Facilitating Accommodations in Your Course

On this page, information is provided to assist Faculty in facilitating accommodations in their courses but if there is a need to request an ADA accommodation as an employee, please complete the forms found in the menu bar above or contact the ADA Coordinator (252) 737-1018 or ADA-Coordinator@ecu.edu to begin the interactive process.

WebEX/Canvas Tutorials

Recording Lectures and Creating Captions

Local, State & National Disability Resources

North Carolina Resources

• The Center for Universal Design (NC State University)
• Statewide Interpreter Directory

National Resources

Steps for Facilitating Accommodations in Your Course

1. Use the following accessibility statement in your syllabi.
   • East Carolina University seeks to comply fully with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Students requesting accommodations based on a disability must be registered with the Department for Disability Support Services (DSS) located in Mendenhall 109 (252-737-1016).
     Note: We recommend taking some time to review this statement with the class. This may help students feel more comfortable approaching you with proactive requests.
2. Promptly respond to accommodation requests.
   • Registered students should provide accommodation letters from our office to you through our database system Clockwork. You should not provide accommodations to a student who does not present the appropriate faculty notification letter. These forms are most commonly delivered within the first few weeks of the semester however, students are able to request and begin to utilize accommodations at any time. Please note, accommodations are not applied retroactively.
3. Respect the student’s right to confidentiality.
   • Students are not required to disclose medical or disability details, such as their diagnoses to instructors. Disability Support Services keeps all students’ disability information and documentation confidential.
   • The student’s registration status should only be shared with others on a need-to-know basis.
   • Discuss accommodations with students in a private setting such as office hours or by appointment. Accommodations are meant to level the playing field, not create an advantage.  Our goal should be to treat all students equally with regards to grading, behavioral standards and course requirements.
4. Consult with DSS when you have questions/concerns about a request.
   • The staff at Disability Support are available to you for answering questions, brainstorming solutions, and determining whether or not an accommodation request is reasonable, given the design and learning outcomes of the course.
   • Staff are available for phone calls and walk-ins Monday – Friday, 8 a.m – 5 p.m.
5. Provide accessible course materials to students with sensory disabilities.
   • Whenever possible, choose course materials that are accessible from the get-go (e.g. searchable PDFs, captioned videos). When materials are not inherently accessible, review the tutorials provided in the faculty resources in order to add captions to your media. If you require assistance making course materials accessible, please contact DSS for support with ample time for conversion to accessible formats.
   • When creating your own course documents in Microsoft Office, there’s a handy built-in Accessibility Checker feature (File > Check for Issues > Check Accessibility) which you can use to ensure screen- reader accessibility.
   • When a student requests course material conversions for a course, Disability Support Services will reach out to the instructor if coordination is needed.

The mission of the Department for Disability Support Services is to provide individuals with disabilities support that will enable them to access programs, services, facilities, and activities of the university and to enhance disability awareness among all constituents of the university.