Students with disabilities glean a significant amount of information about a course and their instructor from the access statement. A well designed statement indicates the faculty member’s level of commitment to designing their course in a way that welcomes all students, including those with a disability, and provides guidance to those students who experience barriers.
As a minimum, the statement should include contact information for the Disability Services (DS) office and be placed prominently (preferably within the first page) of the syllabus.
Arkansas Tech has not adopted a universal access statement for faculty to include in their course syllabi. Recognizing the difficulty in developing a statement that communicates information in a concise and positive way, a number of examples demonstrating acceptable approaches are provided for your review.
Example 1: University of Arizona
Accessibility and Accommodations: It is the University’s goal that learning experiences
be as accessible as possible. If you anticipate or experience physical or academic
barriers based on disability or pregnancy, please let me know immediately so that
we can discuss options. You are also welcome to contact Disability Services (include
contact information) to establish accommodations.
Example 2: University of Central Florida
It is my goal that this class be an accessible and welcoming experience for all students,
including those with disabilities that may impact learning in this class. If anyone
believes the design of this course poses barriers to effectively participating and/or
demonstrating learning in this course, please meet with me (with or without a Notice
of Accommodation from Disability Services) to discuss reasonable options or adjustments.
During our discussion, I may suggest the possibility/necessity of your contacting
Disability Services (include contact information) to talk about academic accommodations.
You are welcome to talk to me at any point in the semester about course design concerns,
but it is always best if we can talk at least one week prior to the need for any modifications.
Example 3: The Ohio State University
The University strives to make all learning experiences as accessible as possible.
If you anticipate or experience academic barriers based on your disability (including
mental health, chronic or temporary medical conditions), please let me know immediately
so that we can privately discuss options. You are also welcome to register with Disability
Services to establish reasonable accommodations. After registration, make arrangements
with me as soon as possible to discuss your accommodations so that they may be implemented
in a timely fashion. (Include Disability Services contact information)
Example 4: Originator Unknown
Usability, disability and design: I am committed to creating a course that is inclusive
in its design. If you encounter barriers, please let me know immediately so that we
can determine if there is a design adjustment that can be made or if an accommodation
might be needed to overcome the limitations of the design. I am always happy to consider
creative solutions as long as they do not compromise the intent of the assessment
or learning activity. You are also welcome to contact the disability resource office
(include contact information) to begin this conversation or to establish accommodations
for this or other courses. I welcome feedback that will assist me in improving the
usability and experience for all students.
