Student Process for Requesting Accommodations

Any student with a disability who requests accommodations from faculty should have received prior approval for the accommodations in the form of an Accommodation Letter signed by Accessibility Services.

REQUESTING ACCOMMODATIONS

Students who wish to request academic accommodations are expected to self-disclose by contacting Accessibility Services and provide current documentation of their disability. Students who have, or suspect they may have, a disability for which they would like to request accommodations, should contact Accessibility Services to discuss their needs.

REVIEW OF DOCUMENTATION

Accessibility Services reviews each student's situation individually, assessing the request and relevant documentation. Accommodation requests are considered within the context of the documentation, course requirements, and available resources. Accessibility Services may review requests for reasonable accommodations with either the Office of Counseling and Psychological Services or Health Services, in order to determine appropriate accommodations.

ACCOMMODATION LETTERS

Students who are requesting accommodations are required to meet with Accessibility Services. The subsequent discussion is focused on the barriers to access that exist, and the accommodations necessary to ameliorate those barriers. When these barriers are in the context of a course, Accessibility Services will prepare an Accommodation Letter with the student that indicates the appropriate accommodation(s) for the course. This letter may serve as the student's entry point into a dialogue with you.

FACULTY NOTIFICATION

Students are responsible for approaching faculty in a timely manner to provide a copy of their Accommodation Letter. However, some may wait until a few days before an exam to do so; others may discover a disability, or may not get documentation to support accommodation requests until sometime after the course has begun. It is expected that a student will advocate for their individual needs directly with the faculty, although Accessibility Services may assist in the process if requested.

Faculty are responsible for providing the approved reasonable accommodations unless it is impossible or impractical to do so. If the student has presented a last minute accommodation request and there is not ample time to make the necessary arrangements, then please let the student know and feel free to contact the office. We may be able to assist in the process.

If you are concerned about the appropriateness of an accommodation that is identified in the letter, please let us know and we will facilitate a conversation involving you and the student to determine the best way to address the barrier to access that has been identified.

PROVISIONAL ACCOMMODATIONS

In some cases, students who request accommodation are in the process of acquiring proper or updated documentation. In those instances, Accessibility Services may contact faculty via email to request that accommodations be provided. These provisional accommodations are generally requested for the balance of the current semester.

TEMPORARY IMPAIRMENTS

Temporary impairments may include, but are not limited to, conditions such as concussions, recovery from surgery, or a broken arm or leg. Students are responsible for notifying Wesleyan University of the need for assistance due to temporary impairments. Accessibility Services can assist in evaluating student needs and in making arrangements for reasonable courtesy accommodations. Accessibility will generally notify faculty by email of a student's need for accommodations due to a temporary impairment.

Appeals and Grievances

When the request for an accommodation has been denied, or when an approved accommodation has not been received, students have a right to report the incident through any of the procedures outlined on the Appeals and Grievances page.

PLEASE NOTE

Without official notification from Accessibility Services, you are not obligated to provide accommodations.
Visit the Rights and Responsibilities for Faculty page for more information. If you are ever unclear regarding what is expected of you when a student requests accommodations, or if you feel that a request compromises your course content or expectations, please do not hesitate to contact Accessibility Services. If agreement on accommodations cannot be reached by you and the office, the Vice President for Equity and Inclusion, who is the ADA/504 Compliance Officer, will be consulted.