Working Together: Students with Disabilities and Teaching Assistants University of Washington

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and Washington State laws prohibit discrimination against individuals with disabilities.

According to federal law, no otherwise qualified individual with a disability shall, solely by reason of his or her disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity of a public entity.

"Qualified" with respect to postsecondary educational services, means "a person who meets the academic and technical standards requisite to admission or participation in the education program or activity, with or without reasonable modifications to rules, policies or practices; the removal of architectural, communication or transportation barriers; or the provision of auxiliary aids and services."

"Person with a disability" means "any person who (1) has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities [including walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, and working], (2) has a record of such an impairment, or (3) is regarded as having such an impairment.

Disabilities covered by legislation include (but are not limited to) AIDS, Cancer, Cerebral Palsy, Diabetes, Epilepsy, head injuries, hearing impairments, specific learning disabilities, loss of limbs, Multiple Sclerosis, Muscular Dystrophy, psychiatric disorders, speech impairments, spinal cord injuries, and vision impairments.

UW Identification and Accommodation Process

Faculty members and teaching assistants are encouraged to be responsive to the pedagogical needs of all students. However, students with disabilities may have some additional educational needs which they should discuss with each faculty member. Teaching assistants can also play an important role in making accommodations. It is helpful to include a statement on the class syllabus inviting students who have disabilities to discuss academic needs. An example of such a statement is "To request academic accommodations due to a disability, please contact Disability Resources for Students (DRS), 448 Schmitz, 206-543-8924 (voice) or 206-543-8925 (TTY). If you have a letter from DRS indicating that you have a disability which requires academic accommodations, please present the letter to me so we can discuss the accommodations you might need in this class."

A student with a disability needing accommodation should provide each instructor with a letter from DRS indicating possible accommodations. The faculty member can then work with the student to make the appropriate accommodation(s) for the specific class. Under no circumstances should the faculty member or teaching assistant refuse to make a requested accommodation; instead, if agreement is not reached on an accommodation, the faculty member should contact DRS for assistance. If, after working with DRS, a satisfactory accommodation is not obtained, the student can appeal to the Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action at 206-543-1830 or eoaa@u.washington.edu.

If a student does not present a letter from DRS and does not have a visible disability, the faculty member should refer the student to DRS prior to making an accommodation for a disability.

UW faculty members are encouraged to apply universal design principles in their instruction to minimize needs for accommodations and to make their courses more accessible to all students. For more information about universal design of instruction, consult http://www.washington.edu/doit/Brochures/Academics/equal_access_udi.html.

Useful Teaching Techniques

Below you will find examples of teaching techniques in the classroom, laboratory, examinations, and field work that benefit all students, but are especially useful for students who have disabilities.

Classroom

Laboratory

Examination and Fieldwork

University of Washington-Seattle Campus Resources

For most issues, Disability Resources for Students will be the first point of contact.

Disability Resources for Students (DRS)

206-543-8924 (voice), 206-543-8925 (TTY)
uwdss@u.washington.edu
Contact DRS for assistance with the provision of academic accommodations, e.g., audiotape, large print, and Braille class materials, test access, classroom relocation, and sign language interpreters.

Disability Services Office (DSO)

206-543-6450 (voice)
206-543-6452 (TTY)
dso@u.washington.edu, 448 Schmitz Hall
Contact DSO for assistance with the provision of academic accommodations, e.g., audiotape, large print, and Braille class materials, test access, classroom relocation, and sign language interpreters.

Access Guide for Persons with Disabilities

http://www.washington.edu/admin/ada/
A guide to accessible UW campus routes and building entrances is available at all campus reference stations and online.

Access Technology Lab (ATL)

206-685-4144 (voice/TTY)
atl@u.washington.edu, Mary Gates Hall
http://www.washington.edu/computing/atl/
Students, faculty, and staff with disabilities have access to computing resources through specialized equipment and software in the ATL. Check the University of Washington Technology Services catalog for classes. Refer to the ATL website for additional information.

Braille Service

206-685-4144 (voice/TTY)
braille@u.washington.edu, Mary Gates Hall
You may contact the ATL to have syllabi and short class handouts Brailled. Requests for transcription can be sent to braille@u.washington.edu. For Braille textbooks and lengthy class materials, contact DSO (see above).

Electronic Resources

http://www.washington.edu/
Many UW departments and classes now have class information, notes, and resources available via the Internet. Electronic access to this information may be helpful for students with disabilities. Catalyst may be able to help instructors get started, visit http://catalyst.washington.edu/web_tools/ for more information.

Email

206-221-5000, help@cac.washington.edu
Some students and instructors find email to be an effective communication tool. Direct students to University of Washington Technology Services to set up a new Internet account. Internet accounts are free to students, faculty, and staff.

Field Trip Transport

206-685-1566, mpreserv@u.washington.edu
If making field trip vehicle reservations through motor pool, be sure to mention any special transportation needs.

Non-course Related Disability Arrangements

206-543-6450 (voice)
206-543-6452 (TTY)
dso@u.washington.edu, 448 Schmitz Hall
Contact DSO for general disability-related information or to request disability accommodations for a non-course related activity or employment.

Peer Support for Students with Disabilities

uwds@u.washington.edu
A peer support community is available to students with disabilities via the UWDS discussion list on the Internet. Subscribe at http://mailman.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/uwds

Physical Access Problems

206-685-8814
http://www.washington.edu/admin/facserv/fsworks/
Call Maintenance and Alterations or go online to FS-Works to report problems with the operation of University facilities such as automatic doors and elevators.

Study Skills

206-543-1240
http://depts.washington.edu/counsels/services/workshops/workshops.html
Students having academic difficulties may benefit from classes offered by the Counseling Center. Classes include information regarding academic skills, study skills, and test anxiety, among others.

Telephone Communication With Students Who Have Hearing or Speech Impairments

If you have regular communications with a student who uses a TTY (teletype), contact DSO for loan of a TTY or talk with the student about getting an email account. For infrequent mediated phone conversations call the Washington Relay Service (711), a free service.

About this Publication

This brochure is available online at http://www.washington.edu/doit/. The content of this brochure was developed by the following units at the University of Washington:

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About DO-IT

DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology) serves to increase the successful participation of individuals with disabilities in challenging academic programs such as those in science, engineering, mathematics, and technology. Primary funding for DO-IT is provided by the National Science Foundation, the State of Washington, and the U.S. Department of Education.

For further information, to be placed on the DO-IT mailing list, or to request materials in an alternate format, contact: