Frequently Asked Questions for Faculty and Staff
What is a disability?
A disability is defined as any mental or physical condition that substantially limits an individual's ability to perform one or more major life activities. Disabilities include physical disabilities, learning disabilities, visual or hearing impairments, neurological impairment, chronic or temporary health problems, communication disorders, and psychological disabilities.
What does the law require of postsecondary institutions?
Institutions must make modifications to academic requirements to ensure that these requirements do not discriminate against students with disabilities or have the effect of excluding students solely on the basis of disability.
Colleges and universities may not:
- Limit the number of students with disabilities admitted
- Make pre-admission inquiries regarding an applicant's disability
- Exclude a student from a course of study
- Counsel a student with a disability toward a more restrictive career
- Measure achievement using methods that discriminate against students with disabilities
Who determines academic accommodations?
Disability services determines the appropriateness of academic accommodation requests and helps facilitate accommodations. Disability services determines the accommodations using:
- Documentation of the disability provided by the student from qualified professionals
- Information gathered from an intake process
What are the steps to register with disability services?
- Self-identify and complete application for services.
- Submit documentation.
- Schedule an intake interview with the disability compliance coordinator.
A student has told me that he or she has a disability and needs accommodations. What do I do?
If you have not received a Student Accommodation Notification from our disability compliance coordinator, this student is not registered for the current semester, and you do not need to provide accommodations. Please encourage the student to contact disability services.
What are the responsibilities of the student?
- Initiate accommodation process by self-identifying disability-related needs to disability services.
- Provide documentation that establishes the disability and supports the request for accommodation.
- Meet with faculty to implement accommodations in the classroom.
- Notify disability services regarding any problems with the implementation or effectiveness of accommodations.
- Meet qualifications and maintain the same academic standards required of all CU students with or without accommodations.
Do I have the right to see the student's documentation?
Faculty cannot review the documentation. This protects the confidentiality of the student.
What if a student with a disability is failing?
Treat the student as you would any student who is not performing well in your class.