Faculty and Staff Resources for Students with Disabilities

To ensure an equal opportunity to participate under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), all qualified students who are enrolled must be provided access to the programs and services offered by UNCSA.

Access means more than the removal of architectural barriers and the provision of reasonable accommodations in the academic environment, it also includes the provision of accessible electronic information, whether this material is provided on the web, in the classroom or via an online source, including Canvas or another instructional platform.

Designing Accessible Instructional Materials

Faculty are a vital link in the process of designing accessible instructional materials and accommodating students in the classroom. Teaching faculty must ensure that the design of their instructional course and materials are accessible.  This includes courses that are taught face-to-face, hybrid courses that integrate electronic resources or platforms, and full online courses. To assist in the process the office of Learning Resources offers the Creating Accessible Online Course Content (PDF).

Additionally, the office of Learning Resources offers workshops on the "The Basics of Designing Accessible Online Course Content".  This workshop covers faculty generated content (Word, PDF files, images, audio, and videos) often used in the creation of an online course. Much of the material is also pertinent to faculty who teach hybrid courses or use Canvas as an instructional platform for their face-to-face courses.

Accessible PDFs Training

This workshop is designed specifically for staff, but faculty are also invited to attend.  We, as faculty and staff, are a vital link in connecting campus information and resources to students, parents, and our on and off-campus community.  In this workshop, participants will learn how to create an accessible Word document, check it for accessibility, save it as a PDF, and check for accessibility as a PDF.  Individual workshops focusing on the accessibility of other files offered under the Microsoft suite can be provided by request. Contact the Office of Learning Resources for more information.

Faculty & Staff Guide – Teaching Students with Disabilities

A comprehensive Guide for navigating the student accommodation process is made electronically for all faculty and staff. The "Faculty & Staff Guide – Teaching Students with Disabilities at the Post-Secondary Level" offers a number of resources including a sample syllabus statement faculty may use in their syllabus to guide students on the process for disclosing, requesting, and receiving accommodations on campus.

Faculty & Staff Guide - Teaching Students with Disabilities (PDF)

Sample Syllabus Statement

The Faculty & Staff Guide – Teaching Students with Disabilities at the Post-Secondary Level offers a number of resources including the following sample syllabus statement faculty may use in their syllabus to guide students about the process for disclosing, requesting and receiving accommodations on campus:

If you are a student with a disability and anticipate the need for an accommodation in order to participate in this course, you must submit supporting documentation to the office of Learning Resources located in the Teaching & Learning Center – 2nd Floor, Library Annex. Phone: 336-726-6963. Email: learningresources@uncsa.edu. For more information on UNCSA’s process for serving students with disabilities, visit Accessibility Resources.

Creating Accessible Programs and Events

Faculty and staff who are planning events are responsible for ensuring that their programs, events, goods and services are accessible to the maximum extent feasible, and must provide an opportunity for individuals to request accommodation as well as respond appropriately to any request for accommodation. If you are planning an event, please take a few minutes to explore our resource “Creating Accessible Programs & Events.”

Additional Resource

For more information on Accessibility Resources please contact:

Contact:

Director of Learning Resources
Office: Teaching and Learning Center, 2nd floor of Library Annex
Phone: 336-726-6963
Fax: 336-726-6964
Email: learningresources@uncsa.edu