Disability and Accessibility Resource Center
Arts, Sciences and Education Commons (ASC) 1017[email protected]
Phone: (231) 591-3057
Fax: (231) 591-3939
As an instructor at Ferris State University, you have the exciting opportunity to teach and interact with students from diverse backgrounds. Students with disabilities participate in all types of postsecondary education, and in order to be full participants in every part of college life, they may use reasonable accommodations. While federal and state legislation ensure that all qualified persons have equal access to education regardless of the presence of any disabling conditions, access to education means more than simply admission to a university or community college. Access means that students with disabilities can fully participate in every aspect of their education.
Instructors and DARC are partners in providing accommodations to students. If instructors need assistance, or have concerns that the accommodations interfere with the learning objectives of the course, they should contact DARC for a collaborative dialogue about how to best serve the student. In no circumstance should instructors deny an accommodation without communicating with DARC about alternatives. Below are the most important ways instructors contribute to the partnership:
Include DARC’s suggested Syllabus Statement in your course syllabus and review it during the first week of each class.
One of Ferris’s core values is diversity and inclusion. I am committed to creating a learning environment that is equitable, usable, inclusive, and welcoming. If any aspects of instruction or course design result in barriers to your inclusion or learning, please notify me. Disability and Accessibility Resource Center (DARC) provides reasonable accommodations for students who encounter barriers in the learning environment. If you think you may need accommodations for this course, please contact DARC at [email protected] or (231) 591-3057. DARC is located in ASC 1017. If you plan on using accommodations for this course, please contact me as soon as possible so we can make a plan for the accommodations listed on your letter.
If a student requests accommodations or self-identifies as a person with a disability who has not registered with DARC, instructors should encourage the student to contact DARC ([email protected] or (231) 591-3057) and request an appointment with a counselor.
Confidentiality regarding a student’s condition and/or registration status with DARC is essential. Do not inquire about a student’s diagnosis. A student’s diagnosis or condition and/or the fact that they use accommodations should not be announced in class. Individual conversations about accommodations should be held in a respectful and discreet manner.
Students should provide instructors with their Verified Individualized Services and Accommodations (VISA) form. The instructor then collaborates with the student and DARC in providing the listed accommodations in order to ensure equal access.
Students are encouraged to reach out to instructors to discuss the implementation of accommodations in each class. This conversation should occur at a time and place that allows instructors to provide individualized attention and confidentiality.
When an approved accommodation causes concern, either because the instructor has difficulty providing it, or is concerned that it may constitute a fundamental alteration to the academic objective of the course, instructors should immediately contact DARC. DARC will respond promptly with support, suggestions, or reasonable alternative accommodations. To ensure student access, instructors should not stop providing the original accommodation until a reasonable alternative is in place.
As instructors are the experts in the educational concepts to be tested and are most familiar with their students, they are generally the primary providers of alternative proctoring arrangements. If an instructor is not able to proctor the exam or find someone else in the department to proctor in an appropriate space, DARC is able to proctor the exam. Because DARC does not have the resources to proctor every accommodated exam, it is a courtesy to your colleagues to use this alternative only if it is not possible for you (or other resources in your department) to proctor a test or quiz with the accommodation.
For more information about testing in DARC, including how to send exam materials, contact DARC at [email protected] or (231) 591-3057.
Adapted from Portland State University Global Diversity & Inclusion: Disability Resource Center, 2020.