X

Student Requests for Disability-Related Accommodations

A student who requests disability-related accommodations for a particular course should provide the faculty member with a memo from Disability Resources for Students (DRS). The memo confirms that the student is registered with DRS, and that the listed accommodations are appropriate in relation to the student's disability. Students who provide accommodation memos to faculty have already provided disability documentation to the DRS office, so faculty members should not ask students for documentation other than the memo from DRS. Students may submit memos to faculty at any time during the semester; however, faculty members are not required to provide retroactive accommodations. If the student is not registered with DRS or does not have an accommodations memo, the faculty member should refer the student to DRS (110 Wilder Tower; phone: 901.678.2880).

Confidentiality

Generally, all information relating to a student's disability is confidential. Students are not required to name or list the disability on the memo to faculty about accommodations, but may choose to do so. Faculty members should treat disability-related information shared by a student or a DRS staff member as confidential. Faculty members are cautioned about making statements in front of other students which might cause a student with a disability to be singled out for reasons related to his/her disability. At times, disability-related information will need to be shared with other faculty or staff members on a need-to-know basis. If you have questions about confidentiality related to a student with a disability, feel free to contact Jennifer Murchison at jmurchis@memphis.edu or 901.678.2880.

Syllabus Statement

A statement on the course syllabus and an announcement in class often make students more comfortable about disclosing their disability and need for accommodations. DRS suggests this or similar:

The University of Memphis values diversity, and, therefore, students with diverse learning preferences and needs are welcome in this course. You are encouraged to speak with me privately if there are aspects of instruction or design of this course that result in barriers to inclusion or accurate assessment of achievement. If barriers are preventing anyone with a temporary injury or a physical, mental, or cognitive condition from participating fully in this course, please contact Disability Resources for Students (DRS) to submit an official request for course accommodations. You may contact DRS by calling 901-678-2880, emailing drs@memphis.edu, or visiting 110 Wilder Tower.

DRS also offers volunteer opportunities for students who provide copies of notes to students who have that as an approved accommodation. Scholarship, community service, and volunteer hours can be validated for this service by DRS.