UCSF: Student Disability Services: Instructional Strategies for Faculty and Staff

Instructional Strategies for Faculty and Staff

Colleges and universities typically serve students with the following types of disabilities: mobility, blind/visual, Deaf/hard of hearing, learning, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, systemic, psychiatric, and brain injuries. Some of these conditions are readily apparent, while others are not always visible to an observer. Some conditions are stable and predictable, while others may be more variable and, sometimes, unpredictable.

All students who request academic accommodations on the basis of a disability must provide current and comprehensive documentation to Student Disability Services. The SDS Director reviews documentation to determine eligibility for services. For qualified students, the Director provides a letter for the student to give to faculty members which verifies eligibility for specific academic accommodations on the basis of a disability.

In attempting to provide any type of academic adjustment, faculty, disability managment staff, and students with disabilities should work in concert to formulate accommodations that meet the individual educational needs of qualified students with disabilities while maintaining the academic integrity of the program, service or activity to be modified.

Faculty can greatly assist this process by including disability access statements in their course materials. For example, the following statement could be included on all course syllabi: “Students with disabilities needing reasonable accommodations are encouraged to contact the instructor. Student Disability Services is available to assist with the reasonable accommodations process.”

For specific instructional strategies to enhance the accessibility of course instruction, clinical training, educational materials, and activities, download the following pdfs:

Or download the complete 18 page pdf:

"Disabilities and Instructional Strategies for Faculty and Staff"