Receiving Academic Adjustment/Accommodation Plan “AP", Now What?
Academic adjustment/accommodation plans for students with disabilities are determined in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Appropriate academic adjustments are determined individually in order for a qualified individual to have equal access to programs, services, and activities. The purpose of such adjustments within courses is to minimize the effects of the disability’s impact and functional limitations to allow students to complete the established academic standards and course/program requirements.
Student needs may vary according to course requirements, class format and environment; therefore, not all approved academic adjustments may be applicable in each course. For example, a student may not need to utilize testing academic adjustments if a course does not have tests.
Receiving Notification from ODR
Students are responsible for initiating a request for instructors to view their Academic Adjustment/Accommodation Plan via ODR’s online module. Instructors will receive an email from ODR with instructions for viewing. While accommodations are not retroactive, students may share their Academic Adjustment/Accommodation Plan at any point in the semester for a number of reasons, or not at all.
Viewing the Academic Adjustment/Accommodation Plan
To access the AP for any student who has made that request, first log in to the ODR instructor online module. The AP is available as a PDF. Only students who have requested their instructors to view their Academic Adjustment/Accommodation Plan will appear for a course within the module.
Confirming Receipt of Academic Adjustment/Accommodation Plan & Communication with Students
An interactive communication with the student should occur to establish which academic adjustments will be needed and how they will be used. For students with additional time on timed assessments, it is vital to establish if the instructor will be able to provide within the classroom or office, how arrangements need to be made, or if test proctoring will be utilized.
| When to Communicate with Students? | When to Communicate with ODR? |
|---|---|
Course-specific discussions on using approved accommodations. Examples:
| Academic adjustments require coordination. Examples:
|
To discuss course content and mastery of essential course expectations and objectives. Examples:
| Experiential Learning Components. Examples:
|
Referrals for App State resources to optimize opportunities for success. Examples:
| Approvals conflict with the course learning objectives. Examples:
|
Requests Not Included on the AP
If additional requests are made that are not listed on the Academic Adjustment/Accommodation Plan, instructors should only provide considerations that would be available to all others or refer the student to make an additional request through ODR.
Questions
Additional guidance can be found regarding academic adjustments and creating accessible courses. ODR encourages faculty to contact Disability Resources with any additional questions regarding accommodation usage or implementation.