Partnering with DRS

Opportunity, accessibility, and student success are fundamental components of our University goals and values. Access and inclusion of students with disabilities in our classrooms is inextricably linked to these components. Because these are institutional commitments and responsibilities, DRS partners with instructors and students to uphold these values and fulfill our legal obligations. In this partnership, each party has a role to play.

DRS Role 

DRS is guided by concepts from Disability Studies, which assert that disability is a sociopolitical construct created and perpetuated by an environment in which barriers exclude disabled people from access and participation. This concept minimizes the impact of an individual’s impairment and locates the “problem,” or burden of responsibility, to the environment. DRS aims to collaborate with the University community proactively to create environments that are usable and accessible to a diverse student body to the greatest extent possible. In cases where barriers are not eliminated through proactive design, DRS works with individual students to determine reasonable accommodations that will eliminate existing barriers to equal access. DRS uses a combination of student interview, student history, third-party documentation from a qualified professional, disability law, and information about the specific course or environment to determine eligibility for specific accommodations. Finally, DRS provides resources to support faculty in creating curricular access.

Faculty/Instructor Role 

Accessibility is an indicator of cultural competence and is central to welcoming a diverse student body. As designers of the learning environment, instructors are encouraged to engage in thoughtful design that integrates accessibility, without the need for retroactive accommodations. When this is not possible, it may be necessary to work with students and DRS to provide accommodations. If a student reports an accessibility issue, please guide students to DRS to begin the accommodation process, if they have not already done so.

The goal of accommodations and course accessibility is equal access, rather than guaranteed success. Instructors are not expected to lower course standards or modify essential learning objectives to accommodate students with disabilities.

Please note that instructors have a responsibility to ensure accessibility of any third-party platform, or technologies used for the instruction of their courses. Learn more about this in Accessibility of Instructional Platforms and Technologies.

Student Role 

While it is our goal that students have immediate access to courses, there may be aspects of a course that result in barriers to inclusion or accurate assessment of achievement. If a student anticipates or experiences barriers, it is their responsibility to bring this to the attention of instructors and DRS and follow University procedures for requesting and implementing accommodations.