determining accommodations and access needs

In the next sections, we will think about access in two different ways.  These are the same ways postsecondary disability services professionals make decisions about reasonable accommodations.  Faculty cannot make final decisions about accommodations, but understanding access needs can help you implement accommodations and support students without disabilities who are struggling in your courses.  It can also help you universally design your course to help all students, or to proactively preparing for students with disabilities.  For more information about UDL, check out the UDL module in this faculty training or explore UDL information in the Resources section of this website.

Two ways to think about accommodations and access needs are:

1. By course component:  This involves thinking about which skills or abilities are required for your courses, and then considering accommodations students with disabilities may need.  This can also help you think about how to support nondisabled students who struggle with the same tasks.
   
   
2. By type of disability:  Disability services professionals and students are not required to disclose diagnoses to you.  But if you know a student's type of disability, looking up information about it may be helpful in giving you a better understanding of what they're experiencing.  

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