>>Susan Willemin:  

Hi, my name is Susan Willemin, and I'm the director of Disability Support Services here at Towson University, and I'm here to offer you five quick tips for working with students with disabilities.  

The first tip involves a syllabus statement.  You should encourage students to disclose their disability early by including a statement in your syllabus to meet with them to discuss their needs.  Don't include a time frame, but also be aware that you're not obligated to provide accommodations retroactively.  Suggested syllabus statements would read something like this:  "If you may need an accommodation due to a disability, please contact me privately to discuss your specific needs.  A memo from Disability Support Services authorizing your accommodations will be needed."  Just make it short and sweet.  

Tip number two. If a student hasn't given you a memo from DSS, you shouldn't provide accommodations no matter how convincing the student is, and the reason is that DSS is the office responsible on campus for determining eligibility and accommodations under Section 504 and ADA laws, and it's based on specific documentation requirements, so we want that to be consistent across all students who are receiving the accommodations a Towson University.  

Tip number three. As a faculty member, you play an important role in providing accommodations, but it shouldn't be time consuming.  DSS is a resource for you to expedite the accommodations process.  For example, we have a testing center, the purpose of which is to assist you in implementing testing accommodations.  It doesn't take a lot of time, or it shouldn't take a lot of time, to provide test instructions and a copy of the test at the testing center for us to administer on your behalf.  You can provide help with course work for students with disabilities as you would for any other student.  Tutoring isn't considered an accommodation.  If a student with a disability needs more assistance than you can reasonably provide during office hours, he or she may need a referral to other campus resources or consider hiring a paid tutor.  It can be helpful if you could recommend a potential tutor if you're asked or help a student form a study group.  That might be helpful.  

Number four. Information related to a student's disability is confidential and should not be shared without his or her consent.   The student should be afforded the opportunity to meet with you privately to discuss their needs and not be identified in front of others.  Disability Support Services can provide information to you and share information with you on a need to know basis, and so we can consult.  But in terms of your sharing information related to a student's disability with a colleague or a student, that would be something that should not be done to preserve the student's privacy.  

Tip number five. Accommodations are designed to mitigate the effects of the disabilities so the student as an equal opportunity to meet the course standards.  It's not to change or circumvent the course standards.  If a student with a disability cannot meet the course standards with accommodations, it may mean the student will not pass.  Accommodations give students a chance to compete on a level playing field, but they don't guarantee success.  Disability Support Services is a resource for faculty, and we'd like you to not hesitate or call our office if you need assistance or have any questions or concerns regarding a student with a disability.  We have our website is a wealth of information and we also have a "Working with Students with Disabilities--A Faculty Staff Guide," which is available for you to provide further information on this topic.  So I look forward to working with you and students with disabilities in the year ahead.  Thank you.