Why is the standard that the instructor believes will be lowered important to the course/program? Will the requested accommodation the academic standards of the course/program? Can a different method or requirement that will not be altered by the accommodation achieve the required academic or pedagogical result? Consult with peers on the DSPS listserv, CAPED or AHEAD for guidance. It is important to note that the fact that a requested accommodation has not been made before or is not typically being made, is not sufficient to constitute a fundamental alteration. The decision to assert a fundamental alteration and deny an accommodation should not be lightly. Institutions have found themselves in legal trouble for devoting insufficient thought to the conclusion that a requested accommodation should be denied. If the college seeks to be well prepared to address potential discrimination complaints, it is essential that a thorough, deliberative, fair, and well-documented process be undertaken to determine if a requested accommodation represents a fundamental alteration to the curriculum. Answering the above questions and documenting the process will allow instructors to establish that they have carefully evaluated the awarded accommodation and the course/program objectives. Failure to provide a reasonable accommodation to a student with a disability is a violation of law, putting in jeopardy an institution's federal funding. However, disability laws also require that students with disabilities meet the "essential," "academic," and "technical" standards of the class/program/college. Situation: A student who is enrolls in a math class and requests that the instructor verbalize what s/he is writing on the board or overhead. Fundamental Alteration or Not? NO. Under the law and regulations, the faculty member would be legally required (as well as ethically obliged) to make an adjustment in presentation of course material by verbalizing what is written on the board or overhead. Pointing and referring
Why is the standard that the instructor believes will be lowered important to the course/program? Will the requested accommodation the academic standards of the course/program? Can a different method or requirement that will not be altered by the accommodation achieve the required academic or pedagogical result? Consult with peers on the DSPS listserv, CAPED or AHEAD for guidance. It is important to note that the fact that a requested accommodation has not been made before or is not typically being made, is not sufficient to constitute a fundamental alteration. The decision to assert a fundamental alteration and deny an accommodation should not be lightly. Institutions have found themselves in legal trouble for devoting insufficient thought to the conclusion that a requested accommodation should be denied. If the college seeks to be well prepared to address potential discrimination complaints, it is essential that a thorough, deliberative, fair, and well-documented process be undertaken to determine if a requested accommodation represents a fundamental alteration to the curriculum. Answering the above questions and documenting the process will allow instructors to establish that they have carefully evaluated the awarded accommodation and the course/program objectives. Failure to provide a reasonable accommodation to a student with a disability is a violation of law, putting in jeopardy an institution's federal funding. However, disability laws also require that students with disabilities meet the "essential," "academic," and "technical" standards of the class/program/college. Situation: A student who is enrolls in a math class and requests that the instructor verbalize what s/he is writing on the board or overhead. Fundamental Alteration or Not? NO. Under the law and regulations, the faculty member would be legally required (as well as ethically obliged) to make an adjustment in presentation of course material by verbalizing what is written on the board or overhead. Pointing and referring
NEW_TITLE_5_Regs_Implementing_Guidelines_October_2016-acc-05.27.17_0.docx