Disability Services Office (2024)

Information for Faculty

WEB ACCESSIBILITY (ONLINE COURSES) All web pages and corresponding software must adhere to the accessibility standards in conjunction with section 508 of the Americans with Disabilities Act. You can check your web page for section 508 accessibility by using the following website:website.

It is the responsibility of the faculty to work in conjunction with the Disability Services Office (DSO) in providing approved accommodations and support services for students in a fair and timely manner. Students are encouraged to initiate a meeting with you to discuss any particulars that apply to their accommodations as needed.

Federal Regulations that protect equal access for persons with disabilities in colleges and universities include:

• • Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
  • The Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1991
  • Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990

“ADA is first and foremost a matter of civil rights. Too many people still do not fully understand how vital the Americans with Disabilities Act is to our nation. But we do, for we know that discrimination toward any group hurts every group.”
Rep. Norman Y. Mineta

Students needing academic accommodations for a disability must first register with the DSO. Students must visit our websiteto begin the process of determining the appropriate accommodations based on disability. Once registered, if approved, students will submit an Accommodation Letter to faculty through the electronic portal and then communicate directly with each instructor to make appropriate arrangements. Please note that accommodations are not retroactive and require advance notice to implement.

FACULTY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• • Include an accommodation statement on every syllabus and read it aloud to students during the first week of class.
  • Discuss with the student the accommodations or arrangements requested by the DSO Disability Specialist on the accommodation form as soon as possible.
  • Contact the DSO faculty if you have any questions or concerns about the requested accommodations. We make every effort to assign classroom accommodations as appropriate, however, we cannot know the specific design of every course.
    **When necessary we welcome the opportunity to discuss the intersection of the student’s lack of access and your course design in order to determine the appropriate accommodations.
  • Provide the accommodations either personally or by making arrangements with the DSO.
  • Assure the confidentiality of any information relating to a student and a disability. At no time should the class be informed that a student does have a disability.
  • Destroy all disability-related documents after the student is either no longer in your class or the session is completed.
  • Ensure that the student with a disability is held accountable for the mastery of material as all students; although it may be demonstrated in a different manner.
  • Ensure testing will occur in an appropriate manner. If the test will be administered in a location other than the classroom, ensure all directions are communicated to the test administrator. Coordinate test delivery and return with the DSO.
  • WEB ACCESSIBILITY (ONLINE COURSES) All web pages and corresponding software must adhere to the accessibility standards in conjunction with section 508 of the Americans with Disabilities Act. You can check your web page for section 508 accessibility by using the following website:website.

PROTECTION FOR FACULTY
If a student reveals to you at any time that they have a disability and that they need accommodation, you should refer them to the Disability Services Office.

When appropriate, you will receive an Accommodation Notice fromleedso@hawaii.edu.

This Accommodation Notice is your assurance that the student has gone through the appropriate process with the Disability Services Office in order to determine the appropriate accommodations for this student.

Classroom Accommodation(s) are not retroactive, they go into effect once you acknowledge receipt of this notice. What’s more, the accommodations outlined in the letter are determined by the Specialist in the Disability Services Office based on the student’s specific disability, documentation prepared by a professional(s) in the appropriate field, and previous education history. These accommodations have been deemed reasonable and necessary in order to promote equal access to college for students with disabilities.

It is critical that no other accommodations be offered to the student without contacting the Disability Services Office to determine if it is deemed appropriate in light of the functional impact of the particular disability.

Contacting the Disability Services Office will protect you from acting “on behalf” of the College. The Disability Services Office is the only approved entity to verify a disability and determine an accommodation. Any approved changes will be noted in the student file.

Testing Procedures

FACULTY RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. 1. Students who qualify for special testing arrangements are responsible to provide you with an accommodation letter from the DSO. This notification will show the specific testing needs the student qualifies to receive.
   2. Generally, testing is done in the classroom, DSO, or the Testing Center unless otherwise specified on the Accommodation notice.
   3. The faculty is responsible for dropping off the testing materials to the DSO 72 hours prior to the student taking the exam. DSO will contact the Faculty after the student completes the examination material. The faculty is then responsible for picking up the exam materials from the DSO.
   4. Students are reminded by the DSO that they are not to bring any materials into the testing area other than those allowed by the professor. (Please note any special test allowances on the test.) The DSO faculty will notify you if books or notes are used during the test or if academic dishonesty is suspected.
   5. If you have questions or concerns about these procedures or student accommodations, please contact the Disability Services Office at ex: 421.

STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. 1. To give their professors accommodation letters notifying them of the need for special testing arrangements as soon as possible. b Students are advised to obtain letters prior to the examination date, rather than on the date of the exam.
   2. To notify the DSO (455-0421) 48 hours prior to taking an exam proctored by the DSO. Exams should be scheduled to ensure sufficient time for completion. At closing time, unfinished exams will have to be turned in.
   3. Not to bring any materials into the testing area other than those allowed by the instructor. The DSO faculty will notify the professor if books or notes are used during the test or if academic dishonesty is suspected.
   4. Once testing begins, students must stay in the testing area and complete their test or turn it in incomplete.

Possible Accommodations

NOTE-TAKING
Students approved for this accommodation will provide you with the accommodation form indicating its appropriateness. the student will use their own equipment to utilize the audio note-taking application that DSO provides for students. If you have questions or concerns with this arrangement, please contact DSO @ x 421.

EXTENDED TIME ON EXAMS AND QUIZZES
The student who is eligible for extended time for testing purposes has provided documentation about the impact of the disability on this activity. Extended time is appropriate to assure equal opportunity to show content mastery by providing time that is necessary to compensate for the disability.

A study was conducted at the University of California, Berkeley* which has since been replicated a number of times with comparable results. Students with and without certain disabilities were tested on a timed test and given extended time. The study showed that for students with w/disabilities, the extended time made a significant difference in performance. For the students without disabilities, the added time did not make a significant difference in performance. No matter how logical it seems to say “everyone would do better if they had extra time”, there is documented evidence to show this is not the case.

*M. Kay Runyan (February 1991), Journal of Learning Disabilities, Vol. 24(2), pp.104-108. Alster, E.H. (1997), Journal of Learning Disabilities, Vol. 30, pp222-227.

If a student is approved for an extended time, the extension should be given for tests and in-class work only. This does not apply to work that is done outside of class, except in rare cases that will be stated clearly in the accommodation notice from DSO. A structured syllabus with assignments and timelines is highly desirable.

INTERPRETING SERVICES
Students using American Sign Language (ASL) as their means of communication will be provided with an ASL interpreter as an accommodation. The interpreter will serve as the “voice” of the student and the “voice” of the instructor.

PERSONAL AIDE OR SKILLS COACH
When a student requires the assistance of a personal aide or skills coach (many other terms are used interchangeably), the student (often a family member) is required to make arrangements for this accommodation independently. The assistant shall provide you with an accommodation notice ahead of time. The personal assistant or skills coach is not an employee of Leeward Community College, as such DSO faculty discusses the behavioral expectations of the aide and the Student Conduct Code that applies.