Student Mental Health — Twin Cities Campus

Sensory Impairment Disabilities

Identifying the Problem

Students may contact you before a course begins or early in the course indicating that, they have a sensory impairment: blindness, low vision, deafness, hard of hearing or deaf-blind. All of these conditions may be disabilities.

The student may ask you to make a modification (e.g. provide handouts of your notes, put materials into large print or Braille or to provide a sign language interpreter) to allow them to succeed in your course. It can be difficult to determine what is fair to the students requesting the modifications and what is fair to the other students in the class. Understanding your role when presented with this information will allow the student to get the assistance they are entitled to and allow you to provide optimal educational opportunities for all students, including those with disabilities.

How to Respond:

• Talk with the student in a private setting.
   
• Refer students to Disability Services if they are requesting a modification in the course. Disability Services will work with the student to obtain documentation of a disabling condition, identify and assist with implementation of reasonable accommodations, and communicate in writing to the instructor if classroom accommodations are necessary.
   
• Assure the student that you are willing to provide reasonable accommodations. However, it is the role of Disability Services, with your input, to determine what is reasonable and to communicate this to you in writing.
   
• Contact Disability Services if you have questions regarding the accommodation process, recommended accommodations, or your role in the process. Disability Services can assist you with putting printed material into an alternate format such as Braille or large print, arranging sign language interpreters or providing real-time captioning.
   
• Be proactive.
  Encourage students to disclose the existence of a potential disability condition to Disability Services. Disability Services recommends that University faculty use the following statement on their course syllabi to inform students of their willingness to provide reasonable accommodations:
   
• "It is University policy to provide, on a flexible and individualized basis, reasonable accommodations to students who have documented disability conditions (e.g., physical, learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing, or systemic) that may affect their ability to participate in course activities or to meet course requirements.
  
  Students with disabilities are encouraged to contact Disability Services to have a confidential discussion of their individual needs for accommodations. Disability Services is located in Suite180 McNamara Alumni Center, 200 Oak Street S.E. Staff can be reached by calling 612/626-1333 (voice or TTY)."
   
• Consider using the Principles of Universal Instructional Design in your course. (See link below) The premise of universal instructional design is that curriculum should include alternatives to make it accessible and applicable to students with different backgrounds, learning styles, abilities and disabilities. The Center for Applied Special Technology http://cast.org

1. Disability Services 612-626-1333 V/TTY or http://ds.umn.edu
    
2. Computer Accommodation Program 612-626-0365 http://cap.umn.edu
   A program to assist University of Minnesota students, staff and faculty with disabilities in accessing computers and information with adaptive technology.
    
3. International Student and Scholar Services 612-626-7100 (If you need assistance with referring an international student.)
   http://www.isss.umn.edu
    
4. Curriculum Transformation and Disability: Implementing Universal Design in Higher Education
   http://www.gen.umn.edu/research/
   crdeul/books.htm  
   
5. Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action
   419 Morrill
   100 Church St. S.E.
   Minneapolis, MN 55455
   Phone: 612-624-9547
   http://www.eoaffact.umn.edu/
   To consult about and/or report possible discrimination or systemic barriers to equal access.