Access Center Resources for Faculty

The two paragraphs below are the approved institutional Accessibility statement which must be included on all course syllabi.

Accessibility and Disability Accommodations

The Metropolitan State University of Denver is committed to providing an accessible and inclusive learning environment for all students, including those with disabilities. Students with a diagnosed condition/disability which may impact their access, performance, attendance, or grades in this class should contact the Access Center, located in the Plaza Building, Suite 122, 303-615-0200.

The Access Center is the designated department responsible for coordinating accommodations and services for students with disabilities. Students will need to provide an Accommodation Notification Letter obtained from the Access Center to their faculty to activate their accommodations. Information pertaining to a student’s disability is treated in a confidential manner. Further information is available by visiting the Access Center website cjgb.gxitma.net/access.

Accommodation letters are only issued after a student has met with the Access Center and engaged in an interactive process to determine eligibility for accommodations based on their diagnosed disability.  Students must provide documentation of their disability as part of the interactive process.

Accommodations are determined on an individualized basis for each student based on how their disability impacts them.

An accommodation letter identifies the approved reasonable accommodations that will provide the student with equitable access.

Accommodation letters do not contain disability or health related information for privacy reasons.

Faculty should never ask a student to disclose their disability or provide supporting documentation.  If a student volunteers to share documentation, faculty should inform the student that is not necessary.

Accommodation letters are considered confidential documents and any discussions with a student regarding their letter should be done in a private setting.

Accommodation letters should be stored in a secure file and only shared with other professional staff on a need-to-know basis.

Accommodation letters should be purged from stored files at the end of each semester.

New accommodation letters are issued each semester which requires each student to submit a request to the Access Center.

Accommodations are not retroactive and go into effect as of the date the accommodation letter is issued unless instructed otherwise from the Access Center.

Faculty must follow the instructions on the accommodation letter and never deny providing an accommodation.  If faculty think an approved accommodation would compromise an essential course requirement or standard then they must consult with Access Center professional staff.

If a student asks to be provided with a disability related accommodation that is not listed on their letter, the student should be directed to the Access Center.  Deviating from providing only the listed accommodations could result in inequitable treatment to other students.

The Access Center professional whose name appears at the bottom of the accommodation letter is the one to contact related to any questions or assistance needed with implementing approved accommodations.

Most faculty will receive an accommodation letter directly from the Access Center because that is how the student has requested it be shared.  Rarely some students will request to share the accommodation letter directly from them.

1. Send a student a welcoming email acknowledging receipt of their accommodation letter and offering an opportunity for the student to met to further review any of their accommodations.
2. Any conversation regarding a student’s accommodation letter should focus on how to provide an equitable access, rather than the nature of the student’s disability.
3. Faculty should consider their position of power relative to the student which can deter students from sharing their need for accommodations. Faculty can help create a safe environment for students to feel comfortable meeting with faculty regarding their accommodation needs by reviewing the Accessibility and Disability Accommodations statement in their course syllabus the first day of class and encourage students to contact them privately regarding their accommodation needs.

In order to be eligible for accommodations, students with disabilities must first register with the Access Center. The registration process is outlined below so you are aware of what’s involved.

To receive accommodations and services, the Access Center has established a simple and quick, interactive process for students to follow.

1. Contact the Access Center to arrange an accommodations eligibility appointment with one of our Accessibility Coordinators: (303) 615-0200 or [email protected].
2. Students can provide disability documentation during the accommodation eligibility appointment. Disability documentation guidelines can be found on the Access Center’s website: Disability Documentation. In the event a student does not have documentation, they should consult with an Accessibility Coordinator to discuss next steps. No student should delay scheduling a meeting out of concern for not having appropriate documentation.
3. The accommodation eligibility appointment usually lasts between 60 to 90 minutes. The meeting involves the student engaging in an interactive process with their Accessibility Coordinator to assess and determine eligibility for accommodations.

All appointments occur in a private office. Disability information and documentation is treated in a confidential manner. The rationale for seeking disability documentation is to determine the nature of the student’s disability and the need for requested accommodations. Disability documentation should include a clear statement of the student’s diagnosed disability(s) and information regarding the impact of the disability on areas of functioning. While documentation may include recommendations for accommodations, the Access Center staff will make the determination whether a recommended or previous accommodation will be approved for MSU Denver classes.

The Accessibility Coordinator will also provide an orientation to the Access Center’s website and relevant policies, procedures, and forms that the student will use to access and implement their accommodations. This orientation to Access Center policies and procedures may occur in the initial accommodation eligibility appointment with the student or at later follow-up appointment scheduled closer to the start of the academic semester.

Upon completion of the accommodation eligibility appointment and process, the student’s Accessibility Coordinator will email a copy of the student’s Accommodation Notification Letter (see appendix for example) to the student. The student may opt to have the Access Center send a copy of the Accommodation Notification Letter directly to their professors for the upcoming/current semester.

Although temporary medical conditions are not covered as disabilities under the ADA or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the institution recognizes that such injuries/illnesses can occur during the school year that may adversely affect a student’s ability to fully participate in classes. Examples of temporary medical conditions may include, but are not limited to: broken limbs, hand injuries, or short-term impairments following surgery or medical treatments. Students seeking temporary accommodations should be referred to the Access Center for consultation.

Students seeking accommodations because of medically related complications due to pregnancy, childbirth, false pregnancy, termination of pregnancy, or recovery should also be referred to the Access Center for consultation.

