means of simplifying accommodation implementation and removing unnecessary barriers.
This process also helps to confirm that faculty have received the accommodation letters sent by OAS and have been informed of their responsibilities under the law.
What’s the process from top to bottom?
1. Receive the accommodation email: You will receive the Accommodation Authorization Letter in your MIX email, as always. This is the official University email associated with faculty in the course catalog and it is pulled automatically from that system. It cannot be changed. You may, however, contact to have your MIX email automatically forwarded to your @mail or @hsc address, if you prefer to receive email there.
New/additional information — Course coordinators will also receive a copy of the letter and should make themselves available for any instructor issues with accommodation implementation. If new instructors or TAs are added to the course after the letter has been sent, it is the responsibility of the course coordinator to notify OAS so that a copy of the letter can be issued to these new instructors.**
2. Sign the letter: You will follow the link in the accommodation email to log in to your faculty portal in the SAMM system where you can read the full Accommodation Authorization Letter. After reading it, you will electronically sign the letter, attesting that you have received it and are aware of your responsibilities as the instructor of the course as outlined in the letter.
3. Discuss implementation, as necessary: Should there be particulars to discuss regarding the implementation of the accommodation, the student will reach out to initiate a discussion. This discussion can happen in person, via phone, on Zoom or through email. Faculty should maintain a written record of the discussion, should questions arise later. You are welcome to contact the student if you do not wish to wait.
4. Implement accommodations: Faculty should implement the accommodations as written and/or discussed.
If faculty have questions about an accommodation, they should reach out to OAS at access2@mail.wvu.edu for additional guidance.
New/additional information — I have received the letter but have not heard from the student. Am I required to contact them?
In some cases, a discussion is not necessary prior to implementation, and the accommodation letter serves more as a notification. Faculty will be able to simply implement accommodations using the guidance provided in our accommodation descriptions without having to meet with the student or with minimal interaction. For instance, a student who receives preferential seating may simply ask to reserve a particular seat. Requiring a student to meet and discuss this beforehand would only lead to unnecessary delays in implementation.
Other accommodations require a more detailed discussion prior to implementation. For example:
Disability affecting attendance. This requires a separate form to be completed by both faculty and student.
Accommodations that involve the recording of lectures. This requires a separate form to be completed by both faculty and student.
Testing accommodations. If these accommodations are implemented outside of the normally scheduled testing time, then faculty and the student will need to discuss the logistics, such as alternate time, location, etc. Faculty are reminded that the OAS Testing Center is an excellent option for scheduling testing accommodations.
Depending on the logistics of your class and its complexity, and/or depending on the individual nature of a student’s disability, a student could request to meet to discuss any of their accommodations at any time. This is not disability specific.
Additional examples are identified in the accommodation guidance document. If an accommodation indicates that some discussion should take place, know that it is the student’s responsibility to initiate said discussion. Faculty are expected to be responsive to student outreach to avoid delays in implementation. Though it is the student’s responsibility to initiate the discussion, you are also welcome to contact the student if you do not wish to wait.
These discussions can happen via email, on Zoom, by phone or in person. Among these options, OAS recommends email, as this offers the benefit of privacy/confidentiality and creates a written record of the discussion, should questions arise later. If faculty and the student meet face to face, via phone or on Zoom, then faculty are encouraged to take notes and follow up via email afterward to create a written record of what was agreed upon.
As mentioned, we understand that you may not be able to implement some accommodations until the student has reached out. Otherwise, in cases where discussion is not necessary, instructors have seven days to implement accommodations.
Again, faculty should not wait for these discussions to sign their letters. You are simply attesting that you have received the letter, have read it, and are aware of your responsibilities as the instructor of the course as outlined in the letter.
How long do I have to sign the letter?
Faculty are asked to sign their accommodation letter within seven days, following the first day of the semester. Keep in mind, however, that students may legally request accommodations at any time. In cases where the letter is received after the start of the semester, faculty should sign their accommodation letter within seven days of receiving it. In these instances, accommodations only apply to the course moving forward and are not applied retroactively to work that has already been completed.
What are the benefits of these changes?
There are several benefits to these changes:
This new process is more straightforward. We have found that many accommodations can be effectively implemented as described without requiring much additional discussion. Others require only a few logistical matters that can be handled via email. Allowing for these cases will help ensure that students have their accommodations quickly implemented.
This process is quicker for faculty. Faculty can log into their portal to see the accommodations in their classes and will be able to sign off on all letters at once if they choose. They will only need to meet with students when it is requested of them.
This process is more private. Faculty will no longer feel pressured to discuss accommodations with students when approached before or after class. They can respond privately and confidentially via email and can document these conversations.
The process is more confidential. Students may feel more comfortable discussing their needs asynchronously and may feel less pressure to disclose their disability.
This process helps ensure compliance. By asking faculty to attest that they have received these letters, we can ensure that all faculty have been informed of the accommodations and acknowledge awareness of their responsibilities.
What if I have questions?
Of course, there will always be unique circumstances and questions that cannot be anticipated. We will continue to receive your feedback to refine the process.
For questions or concerns, especially if accommodation requests seem unusual or complex, contact OAS at access2@mail.wvu.edu. Do not decline to provide accommodation without contacting OAS.