Instructor Resources

As a college, we are obligated to provide the legally mandated accommodations.  In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504, no qualified person will be denied access to, participation in, or the benefits of, any program or activity operated by Harper College because of disability. Harper College will not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities in employment practices and activities, including, but not limited to, application procedures, hiring, tenure, promotion, advancement, termination, training, compensation and benefits. Harper College will not discriminate against a qualified individual because of the known disability of another individual with whom the qualified individual is known to have a relationship or association.

Harper College has the right to…

• identify and establish standards for courses, programs, services, activities and facilities and to evaluate students on this basis.
• request and receive, through the Access and Disability Services office, current documentation that supports the need for accommodation, academic modifications, and/or assistive technology.
• deny requests for accommodation, academic modifications, and/or assistive technology if the documentation provided does not demonstrate such a need or if documentation is not provided or is inappropriate.
• select among equally effective accommodations, adjustments and/or auxiliary aides or services.
• deny an unreasonable request for an accommodation, academic modification, and assistive technology that fundamentally alters a program or activity at the college.

Harper College has the responsibility to...

• ensure that courses, programs, services, activities and facilities, when viewed in their entirety, are available and usable in the most integrated and appropriate settings.
• view all faculty, staff, students and guests based on their ability and not their disability.
• provide or arrange reasonable accommodations, academic modifications, and/or assistive technology for people with disabilities in services, programs, courses, activities, and facilities. Some accommodations require advance notice, such as materials in Braille or sign language interpreting.
• maintain confidentiality of documentation and other personal information except where permitted or required by law to make disclosure.
• provide information to people with disabilities in accessible formats when requested.

Here are some areas to consider when designing your courses and interacting with students:

• Make sure your syllabus has an approved statement about students with disabilities and make an announcement on the first day of class
• Should a  student request disability-related accommodations, please do not say “yes” or “no”, but instead refer them to the ADS. Also, should a student present you with disability-related documentation, please do not keep it and, again, refer the student to ADS.  
• You, as a faculty member do not need to know your student's diagnosis or medical information unless that student decides to personally share that with you. You will receive the List of Approved Accommodations via email and are required to implement those accommodations in your course. If you are worried that a student may need additional support, please contact ADS. 
• Be mindful that not all students are comfortable identifying with disability or having a disability. Do not overtly identify a student as disabled or using accommodations.  
• Please be available to discuss accommodations with students in a confidential manner and do not share any information with others about a student with a disability. 
• Read all ADS emails in total and when questions arise reach out as soon as possible to prevent delays in accommodating students. 
• As you develop your courses please consider access in the following areas: 
  • Physical location, classroom layout
  • Accessible course materials
  • Exams, assessments, and activities
  • Lecture content

It is simple to create an accommodation for one or more students who need to have an extended time limit for a test.

Original Course View

1. Create the test questions
2. Deploy the test to access the test options (or click the round drop down arrow and select Edit the Test Options if the test is already deployed)
3. Under the Test Availability Exceptions heading, click the Add User or Group button
4. Search for and select the student who needs an accommodation, then click the Submit button
5. Under Timer, change the length of the timer or deselect it to turn it off entirely for that student. You can also de-select Auto Submit, if it was enabled for the test
6. Click the Submit button to save the test options

The test exception must be set for each test individually. This can also be used to make the test available during a different window for a student taking the test early or late.

Yes! The Academy for Teaching Excellence has many resources available on their website to assist instructors with providing accessible documents, lectures, assessments, and more.

You can find the Accessibility drop down on their site dedicated to the Transition to Online Learning during the COVID-19 Pandemic here: https://harper-academy.net/planning-for-a-rapid-transition-to-online-instruction/

As well as their Webinar series here (with Part 5 specifically highlighting Universal Design): https://harper-academy.net/online-instruction-webinar-series-recordings/