Atlantic Centre of Research, Access and
Support for Students with Disabilities

Information for Faculty & Staff

Services of the Atlantic Centre are available to prospective and current students registered at Saint Mary's University. This includes full-time or part-time, graduate and undergraduate students. Students will be asked to provide appropriate documentation from a medical or mental health professional to verify their disability.

 

Accommodation Process for Students with Disabilities

Typically, early in the semester, students with disabilities who are clients of the Atlantic Centre will introduce themselves and give you a letter from their Atlantic Centre counsellor outlining their requests for accommodations. In some instances this letter will come to you in the mail. Accommodations enable these students to work at their full potential, while coping with a disability. This document will confirm that the student is a client of the Atlantic Centre and has a documented disability. The Atlantic Centre requires that documentation regarding their disability is on file. The letter will indicate any special accommodations that the student may require depending on the nature of their disability. If you have any concerns that the listed accommodations would compromise the integrity of your course, please contact the student's Atlantic Centre counsellor.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. CONFIDENTIALITY: Is the information regarding a student's disability and her need for academic accommodations confidential?

A. All information concerning a student's disability and involvement The Atlantic Centre is strictly confidential.Information will only be released with written consent by the student to any sources outside of our office.

Q. ANNOUNCEMENT: How can I encourage students with disabilities to talk with me about their accommodations?

A. Announce at the beginning of a course that you are available to discuss instructional methods and appropriate course modifications with students who have disabilities. In addition, include a note to this effect on your course outline. For example:

“ To request academic accommodations due to a disability, please contact the Atlantic Centre for Students with Disabilities (420-5452). If you have a letter from your Atlantic Centre counsellor indicating that you have a disability which requires academic accommodations, please present the letter to me so we can discuss the accommodations that you might need in class.” Arrange an office appointment with the student rather than talking in the classroom or hallway where confidentiality may be violated.

Q. CONFIDENTIALITY: Is it acceptable to ask a student who is having obvious difficulties whether he has a disability or to refer the student to the office that provides disability support services?

A. No. It is not a good idea to ask directly about a possible disability. A direct inquiry such as this could also be considered intrusive or insensitive. You may simply tell the student that you notice she is having academic difficulty and encourage her to come and talk with you about gaining assistance, just as you would with any student.

Q. CONFIDENTIALITY: How do I maintain confidentiality?

A. If you need to talk with the student, you may invite them to come to your office. It may not be advisable to approach them in class to ask if they are managing, or if they need assistance.

Q. QUALIFIED STUDENTS: How do I know a student is qualified to receive disability-related accommodations?

A. The student provides faculty with a letter written by their Atlantic Centre counsellor, which confirms documentation of the disability and the need for academic accommodation.

Q. QUALIFIED STUDENTS: Why are students with disabilities, such as specific learning disabilities and ADD/ADHD, accepted into university in the first place?

A. The University has academic entrance requirements. A student has to satisfy these requirements to be admitted to Saint Mary's University. Having a learning disability is not a reflection of a person's intelligence nor is it a reflection on a person's ability to succeed academically; it merely shows that this person acquires knowledge differently. Psychoeducational assessments are typically documentation we see to show in a greater detail academic strengths and needs of each student.

Q. REFERRALS: What do I do if a student approaches me directly with a request for accommodations and is not a client of the Atlantic Centre?

A. The decision to provide an academic accommodation is frequently the decision of the professor/instructor. However, if the student has a disability the best approach is to encourage the student to contact the Atlantic Centre then we can respond accordingly and ascertain that students who request accommodations are in fact eligible to receive them. This removes the need for professors to be engaged in resolving administrative issues and the students receive the full range of accommodations suited to their specific needs.

Q. REFERRALS: How can I encourage students with disabilities to register with the Atlantic Centre for Students with Disabilities?

A. You may make an announcement to your class and print a statement on the course outline referring students with disabilities to the Atlantic Centre for Students with Disabilities. You may also encourage students to meet with you to discuss their learning needs. For example, you could say to a student: “I noticed that you seemed to have difficulty organizing your paper. You might consider using some of the special support services we have on campus such as the Writing Centre, the Tutor Database and the Atlantic Centre for Students with Disabilities."

Q. REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS: How do I know what is a reasonable accommodation?

A. The Atlantic Centre for Students with Disabilities determines which accommodations are reasonable. The student should provide you with a letter from their Atlantic Centre counsellor outlining appropriate accommodations. The student may also share with you accommodations that have proved successful for him in other classes. You can consult with the student's Atlantic Centre counsellor if his requests do not seem reasonable.

