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Reasonable Accommodations: A Faculty Guide to Teaching College Students With Disabilities

Where to Go for Assistance

The Campus Coordinator/Director of Student Disability Services

Each campus of The City University of New York has designated an office to coordinate services for students with disabilities. The Coordinator/Director of the campus office of Student Disability Services provides students and faculty with assistance in meeting the requirements of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 as well as other, related federal, state and local laws and regulations.

The Coordinator / Director is assisted in these functions by a college wide committee, or a 504/ADA Committee, made up of faculty, administrators, and students who facilitate compliance with federal regulations to integrate students with disabilities into the college community.

The major concern of the Coordinator/Director is advising students in making the adjustments that may be necessary for success in their academic careers. They work with students with disabilities who either identify themselves or are referred by faculty members or outside agencies. Official documentation of disability may be required to determine whether and what kind of special aids or adaptations may be helpful on campus. Among the services provided by the Office of Student Disability Services are pre admission counseling, priority registration, academic advisement and such special arrangements, when needed, as room changes, readers, interpreters, note takers, tutors, and proctors. More broadly, the Coordinators/ Directors serve as advocates for students with disabilities, ensuring that they have physical and programmatic access to all college programs and are effectively mainstreamed into the campus community.

For faculty, the Coordinator / Director of Student Disability Services may render invaluable advisory services. They are the ones to consult for special adaptations for students with disabilities, and to answer whatever questions may arise in accommodating the needs of students with disabilities in the classroom.

Students with disabilities represent a cross section of diversified individuals. To facilitate their academic success, please consider alerting your classes to the office for student disability services on campus.

Special programs The Center for Learning Disability Issues at Kingsborough Community College offers a variety of services both for students and professionals with regard to CUNY students with learning disabilities. Their professional team reviews documentation, makes presentations, and serves as the focal point for this CUNY disability group. Other services include a library of books, tapes, and videos; a tutor training program; and Web page. Direct all inquiries to 718 368 4981. The Computer Assistive Technology Program (CAT), based at Queens College,

is a team of adaptive technology specialists offering a wide array of services to assist in meeting the technology needs of students with disabilities. Services include:

• helping colleges develop and maintain adaptive computer and equipment labs;
• set up and maintenance of adaptive equipment and software
• phone and on site technical support;
• budget and purchasing guidance for adaptive equipment and software;
• staff, faculty, and student training; and
• frequent updates on technological advancements.
  For more information, please call 718 997 3775.
  

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