Procedure:     Disabilities: Academic Accommodations for Students
Department:      Disability Resources
Contact:            Nancy Hart, (541) 463-3010        hartn@lanecc.edu

Disability Resources (DR) is responsible for determining students' eligibility for academic accommodations and implementing those accommodations and services according to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Disability Resources has developed numerous systems and procedures to fulfill that responsibility. One of those procedures is to provide eligible students with disabilities an annual Letter of Accommodation (LOA) to share and discuss with each instructor.

After the student and faculty member review the LOA, the instructor needs to acknowledge this by signing the Faculty Acknowledgment Form and returning it to the student (who will return it to DR). By signing the Faculty Acknowledgement Form, faculty have indicated that they have reviewed or will soon review the student's LOA, understand the student's accommodation request and know how to reach Disability Resources

Instructors with questions or concerns about specific accommodations have the following options:

1. Contact Disability Resources for clarification (541-463-5150 voice, (541) 463-3079 TTY, or disabilityresources@lanecc.edu);

2. Make an appointment with the Disability Resources director, or her/his designee, to explore possible alternate accommodations that will meet the legal obligation of the college and preserve academic integrity; or

3. Work with the student to identify some mutually acceptable accommodations.  Care must be taken to assure that this is a mutual discussion and that the student does not feel intimidated or coerced.  The alternate accommodations can be written onto the Letter of Accommodation; both instructor and student can sign off on those changes and return a copy of the revised letter to Disability Resources.

When a student requesting accommodations does not present a Letter of Accommodation and does not have a visible disability (or the accommodation need is not obvious, e.g., an accessible table for someone in a wheelchair), then the instructor should refer the student to Disability Resources prior to making any disability accommodations.  There may be times when it is reasonable for the faculty member to accommodate a student while he or she is in the process of getting a letter from DR (e.g., someone with a hearing impairment may simply need the instructor's cooperation in using an amplification device).  However, if the student is asking for an accommodation that has the potential to alter the academic process (such as test accommodations), the instructor should contact DR for clarification about the student's eligibility for that accommodation.