Faculty Resources

The Office of Accessibility Services is committed to supporting faculty in the implementation of accommodations. For guidance, please review the resources below. If you have questions, please contact our office.

Your Role

The Office of Accessibility Services (OAS) partners with faculty in ensuring reasonable accommodations are provided to qualified students with disabilities for access to course information, exams, program practicums and other activities/programs.

OAS staff are available as a resource to consult with individual faculty members and academic department staff regarding issues of reasonable accommodations, program access and improving understanding of particular accommodation arrangements for students with disabilities.

Please use the Accommodation Tips as a guide for meeting the needs of students with disabilities in your courses and contact OAS when further assistance is needed. OAS staff may be reached by calling 615-460-6407.

Accommodation Tips

Disability Accommodation Tips for Faculty

These tips for faculty are provided to assist in creating an accessible learning environment for students with disabilities attending Belmont University.

1. Students with disabilities are to be held to the same academic standards as every other student enrolled in the course with or without reasonable accommodations.

2. In planning ahead, provide notice to your students of the university's process to accommodate students with disabilities. This should be done verbally and within your course syllabus. Example syllabus statement:

"Any student who may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact me privately to discuss your specific needs or for information on registering with the Office of Accessibility Services. The Office of Accessibility Services may be reached by emailing accessibility.services@belmont.edu or by calling 615-460-6407. The office is located on the second level of the Beaman Student Life Center within the Dean of Students Office, Suite 200."

3. Refer the student with the disability to the Office of Accessibility Services when accommodations are needed and the student has not provided you with a current Letter of Accommodation from the OAS office for your signature.

4. Accommodations are reasonable as long as course standards are not fundamentally altered and there is a logical link between the student's functional limitations and the accommodations. For questions regarding the reasonableness of an accommodation, please consult with the Office of Accessibility Services.

5. Depending on the disability, students may use notetaking tools, sign language interpreters, readers, scribes and lab assistants. Others may use recorders, computers, assistive listening devices and other technologies for the same purpose. It is recommended faculty permit the student to use auxiliary aids and technology that ensure access.

6. In situations where a student indicates a need for a peer note taker, please contact the OAS office for guidance.

7. Provide testing accommodations as recommended by the Office of Accessibility Services. Testing accommodations include, but are not limited to: extended time, alternative formats, distraction-reduced environment, readers and scribes. Faculty are responsible for providing testing accommodation arrangements and the burden of making testing arrangements should not be placed on the student. Options to meet the accommodation need are:

• Learning Center's Testing Center
  • Students can schedule an appointment with the Testing Center here. Due to limited availability, the Testing Center may not always be an option for accommodation arrangements.
  • If the Testing Center cannot accommodate a student's testing accommodation needs, faculty should work with their department to identify an alternate location and proctor.

8. Maintain disability-related information with the strictest confidentiality and please refrain from identifying students with disabilities unnecessarily to their peers or your colleagues without the students consent.

Additional tips to enhance access to your course(s):

1. Select course textbooks and materials early. Students who are blind or visually impaired, as well as other students with print disabilities, must have adequate time to obtain their course materials in alternative formats in order to stay on pace with the course syllabus. The earlier the student and Office of Accessibility Services staff know the textbook requirements, the earlier the student can purchase the textbook and begin the alternative format process.

2. When requested, provide alternatives to printed information. Alternatives to print include: computer electronic text, large print, Braille and digitally recorded information. If Internet resources or other technologies are used, then they must be accessible for use with the student's text-to-speech reading software.

3. Consider making academic adjustments to your instructional presentation style. For example, for students with hearing impairments, position yourself to face the audience while speaking or use an FM receiver if requested. For students with visual impairments, read aloud or describe written or graphic information.

4. When selecting videos for classes, select closed caption videos only as students who are deaf or hard of hearing will need to read the video content.

5. Consult with the student and/or the Office of Accessibility Services staff for more helpful information on making your courses accessible by calling (615) 460-6407 or emailing accessibility.services@belmont.edu. Office of Accessibility Services is located within the Dean of Students office on the second level of the Beaman Student Life Center, Suite 200.