Email: sas@kirkwood.edu
Phone: (319) 398-5540
Fax: (319) 398-7788
Office Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00 - 5:00 PM
Have a quick question or need assistance?
Make an Appointment with one of our Accommodations Access Advocates!
Click on the Calendly logo below to make an appointment
Accommodation Services is excited to announce a new Accommodations Instructor Portal! This portal provides easy access to help instructors manage accommodations for students enrolled in their courses. Instructors can see and read accommodation letters for students and organize it by course, and/or accommodation.
To access the Accommodations Instructor Portal:
Login to MyHub and use the Accommodations Instructor Portal (AIM) link found underneath Faculty Links or Employee Links
Direct Link to the Accommodations Instructor Portal: https://andes.accessiblelearning.com/Kirkwood/instructor
The links below provide access to written tutorials on how to access and search using the Accommodations Instructor Portal.
If you have any questions, or issues with accessing the Accommodations Instructor Portal, please contact Amanda Thompson directly at amanda.thompson@kirkwood.edu or 319-398-5439.
Providing Equal Access and Determining Reasonable Accommodations
What is equal access?
Equal access is a civil right. State and Federal entities and laws enforce equal access as a civil right. As an educational institution, we follow guidance from the Office of Civil Rights who “ensure equal access to education and to promote educational excellence…through enforcement of civil rights” (https://www2.edu.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/aboutocr.html).
Equal access means that a program, course, or service is accessible by ALL individuals. It applies to all goods, services, information and communication. It provides an equal opportunity to participate and benefit from the aforementioned. By working towards ensuring equal access at the college, we can help to create additional opportunities for individuals with disabilities and reduce the need to find reasonable accommodations, modification or exceptions.
Determining Reasonable Accommodations
For some accommodation requests, reasonable accommodations are already established and a process is in place to provide these accommodations. For example, providing extended time on exams or quizzes for a student.
For other accommodation requests, Accommodation Access Advocates will need to seek out additional information in order to identify what would be considered a reasonable accommodation. In these situations, Advocates will engage in an interactive process and work closely with both students and faculty to determine options. Within the interactive process, Advocates are seeking and evaluating information about the following:
Students accommodation request and specific information related to their disability
Course and/or Program learning outcomes, standards, essential functions, policies, and/or procedures.
This includes specific information about the course and assignment structure and requirements including specific activities
Program Essential Functions and Standards
Legal Obligations
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defines a person with a disability as a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activity.
This includes people who have a record of such an impairment, even if they do not currently have a disability. It also includes individuals who do not have a disability but are regarded as having a disability.
The ADA also makes it unlawful to discriminate against a person based on that person’s association with a person with a disability.
Major life activities include, but are not limited to: caring for onesself, performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, eating, sleeping, walking, standing, lifting, bending, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating and working. A major life acitivity also includes the operation of major bodily function, including but not limited to, functions of the immune system, normal cell growth, digestive, bowel, bladder, neurological, brain, respiratory, circulatory, endocrine, and reproductive functions. (http://www.eeoc.gov/policy/docs/902cm.html#902.1b)
First, State and Federal entities and laws enforce equal access as a civil right. As an educational institution, we follow guidance from the Office of Civil Rights who “ensure equal access to education and to promote educational excellence…through enforcement of civil rights” (https://www2.edu.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/aboutocr.html).
Equal access means that a program, course, or service is accessible by ALL individuals. It applies to all goods, services, information and communication. It provides an equal opportunity to participate and benefit from the aforementioned. By working towards ensuring equal access at the college, we can help to create additional opportunities for individuals with disabilities and reduce the need to find reasonable accommodations, modification or exceptions.
Reasonable accommodations are academic adjustments that allow a student with a disability to have an equal opportunity to meet an academic standard or requirement. Reasonable accommodations...
Reasonable accommodations are determined through an interactive process based on individual needs related to a disability, documentation, and course or program standards, outcomes, and objectives. Accommodations Access Advocates will facilitate and assist students and faculty through this process and make the determination of a reasonable accommodation. Some examples of reasonable accommodations include:
Testing accommodations: additional time when taking a test, a quiet environment for testing, having the test read to you or having a scribe to write answers.
Recording class lectures: using a recording device when the instructor is lecturing to allow you to listen to the recording at a later time for the purpose of completing notes or re-learning material. (Will be allowed if there are no discussions protected by privacy laws within the lecture).
Other note-taking aides: having access to lecture notes, power point slides or other note-taking aides provided by the instructor.
Specific seating location in class or adjustments to desks, chairs and tables within the classroom: to allow optimal access to the classroom experience.
Alternative Text: allows students to receive their textbooks in an electronic format. Read&Write software will be downloaded to your personal computer, which allows you to hear the textbook being read as you follow along. Read&Write software has many features to enhance you reading and writing experience and is provided free of charge. Learn more about alternative text and how you can get started at www.kirkwood.edu/alternativetext.
Assistive Technology: students can learn about additional technology aides which may enhance their educational experience.
Sign Language Interpreters: are provided to deaf and hard of hearing students who know American Sign Language (ASL).
Other requests for accommodations will be reviewed on a case by case basis. Please talk with an Accommodations Access Advocate.
Best Practices
If a student has extended time on quizzes and exams, we recommend setting up the time extensions right away for the entire semester to avoid any delays or issues.
Providing video content with captions meets Section 508 compliance and accessibility guidelines but can also be a helpful tool to support all student learning in the course.
Encourage students to seek assistance early! Often times the biggest barrier for a student is seeking help, even if they have received services in the past or are currently a student who has accommodations. If you notice a student is struggling, please encourage them to connect with us.
We recommend taking time at the beginning of the semester to cover information on Accommodation Services while discussing your course syllabi.
Accommodations take effect when the accommodation letter is delivered, and are not retroactive.
A commonly asked question is if a student is required to tell instructors what their disability is. The answer is No, students are not required to disclose their disability or nature of their disability to you. It is also not appropriate to ask a student to disclose that information.
If you have questions regarding a student’s accommodations, such as why they need a specific accommodation or concerns about how it will work in your course, please contact the assigned Accommodations Access Advocate on the accommodation letter.