ADA Resources for Instructors

Syllabus statement

We recommend that all course syllabi include a statement (sample below) advising students with disabilities how to request reasonable academic accommodations. This not only helps to fulfill our institutional responsibility to inform them about the process, but also demonstrates our commitment to a positive and welcoming environment for students with disabilities.

Students with Disabilities:
If you anticipate barriers related to the format or requirements of this course, if you have emergency medical information to share with me, or if you need to make arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please let me know as soon as possible.

If disability related accommodations are necessary (for example, a note taker, extended time on exams, captioning), please establish an accommodation plan with the Disability Center (disabilitycenter.missouri.edu, S5 Memorial Union, 573- 882-4696), and then notify me of your eligibility for reasonable accommodations. For other MU resources for persons with disabilities, visit ada.missouri.edu.

This sample statement is posted on the web at provost.missouri.edu/faculty/syllabus-information and at disabilitycenter.missouri.edu/faculty/syllabus, and is also included in the Support & Academic Policies section for all course sites in Canvas.

Instructor Portal  

The Disability Center Instructor Portal, accessed from the Disability Center home page (disabilitycenter.missouri.edu), is an important tool that allows instructors to view accommodation notification Letters, provide exam administration preferences, upload exams, view course note takers and more. A helpful tutorial is available on the Disability Center website.

Accommodated Exams:

• Reminder:  All completed exams will be delivered to department offices ONLY, not to instructors’ offices. This change, implemented in spring 2017, was necessary to ensure that exams are delivered timely, and that exam security is not compromised.  Instructors can select a different delivery option while completing the Exam Access Agreement in the Instructor Portal if using the department delivery option is a concern.
• As in past semesters, exam deliveries are scheduled Monday through Friday at 8 a.m., noon and 3 p.m. Reminder emails for upcoming accommodated exams will be sent out prior to the date of the scheduled exam.
• We always encourage instructors to provide testing accommodations for students who qualify, however we know that under many circumstances it isn’t possible. Instructors simply need to provide exam administration details to the Disability Center, furnish the exam, and we will proctor the exams on instructors’ behalf.

Communication Access

• Captions are essential to ensure communication access for those who are deaf or hard of hearing, but they also benefit many others: those with learning and attention-related disabilities, traumatic brain injuries, other cognitive processing disorders, and non-native English speakers. Learn more about MU’s contracted vendors, and how to create captions and transcripts.
• Do you need to provide a sign language interpreter for an event or activity on campus?  The Disability Center offers sign language interpreting services at a very competitive rate.  To request a sign language interpreter, visit disabilitycenter.missouri.edu and select the “Request an Interpreter” button.

Notetaking Assistance

Acquiring a volunteer notetaker is vital to providing equal access for students who require notetaking assistance as an accommodation. To ensure that the accommodation can be implemented effectively, we rely on instructor’s assistance to recruit notetakers from classes.

• • Notetakers now are eligible to receive a stipend ($100 for one course and $125 for two or more courses) at the conclusion of the semester, IF they complete the required notetaker training online, provide notes timely and consistently throughout the semester, and if their notes meet standards outlined by the Disability Center.
  • Recruitment of notetakers can now be done in a number of ways:

o   Invite a Disability Center senior notetaker to visit class to explain notetaking opportunities
o   Read an announcement in class and/or show a Disability Center provided slide
o   Add the accommodations coordinator to Canvas or Blackboard profile to post announcements
o   Instructors may also select and refer a class notetaker to the Disability Center.

To learn more about the process, including how to recruit note takers, review the Faculty Guide for Notetaking Assistance.

Relevant resources

Accessibility Policy (BPPM 1:025)
Digital Accessibility Policy (BPPM 13:010)
Adaptive Computing Technology Center

• Visit ACT’s website to find excellent information, resources and support related to adaptive technology and IT accessibility.
  ET@MO
• Visit etopics.missouri.edu to find “What educators should know about accessibility,” which provides a helpful Accessibility Quick Reference chart.
  Guide to Assisting Students in Distress
• This guide offers suggestions for intervention, response options and campus resources. To request printed copies, call the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs at 573-882-6776.