There are instances when the DSS student will need to use various technologies during class. These will be outlined in the Accommodation Letter. This may include, but is not limited to, a laptop to take notes, a recorder to audio record class lectures, and other types of technology as needed.
Yes! Faculty should always keep disability-related information confidential. For many students with disabilities, disclosure of their disability is a very personal and sensitive matter. Inappropriate disclosure of disability information must be avoided.
No. SSU has designated the DSS office as the repository of all disability documentation for students with disabilities. Documentation stating and describing a student's disability is confidential information. Faculty must recognize that most students feel very vulnerable in disclosing their accommodation needs to faculty.
While faculty may be able to surmise the condition on the basis of the accommodations, probing for disability information is inappropriate.
Yes, if such accommodations are set forth in the student's Accommodation Letter from DSS (see Questions #1 & #2). The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504, as well as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the ADA Amendments Act protect students with disabilities. These laws require that qualified students with disabilities must have equal access to an education, including exam accommodations.
No. If a student asks for an accommodation, but does not provide an Accommodation Letter from DSS verifying eligibility for academic adjustments, then faculty are strongly encouraged to direct students back to the DSS office. Similarly, faculty are not obligated to provide a student with an accommodation that is not listed in the letter from DSS.
Yes, the student is required to provide faculty with an Accommodation Letter dated in the current semester for each course. Faculty cannot assume that once a student is eligible the first time, he or she is eligible the next time. Also, a student's accommodation needs may vary from semester to semester or from course to course.
DSS encourages, but cannot require, registered students to provide instructors with their Accommodation Letter at the beginning of each semester. A student can register with DSS or present their Accommodation Letter to faculty at any time during the semester. It is important to understand that accommodations are not retroactive, so students cannot retake exams prior to when accommodations were not in place. Accommodations begin at the point the student has provided faculty with their accommodation letter.
No. Faculty do not have access to personal records and only know that you are registered with the DSS office when you provide them with an Accommodation Letter from DSS. The student, if registered with DSS and after providing documentation that DSS determines supports the accommodation, is provided with a letter that details the required accommodations to which they are entitled so long as they do not fundamentally alter an essential component of the course. For every student registered with DSS, the office has a file with documentation of the disability.
A reasonable accommodation is an adjustment designed to mitigate the impact of a student’s disability without compromising the integrity of an academic course or program. Reasonable accommodations may include:
The DSS office is the campus office designated to work with all SSU students to put in place the appropriate accommodations at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. DSS provides a wide array of support services, accommodations, and programs to remove barriers to full participation in the life of the University.
