Information for Faculty
Faculty and the Accessibility Office (TAO) work in partnership to provide equal access to students with disabilities. Assuring equal access in education is everyone's responsibility, and TAO provides support to faculty in providing access that not only meets legal and compliance standards, but supports all students in their pursuit of an education at Bucks.
Please see the attached document for additional information:
Our Role
The Accessibility Office (TAO) provides support through reasonable accommodations, advocacy, and consultation to address barriers and foster access and inclusion across programs and services.
TAO is committed to providing equal access to individuals with disabilities, in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the ADA of 1990 and the ADA amended.
We Value
- Individual ways of being and learner variability
- The social model of disability – that people are often disabled by environment, technology, policy, attitudes and systems
- Intersectionality and its impact on lives, as disability intersects with all marginalized identities
- Accessible, inclusive design – built in from the beginning and beneficial to all
About the Accessibility Office (TAO)
TAO is committed to providing equal access to individuals with disabilities in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, The ADA of 1990 and the ADA amended. The College will provide reasonable accommodations unless doing so will fundamentally alter the nature of the service or program or pose an undue administrative or financial burden. The Accessibility office provides services that promote independence and inclusion in all areas of a student's college experience.
TAO serves students with various disabilities including students with learning, cognitive, psychological, medical, physical, and other health-related impairments. Regardless of the number of students who seek support and accommodations, Bucks values is a diverse and neurodiverse community of learners, and TAO promotes a culture of inclusion designed to universally support everyone.
For students with documented disabilities, accommodations are determined on an individual basis and are determined by understanding the functional limitations within the context of the environment.
Eligibility of Services and Accommodations
Students who are eligible for accommodations begin the process by completing an intake and providing comprehensive documentation from a qualifying medical professional. Documentation must include (1) a diagnosis, (2) functional limitations, and (3) recommendations for accommodations/support. Students with learning disabilities (reading, processing) submit neuropsychological evaluations that include diagnostic tests. Documentation must show a direct link between the functional limitations and the accommodation requested.
Reasonable Accommodations, not limited to:
- Extended time on tests and exams
- Reduced-distraction test environment
- Additional absences within the academic standards of the course
- Additional time on assignments within the academic standards of the course
- Textbooks and course materials in alternative format
- Note-taking assistance and use of a digital recorder
- Use of a computer or electronic device during class
- Adaptive and assistive technology
Faculty Memos (Accommodation Letters)
Faculty Memos list the student's accommodations, but not the nature of the student’s disability.
Students are responsible for distributing their Faculty Memo and initiating contact with instructors and discussing the implementation, reasonableness of accommodations according to course design and other factors.
Instructors may also initiate contact with the student once the memo is received. Instructors should not provide accommodations without receiving notification from TAO via a Faculty Memo.
- Accommodations do not compromise the essential elements of a course or curriculum. Accommodations provide an alternative way to accomplish the course requirements by reducing disability-related barriers.
Faculty Roles and Responsibilities
With an increasing number of students registering for accommodations, it’s critical for instructors to know their role and responsibility in supporting students in the process of providing accommodations.
From the Office of Civil Rights (OCR)
“OCR enforces Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504) and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (Title II), which prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability. Every school district and nearly every institution of postsecondary education in the United States is subject to Section 504 or Title II. Entities covered by these civil rights laws have an obligation to comply with legal requirements and to carry out their programs and activities in a manner that does not discriminate on the basis of disability.
Institutions of postsecondary education must provide an appropriate academic adjustment based on students’ disabilities and individual needs when necessary to avoid discrimination. In providing an academic adjustment, a postsecondary institution does not have to eliminate or lower essential requirements or make modifications that would result in a fundamental alteration of the programs or activities being offered or impose an undue burden on the institution.”
Faculty Roles
- Make Reasonable Accommodations
- Provide Access to Classroom & Materials
- Maintain Confidentiality
In certain situations, reasonable accommodations may require modification of standard classroom approaches without lowering course expectations or standards. The following are examples of accommodations that may be necessary to ensure equal access to education:
- Provide alternative ways to fulfill course requirements when reasonable.
- Allow technology such as recorders, electronic devices in the classroom.
- Consider alternate ways of assessing students
Faculty Rights
Faculty Members have the right to:
- Maintain and uphold the academic standards of their course
- Determine course content and how it will be taught
- Confirm a student’s request for accommodations and ask for clarification about a specific accommodation with TAO
- Deny a request for an accommodation if the student has not been approved for such accommodation
- Distribute grades appropriate to the level of the student’s demonstration of mastery of material
- Fail a student who does not perform to passing standards
Faculty members do not have the right to:
- Refuse to provide an approved accommodation for a documented disability
- Challenge the legitimacy of a student’s disability
- Review a student’s documentation, including diagnostic data
Faculty Responsibilities
Faculty members have the responsibility to:
- Be aware of appliable laws governing higher education
- Refer students to appropriate resources
- Provide requested accommodations and academic adjustments to students who have documented disabilities in a timely manner
- Maintain appropriate confidentiality of records except when disclosure is required by law or authorized by the student
- Provide handouts, videos and other course materials in accessible formats, regardless of whether there are any students in the class who qualify for accommodations.
- Evaluate students based on their abilities rather than their disabilities
Confidentiality
Bucks cannot provide information about a student’s academic record unless the student provides permission. Student information, including disability, can only be shared on a need-to-know educational basis. Students may choose to discuss their disability with faculty, but faculty should not ask specific questions about the nature of the student’s disability. Faculty must ensure the student’s need for accommodations is kept confidential by not “outing” the student in class. Faculty are encouraged to speak to TAO for clarification or questions.
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