Faculty should include a syllabus statement which directs students with disabilities in need of accommodations to the Accessibility Services. The sample statement below can be copied and pasted into the syllabus:
Students needing accommodations due to a disability including temporary and pregnancy accommodations may contact the UVU Accessibility Services at accessibilityservices@uvu.edu or 801-863-8747. Deaf/Hard of Hearing students requesting ASL interpreters or transcribers should contact Accessibility Services to set up accommodations. Accessibility Services is located on the Orem Campus in LC 312.
Students are responsible for informing instructors if using the UVU Accommodative Testing Center for quizzes, tests, or exams. Faculty are responsible to submit the exam provided to UVU Testing Services 24 hours prior to the student’s scheduled test time. At the time of submission, faculty should indicate the name of the student and what testing aids, if any, are permitted. Instructors can contact testingservices@uvu.edu for exam submission process and questions.
Faculty are required to pick up the completed paper exams as soon as possible.
For employees who require ADA accommodations, please contact:
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Utah Valley University strives to create an environment of access and inclusion for all students. Many students with disabilities are already working with Accessibility Services. However, many students first disclose their disability or academic concerns to a faculty/staff member before establishing services with Accessibility Services. In the event that a student shares their disability, health or pregnancy-related concerns, please refer them to our office.
Making a Referral to the Office of Accessibility Services (OAS)
Examples of disabilities that may qualify a student for accommodations (this list is not exhaustive):
Once a student is approved for accommodations, the instructor will recieve an email notifying them to check the Faculty Clockwork Portal.
If you have questions or concerns, please contact our office at: 801-863-8747.
If a student is struggling in your class, don’t automatically assume that it means the student has a disability. There are many different factors that can cause a student to experience academic difficulty. If you notice that a student is struggling in your class, or the student comes to you for help but chooses not to disclose specific disability information, an indirect referral can be made by sharing information about various campus resources available including Accessibility Services:
This allows the student to make the determination as to which resources may best meet their needs given their current situation. A full list of UVU resources can be found through the Office of Teaching and Learning.
Student confidentiality and right to self-disclosure
Only the student can decide to disclose their disability, or to pursue information about services available from Accessibility Services. It is not appropriate to directly ask a student if they have a disability based on an assumption, ask what their diagnosis is, or to share information about a student’s disability with other members of the class. It is essential that all information obtained about a student’s disability, either through a student’s self-disclosure to you or via a Letter of Accommodation issued by Accessibility Services, be kept confidential. All information that a student shares with a faculty member is to be used specifically for arranging reasonable accommodations for the course of study, and those conversations should be held in private.
Additional Resources in Creating Accessible Classrooms or Programs
ACCESSIBILITY FOR INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS: GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR DOCUMENTS
Providing accessible instructional materials for your classes is for the benefit of all of your students as accessibility removes the barriers students may face from obtaining the information you provide as a professor. Making your instructional materials accessible allows assistive technology—such as screen-reading software—to read aloud the content for users who cannot see the content. Screen-reading software is commonly used by people with visual impairments and sometimes those with learning disabilities.
Addressing accessibility in documents you are using as instructional material can be accomplished with features and tools in Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat Professional. Though the actual implementation may differ between software applications, a number of concepts are similar, and it is therefore important to understand the technical foundation of accessibility.
Faculty will be notified via email when students enrolled in their course have approved accommodations. Please log into the Faculty Clockwork Portal to view accommodation letters.
Disabilities and the impact of disabilities are not always predictable, therefor, accommodations may be approved at any time during the semester. Accommodations approved after the start of the semester are effective starting the day the accommodation letter is issued and are not retroactive.
Faculty are not required to modify essential course requirements for the sake of the student. If a faculty member believes that an approved accommodation would alter the essential elements of the course, they should contact Accessibility Services as soon as possible so that a review of the educational requirements of the course can be completed and alternate accommodations considered.
Setting up exams in the Accommodative Testing Center
For students with testing accommodations outlined in their Letter of Accommodation, you may set up their exams in the Accommodative Testing Center through Register Blast. Information regarding that process may be found here: https://www.uvu.edu/testingservices/info/faculty.html.
Student accommodations are determined on a case-by-case through an interactive process between the student and Accessibility Services.
Accessibility Services partners with the student, the faculty, and appropriate campus departments to establish and implement accommodations needed to remove the student’s unique access barriers.
Faculty who receive an accommodation letter from Accessibility Services are responsible to provide the listed accommodations in a timely manner. Other responsibilities include:
We are your resource and collaborator in ensuring the academic accommodations are in place and effective. If you have questions or concerns regarding the implementation of an accommodation, Accessibility Services is here to help!