In compliance with the ADA, service animals are welcome in all buildings on campus and may attend classes, meetings, or other events. Students with disabilities who use a service animal on campus are not required to register with the Access Center or provide faculty with any documentation that supports bringing their service animal to class. Service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. Examples of such work or tasks include guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, calming a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during an anxiety attack, or performing other duties. Service animals are working animals, not pets. The work or task a dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability. Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA and are not allowed in the classroom unless as an approved accommodation by the Access Center.

• In situations where it is not obvious that the dog is a service animal, staff may ask only two specific questions: (1) is the dog a service animal required because of a disability? and (2) what work or task has the dog been trained to perform? Staff are not allowed to request any documentation for the dog, require that the dog demonstrate its task, or inquire about the nature of the person’s disability.
• An Emotional Support Animal (ESA) is defined as an animal that provides companionship, emotional support, wellbeing, or comfort, which eases one or more identified symptoms or effects of a disability. Emotional support animals are not individually trained or trained to perform specific actions or tasks to assist individuals with disabilities. An ESA is not considered service animal under the ADA.
• Students with disabilities may request from the Access Center approval to have their ESA accompany them to MSU Denver classes, meetings and events. The Access Center will engage in an interactive discussion with the individual, review any documentation to support the individual’s need for the ESA to accompany them to class, and give consideration to the type of animal and other relevant factors including how the presence of the ESA could adversely impact the learning and/or instructional process in the classroom. An ESA is not allowed in the classroom until this process has been completed and Access Center approval has been given in writing.

Faculty have the Right to:

• Uphold academic standards and the integrity of courses and academic programs.
• Request verification of a student’s eligibility for requested accommodations in the form of an Accommodation Letter prepared and delivered through email by professional staff at the Access Center or through email or in-person by the student.

Faculty have the Responsibility to:

• Support and implement reasonable accommodations as identified in the student’s Accommodation Letter in a timely manner.
• Direct all questions/concerns regarding accommodations for students with disabilities to the Access Center.
• Assume an active role in providing an accessible and inclusive learning environment.
• Refer any student to the Access Center who is requesting additional accommodations not included in their Accommodation Letter or students who do not have an accommodation letter but are seeking accommodations.
• Maintain confidentiality. Students have a right to privacy in disability matters. Faculty should file the student’s Accommodation Letter in a safe place. Faculty are encouraged to meet with the student privately to discuss disability issues. Such issues should not be openly discussed in class.
• Respect the privacy rights of students and do not ask or make any assumptions regarding a student’s disability status.

If a faculty member believes that an approved accommodation on the student’s Accommodation Notification Letter would result in a fundamental alteration of the academic or technical standards of the course or program or is not a reasonable accommodation, it is the faculty members’ right and responsibility to contact the student’s accommodation coordinator, in writing, with a detailed explanation as to how the accommodation would alter the academic standards of the course and suggest appropriate modifications.

If the coordinator agrees with the faculty member’s modifications, they will notify the student and faculty member in writing. If a resolution cannot be reached between the coordinator and the faculty member, the coordinator will notify the Director of the Access Center in writing, within 5 business days.

Should the Director disagree with the faculty member’s suggested modifications, the Director will schedule a meeting with the faculty member to discuss the decision and explore options for resolution. The faculty member may request their department chair attend this meeting. The Access Center Director will confer with the Director of Equal Opportunity as necessary. The Access Center will notify the student, the faculty member, and the faculty member’s chair of their decision with a clear justification in writing within 5 business days of the meeting.

The faculty member has the right to appeal the Director of the Access Center’s decision to the Director of Equal Opportunity.

During the decision period, the faculty member will consult with the Access Center coordinator to develop some support for the student until a final decision is made.

Inclusive course design focuses on designing a learning environment to reduce potential barriers for students with disabilities and non-disabled students.  It also provides options that meet the needs of diverse learners.  For example:

Offering students the option of completing a project, writing a paper, or doing a presentation can enable students with different learning needs to demonstrate their knowledge or skill.

Allowing students to choose individual or group work, or to choose off camera participation in online courses, can reduce barriers and enable participation for students with social anxiety and other conditions.

Providing a window of time where students can turn in assignments can support students in managing their workload across multiple courses or external obligations.

Check that your classroom environment is accessible and useable by all students.

These and other course design strategies can create more equitable learning opportunities and outcomes for students, i.e. always have the closed captioning on can benefit students with auditory processing difficulties and student whose first language is not English.

Inclusive course design supports student learning by providing students with access from the start of the course, instead of having to wait to receive an accommodation letter;

Such an inclusive earning environment could result in fewer students needing to self-disclose their disability and seeking accommodations from the Access Center-steps that can sometimes feel stressful, time consuming and stigmatizing; and

An inclusive course reduces the need for faculty to make last minute course modifications to provide access, thus saving faculty time and additional effort.

Additional steps that faculty can take that could benefit all students and reduce the need for individualized accommodations include posting slides and course notes online, recording and posting lectures, or allowing students off-camera participation in Teams/Zoom lectures.

Frequently communicate with students verbally, on Canvas, and through email about course expectations, assignments, deadlines, exam content, and other topics that are important to your course.

Solicit regular feedback from students about course pacing, structure, and accessibility.

Consider providing office hours in multiple modalities, such as in-person, virtual, and through phone.

Please remember that even minor adjustments to your course design can significantly improve access for all students.  You can start small by adopting one or a few strategies and build from there.  You are not alone in this movement!