Manage Faculty Who Resist Disability Accommodations Requests

When faculty members refuse or fail to implement approved accommodations for students with disabilities, it could lead to claims being filed against your institution. Refusals to accommodate may happen more often for students who have an “invisible” disability, often mental health-related, because faculty may believe they aren’t “real” disabilities needing accommodation.

Many students with disabilities might seek updated or new accommodations such as extended test time or technological modifications if they learn remotely some or all of the time. When student accommodations are approved by your college or university through its regular process, it’s crucial to remind your faculty how to properly respond.

According to the Department of Education, 19% of undergraduate students have disabilities ─ most often, learning disabilities, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or psychiatric disorders. These students are legally entitled to receive accommodations in their education program but must affirmatively seek accommodation through their institution’s disability services office. Once granted, faculty members must implement the approved accommodations. To ensure your institution avoids claims for failing to provide approved accommodations, take the following steps to combat faculty misperceptions and refusals to comply.

Train Your Faculty

Educate faculty, including adjunct and occasional faculty, on:

• Disability law
• Role of the Disability Services office
• Types of disabilities, including “invisible” disabilities that aren’t known through simple observation, though they still limit a person’s daily activities
• Types of available accommodations
• How to provide the approved accommodations for students in class while maintaining confidentiality

Create a video series or faculty guide on the disability accommodation process and the faculty member’s obligations under the law and your school’s policy. Post these to your disability services webpage.

Provide Ways for Faculty to Raise Concerns

Faculty members may object to providing an approved accommodation because they don’t agree with or fully understand the student’s need. Frequently, faculty are concerned that the accommodation will disrupt class or alter the course or program requirements. Accommodations shouldn’t alter the core academic or technical standards of a course.

Develop a process to handle faculty concerns.

1. Allow the faculty member to object to an accommodation.

• Require faculty to contact disability services with any questions or concerns about the approved accommodation. The faculty member may be concerned about the accommodation being “necessary.” Or the faculty member may think the accommodation alters the academic rigor of the class. Be willing to engage in a conversation to listen to and address concerns. Faculty shouldn’t make changes until a final decision is reached.
• Identify the final decision-maker in advance if the accommodation is disputed and there is no easy agreement or resolution.

2. Seek a solution.

• Once you understand the concern, consider whether modifications can make the accommodation more acceptable to the faculty member. For example, if privacy is a concern, a notetaker may be more acceptable than letting the student record class discussion. Any solution should provide the student with the same level of accommodation.
• Be creative and flexible. Consider whether a different accommodation will work as well for the student and allay the faculty member’s concern. As in the example above, instead of a recording, could the faculty member provide lecture notes or an annotated slide deck? Any adjustment may be situation-dependent, but seek opportunities to think beyond a set list of accommodations. Ask the faculty member for ideas; be willing to consider them.

3. Document the decision.

• Memorialize the faculty member’s objection in writing to prevent later misunderstandings.
• Document your interactive discussions with the faculty member or others in the decision-making process; this creates a clear record.
• Determine in advance who the final decision-maker will be if the accommodation is disputed and there is no agreement.
• Formalize the final decision in writing and deliver it to the faculty member and the student.

Limitations on Accommodations

You can place limitations on granted accommodations. For example, if a student’s accommodation is recording lectures or class discussions, you can require the student to stop recording at the faculty member’s request or when personal or sensitive material is being discussed. To be fair, ensure all students are told to stop taking notes at these times.

Your institution may want to make students recording classes sign an agreement prohibiting them from sharing the recording with others during the semester and requiring students to destroy recordings after the semester. Make clear that any recording contains your institution’s intellectual property and that the rights to copy or distribute belong to your institution, not the student.

Accommodations should never endanger the health or safety of others in or involved in the class.

Don’t Forget Graduate Students

Because of the nature of graduate programs, graduate students may need different, more flexible accommodations than faculty typically provide.

Faculty may feel graduate student work should be more rigorous. However, even with the increased rigor, graduate student disabilities must be accommodated. Because of the nature of their work and the program of study, flexibility and creativity may be key. Review this case study for one example on how a doctoral student might receive appropriate accommodations.

With a process in place and some thoughtfulness regarding accommodations, overcoming faculty objections to an accommodation is possible, resulting in a solution that works for everyone.

More From UE

Understand Your Duty to Make Technology Accessible

Accommodating Students with Disabilities in Clinical Programs

Additional Resources

MidMichigan College: Faculty Guide to Classroom Accommodations for Students With Disabilities

University of Texas at Austin: Disability Services Online Trainings

Washington State University Spokane: Faculty Training

Boston University: Disability Accommodations Procedures

Stanford University: Faculty FAQs on Accommodating Students with Disabilities