The Ross Center for Disability Services
Faculty Handbook
Possible Accommodations and General Suggestions
Accessibility
is a broad term not limited to wheelchair usage, but includes such considerations
as adequate light and sound amplification, material format and presentation
and a range of other physical or psychological barriers. Suggestions for helping
students with disabilities include, but are not limited to the following:
Prepare a detailed syllabus early and include a disability statement.
This will give students with disabilities some lead time in acquiring accessible
books and materials, planning their study and time management strategies, and
so forth. Syllabus should include information on course objectives and requirements;
the material to be covered in class on specific dates; and exam dates, due dates
grading procedures and a textbook list. Also provide information on how to get
in touch with you outside of class. Read selected portions of the syllabus to
the class. You should always include a statement on your syllabus that reads:
If you have a disability that may have some impact on your work in this class and for which you may require accommodations, please contact the Ross Center for Disability Services. The Ross Center for Disability Services is located in the Campus Center, UL 211. You can contact them by calling: 617-287-7430 or sending an email to:.ross.center@umb.edu. Once you have received your accommodation letters, please meet with me to discuss the provisions of those accommodations as soon as possible.
For more information about the Ross Center for Disability Services office, go to: http://www.rosscenter.umb.edu.
Order textbooks early- during the previous semester if possible- to allow
time for reformatting in alternative formats. It would be helpful to have conversations
with possible publishers regarding availability of audio versions of the text
or textbooks on disc or CD Rom. If all faculty members made this a potential
criteria for choosing a book, publishers would need to give it more serious
consideration.
Alternate test formats. Potential formats of alternative tests: multiple
choice, essay, oral, etc.
Provide handouts and in-class exercises and examinations in accessible formats.
You can bring your course materials and or exams to the Ross Center in advance and we will put the printed material in an accessible alternate format. For more information contact Ross Center at (617) 287-7430.
Help Recruit a Notetaker. If a student requires a notetaker, lab assistant
or other in-class assistant, it's preferable to recruit someone already connected
with the class, such as a Teacher Assistant, or another student. A staff member
from the Ross Center will come to your class during the first few weeks of class
to make an announcement when such an accommodation is necessary for one of your
students. It is important that you show support for the request, and perhaps
even assist in the recruitment process. Notetakers are given a $50 book store certificate for every semester they commit to taking notes for a student with a disability. Notetakers have the option of copying their notes or use NCR paper provided through the Ross Center.
Cooperate with sign language interpreters. If a deaf student comes to
class accompanied by a sign language interpreter, allow the interpreter to determine
his or her best placement for most effective communication with the student.
The interpreter may take focus initially, particularly if other students have
not experienced this accommodation before, but the novelty should wear off shortly.
When planning student meetings, field trips or other course related events please allow enough lead time to arrange for an interpreter
to be scheduled. The same guidelines would apply for CART (computer-aided real
time) reporters.
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