Faculty Guide: Classroom Accommodations

It is essential that every student be given equal access to information and materials provided in class. We must address classroom barriers which restrict access in relation to a student’s disability. 

Common in-class accommodations include:

Notetaking

Students may require assistance obtaining materials presented in class because of barriers resulting from their disability. These accommodations include requesting copies of the overheads presented in class, the ability to record lectures, taking pictures of the board, use of a computer or a peer notetaker. These accommodations are meant to supplement the student’s own notes and provide additional content when access is impacted. 

Some examples of students who may use these accommodations could include students with learning disabilities or a traumatic brain injury who have difficulty fully processing information as it is presented, students with ADHD or mental health disabilities who may be easily distracted, or students with visual or hearing disabilities who must use technology or Sign Language interpreters which can prevent how much they may be able to copy into their own notes in real-time. 

• Copies of Power Points – Copies of lecture materials provided to student. This includes materials such as instructor’s overheads and PowerPoint presentations. These materials are for the student’s personal use only. Specific guidelines about sharing lecture materials are available at https://u.tamu.edu/SharingMaterials. 
• Pictures of Board/Presentation – Student may take photographs or screenshots of the board, PowerPoints, and other overheads as needed. These images are for the student’s personal use only. Specific guidelines about sharing lecture materials are available at https://u.tamu.edu/SharingMaterials. If there is a concern about the student taking photographs, please contact the student’s Access Coordinator to discuss. 
• Audio Record Lecture by Student – Student may audio record lecture. These recordings are for the student’s personal use only. Specific guidelines about recording are available at https://u.tamu.edu/RecordLecture. If there is a concern about the student recording lecture, please contact the student’s Access Coordinator to discuss. 
• Notetaking technology – Use of technology, such as a laptop or tablet to assist with notetaking. 
• Peer notetaker – Use of copies of notes from a peer notetaker, when available. Disability Resources will attempt to recruit and identify a peer notetaker in the course when the student follows the process to make a specific request for a Peer Notetaker. If a peer notetaker cannot be identified, the student should work with their Access Coordinator and the course instructor to identify alternative notetaking support options. 

More information about Auxiliary Aids and Services for Postsecondary Students with Disabilities from the Office of Civil Rights (OCR). 

When students are approved for these accommodations Access Coordinators discuss and share specific guidelines for using this accommodation: 

• Guidelines for Recording Lectures 
• Guidelines for Sharing Lecture Materials 
• Peer Notetakers 

Plan for Absences and Missed Deadlines

The student may be absent from class periodically or have difficulty meeting short-term assignment deadlines due to their disability. 

As is the expectation for all students requesting an excused absence, Student Rule 7.1.1 states the student is expected to notify you in advance of missing class or a deadline (or notify their Access Coordinator within two days of the absence if advanced notification was not possible). Students will notify an instructor of their disability-related absence via their Flex Plan dashboard in the AIM accommodations portal and must not be asked for a doctor’s note for disability related absences.  

While the accommodation provides some default guidelines as a starting point, instructors may provide specific guidelines for based on the activities and expectations of their course when completing a Flex Plan in their AIM Instructor Portal. 

Federal law requires colleges and universities to consider reasonable modification of attendance policies and deadlines if needed to accommodate a student’s disability. In making this determination, two questions must be answered: 

• Does the student have a documented disability that directly affects his/her ability to attend class on a regular basis or submit work on time? Disability Resources will make this determination based on a review of documentation from the student’s physician or other qualified provider and provide verification in a letter the student presents to the instructor. 
• Is attendance an essential part of the class? Would modification of attendance policies or deadlines result in a fundamental alteration of the curriculum? Instructors make this determination in consultation with Disability Resources. 

The Office of Civil Rights (OCR) has provided the following guidelines to assess if attendance is an essential part of a class: 

1. Is there classroom interaction between the instructor and students and among students? 
2. Do student contributions constitute a significant component of the learning process? 
3. Does the fundamental nature of the course rely on student participation as an essential method for learning? 
4. To what degree does a student’s failure to attend constitute a significant loss to the educational experience of other students in the class? 
5. What do the course description and syllabus say? 
6. Which method is used to calculate the final grade? 
7. What are the classroom practices and policies regarding attendance?

Preferential Seating

While assigned seating is not common in the college classroom, having access to a specific location of the classroom can support disabled students in many ways. 

A student with a visual disability may request preferential seating at the front to better see the slides, overheads or whiteboard. Students with a hearing disability may request this to better hear the instructor or to accommodate their Sign Language interpreter. A student with anxiety may request preferential seating at the back of the room for easy access to the door should they have a panic attack. Students with limited mobility may need access to a specific row or wheelchair accessible table.