Faculty & Staff Resources

Faculty & Staff Guidelines

SUNY Brockport values the diversity of all of its community including faculty, staff, students, and visitors and, as such, we all work hard to ensure that everyone is afforded the opportunity to develop to their full potential. Along with the SUNY Brockport Mission, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 mandate equal access to postsecondary institutions for students with disabilities. To ensure opportunity and equal access across the campus, the motto, “accessibility is a campus-wide responsibility” must be embraced.

 

Faculty Responsibilities

  • Share responsibility for student accommodations with SAS
    • Acknowledge and Sign Accommodation Letter
      • To Sign an Accommodation Letter
        • Login to Accommodate
        • Click on “Accommodation Letters”
        • Click on the “requested” accommodation letter
        • Read letter and attachments, if applicable
        • Type name in “Recipient Signature” box
        • Click “Save”
    • Virtual Accommodation FAQs
  • Provide accommodations when a student discloses their official accommodation letter
  • Include the disability/accessibility statement on syllabi and read the statement aloud on the first day of class
  • Complete testing accommodation forms for students utilizing SAS’s testing center
  • Request an official letter of accommodation from students requesting disability-related services and / or accommodations
  • Consult with SAS regarding accommodations that might jeopardize the academic standards or may pose a fundamental alteration of the course
  • Create accessible course content and electronic documents
  • Refer students who may be eligible to SAS
    • “Did you know that SUNY Brockport has a disability services office called Student Accessibility Services? They provide accommodations such as/they can help with … connect with SAS!”
  • Report barriers to physical access (door pull too strong, the need for inclusive furniture for variable bodies) by completing a Facilities Service Request.

Responsibilities of Student Accessibility Services (SAS)

  • Provide services and accommodations to students with disabilities
  • Work closely with faculty and staff in an advisory capacity
  • Determine reasonable accommodations for students
  • Provide equal access and opportunity for individuals with disabilities

 

Section 504 – Definition of a Student with a Disability

  • A student who has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activity
  • A student who meets academic and technical standards requisite to admission or participation in the education program/activity

Confidentiality

  • Disability documentation is confidential between the student and SAS
  • According to the Association on Higher Education and Disability, “the Department of Justice has indicated that a faculty member generally does not have a need to know what the disability is, only that it has been appropriately verified by the … office assigned this responsibility on behalf of the institution.”

Common Disabilities

  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder
  • Learning Disabilities
  • Medical Conditions
  • Temporary Disabilities

COMMON ACCOMMODATIONS

Tips to Facilitate Learning

  • Provide guided lecture notes via Blackboard
  • Use visual aids and provide alternative text
  • Use a minimum of 18 point, accessible, font
  • Use accessible documents
  • Describe visual models
  • Face the class when speaking
  • Use high-contrast formatting on PowerPoints
  • Use captioned versions of videos or audio recordings
  • Incorporate Universal Design in your classroom

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