Disability Services Resource Guide for Faculty and Staff

Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ Tech is committed to providing equal opportunity to higher education for academically qualified students. Disability Services was established to provide leadership and assistance to Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ Tech to comply with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities act of 1990.

Faculty and staff with questions regarding student accommodations are welcome to contact their Disability Services staff directly. 

Recommended Syllabus Statement

It is the responsibility of the student with a qualifying condition to contact Disability Services and discuss their eligibility for assistance or academic accommodations. However, some students may be unaware of their rights to Disability Services. We recommend our faculty to include the following statement in their syllabi, in order to encourage students to contact Disability Services staff regarding their accommodations:

"If you believe you have a condition that qualifies you to receive academic accommodations, please contact Disability Services to discuss your eligibility, at access@oit.edu

Rights and Responsibilities for Students and Faculty

Students with disabilities have the right to:
  • Participate in higher education if they are qualified for admission
  • Equal access to academic content and educational opportunities
  • Participate in student activities
  • Academic adjustments (reasonable accommodations)
  • Confidentiality on all disability related information
  • File a formal and/or informal complaint if discrimination occurs
Students with disabilities are required to:
  • Identify themselves to Disability Services office and set an intake appointment
  • Provide required documentation of disabilities and complete required forms within timelines established in Disability Services Handbook
  • Meet with Disability Services staff every term to discuss accommodation needs and current class schedule
  • Discuss with faculty how accommodations will be applied to within each class
Faculty have the right to:
  • Maintain the fundamental nature of their course content and objectives
  • Consult with Disability Services staff if an accommodation seems unreasonable
  • Request an official accommodation letter from Disability Services before providing accommodations
Faculty have a responsibility to:
  • Ensure full access for students with disabilities by responding to a student’s need or request for accommodations in a timely manner
  • Work with Disability Services to provide requested accommodations 
  • Implement best practices for teaching diverse learners
  • Maintain confidentiality of students who disclose a qualifying condition
  • Include a syllabus statement on how students can access accommodations
 
If you have any questions, please contact the Disability Services staff.
IMPORTANT:  Faculty are expected to communicate with their students who have testing accommodations to discuss how the student will receive their accommodations on upcoming exams and quizzes.  A variety of options exist for ensuring accessibility for your in-person and remote/online assessments. When utilizing the Testing Center, tests must be scheduled the day prior to Testing Services administering the exam/quiz. Students cannot schedule with the Testing Center until the faculty has completed the Alternative Testing Agreement.
Image shows the Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ Tech block logo with "Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ" in white text inside a blue box and "Tech" in blue text in yellow box above the text "Disability and Testing Services"

Disability Services Staff:

Dr. Jennifer James
Director of Disability Services

Legal References