Q. DISAGREEMENTS: What if I do not agree with a recommended accommodation?

A. Discussion aimed at resolving the disagreement should occur between the faculty member responsible for the course, the student, and a counsellor from the Atlantic Centre. Contact the student's counsellor for further information about the process.

Q. NOTICE: How are instructors informed that a student needs an academic accommodation?

A. Students who wish to exercise their right to disability-related accommodations must provide the Atlatnic Centre for Students with Disabilities with documentation of their disability. Their Atlantic Centre counsellor then writes a letter to their instructors indicating that specific accommodations are necessary. This letter will ideally be delivered by the student, but in some cases will come in the mail. Students are encouraged to request accommodations early in the academic term.

Q. FAILING: May I fail a student with a disability?

A. Yes, it is possible to fail a student with a disability. We are mandated to provide access to education, not to guarantee academic success. When a faculty member has provided reasonable academic accommodations, and the student does not meet the course requirements, then failing a student is proper. The following is a compliance checklist that may be helpful:

  • Stand by academic standards and freedoms, which include full and equitable access to academic programs.
  • Provide verbal and written notice to your students of your willingness to accommodate. For example: “I encourage students with disabilities to discuss accommodations with me.”
  • Communicate clear and concise expectations for performance to your students. Distinguish between essential and non-essential components of the course.
  • Respect requests for reasonable accommodations.
  • Permit students to use auxiliary aides and technologies that ensure access (examples: note takers, sign language interpreters, readers, scribes, research assistants, tape recorders/players, assistive listening devices).
  • Assure that your course materials, whether printed or electronic, are accessible and available in alternative formats (examples: Braille, computer electronic text, large print, internet, CD/cassettes).
  • Consult with the Atlantic Centre for Students with Disabilities if you have questions when a student requests accommodations.
  • Keep student disability-related information strictly confidential.

Q. DETERMINATION OF A DISABILITY: How is it determined that a student has a learning disability?

A. The basis for diagnosis of a learning disability is Psychoeducational testing. A person can have a specific learning disability in one area or more. The tests will point to strengths and weaknesses in such areas as cognition, achievement, and information processing. The psychologist looks for significant difference among the tests and/or subtests. The recommendations given by the assessor are meant to minimize the weakness and maximize the strengths. The recommendations are a combination of measures to be taken in the classroom, exam and personal study environments to increase chances of academic success.

Q. EXAM ACCOMMODATIONS: Why should this student get extended time for exams?

A: Even though the student may have average, above average or very high intelligence, he may need extra time to read, write, comprehend or process information – as part of the LD profile. With the extended time the student is given the same conditions to produce answers to the exam questions as any non-disabled student may under “regulation-time” conditions. Therefore, the students with LD are provided with a “level playing field”, by comparison to non-disabled students.

Q. EXAM ACCOMMODATIONS: Am I giving this student an unfair advantage over other students by giving them extra time?

A: We are not giving an advantage - rather we are trying to eliminate a disadvantage and overcome an educational-related barrier. We often refer to this process as “leveling the playing field”, as in the answer to the previous question.

Q. EXAM ACCOMMODATIONS: Why should I give him extra time? He doesn't need it. He got a B in his last test.

A: We are not concerned with the grades, which students received in the past. Conversely, we would not reduce the time for exams for non-disabled students, who receive A's. Therefore, we base our accommodations on the identified academic needs, not on the perceptions and arbitrary review of what the time extension of appropriate accommodation should be. If a student knows that he is capable of delivering an A-grade exam he should be given the opportunity to do so. The fundamental question is whether it is knowledge of the course material or the speed of completion of the exam that is being assessed.

Q. EXAM ACCOMMODATIONS: How do you determine the extended time needed?

A: The answer here depends on the type of exam as well as the nature of the disability. Usually, it is 1.5 to two times the regular exam duration. The time recommended is based on the Psychoeducational Assessment results and/or the past experience in other educational settings and on an interview with the student.

Q. EXAM ACCOMMODATIONS: How and where are exams conducted?

A: They are conducted at the Atlantic Centre. The Exam Coordinator supervises the invigilation of exams. When necessary, we will communicate with the professors, during the exam – should there be any questions, clarification or issues arising from the exam.


This page last modified Monday, 29-Aug-2011 15:22:15 ADT