- 1During the first class and in the course syllabus, announce that if anyone is in need of accommodations to see you after class or during office hours, or have them contact DSS.
- Know about services available on campus for students with disabilities.
- Give an outline of the course and explain course requirements clearly. As with all students, those with disabilities benefit from a well-organized approach to course material.
- Be exact about necessary reading materials and provide this information early in the semester to allow time for acquisition of the material in alternative formats (such as text-on-tapes).
- Allow for test accommodations, as recommended by DSS.
- Do not accept work of a lower quality from students with disabilities.
- Support students interested in taking your course. If you foresee problems, discuss these but let students make up their own mind.
- If a student requests an accommodation without authorization from Disabled Students Services, refer the student to the DSS office or the Learning Specialist Program if you are unsure about the request. You are not obligated to provide any unauthorized accommodations at a student’s request.
- If a student has not approached you for an accommodation, call the Center for advice on whether or how to approach the student.
- See the section on "General Etiquette"
Field Trips
In planning special class excursions, such as field trips or class social events,
faculty and instructional staff should consider the needs of students with disabilities
who are already known to them.
Ask the student how s/he might be able to do specific aspects of field work. Attempt
to include the student in field work opportunities, rather than automatically suggesting
non-field work alternatives.
Arrange to have accessible transport vehicles for field trips. These may be arranged
through College Transportation Resources at extension 4668.
Counseling
Under the provisions of Section 504, Santa Monica College may not:
- Counsel students with disabilities into more restrictive career paths than are recommended to students who are non-disabled;
- Exclude an otherwise qualified student with a disability from any course of study.
- Faculty should not discourage students from specific fields of study if the student meets the same "admission" requirements, and/or prerequisites, maintains qualifying grades and is otherwise qualified. Faculty and instructional staff are responsible for providing educational programs, not for predicting possible difficulties of a career choice.
- It is permissible to provide factual information about licensing and certification requirements that may present obstacles to the student's pursuit of a particular career.