Conversations for the Mathematics Community

Another great session. Thanks to Rosalie and Sara (and the MAA).

A quick follow-up about accommodations for students with disabilities.  I am speaking for myself here, not on behalf of my university, and I am definitely not a lawyer!!

The Americans with Disabilities Act and other follow-up documents and mountains of case law (haven't read it all and still evolving)  fall short of saying that we must provide any requested accommodation. It is a tad more nuanced.  In many, many circumstances we must but there are some exceptions.   Three prominent caveats:  1) the accommodation must be "reasonable" (which often means price or time/timing); 2) it is not expected that faculty change the (big picture) learning objectives for their course (unless those were unfair to begin with); and 3) the accommodation is connected to the disability.   In the ideal we would create courses that present no obstacles for anyone and when we do build an obstacle that can be removed we would quickly remove them.

Quick example of learning objectives:  One key learning objective of my precalc class is to "create" graphs.  I had a student who could not "draw" a graph by hand or using drawing software.  The student asked to skip all graphing questions on the homework and exams. But I believed it was fundamental to the course that they be able to create graphs.  I said "no" to their request (after consulting with my disabilities specialist) but, of course, I provided an alternative way for them to create graphs -- they chose Excel, but a scribe was another option.  This might not be the ideal example here because if the technology had been considerably more difficult, time consuming, or expensive than drawing by hand, then I might have had a problem there.

Quick example of unrelated request:  A couple of years back I had a student who took a long time to read and write.  They requested additional time on the exams, which was totally appropriate.  They also requested a note card on the grounds that they had always been allowed one in high school.  In consultation with my disabilities specialist we decided the student's disability did not necessitate the use of a note card.  (I did work with the student on how to remember things, which was a new skill for them).

Also, the institution may require some sort of process for obtaining an accommodation or limitations on how accommodations are provided, and faculty should be mindful of following whatever their institution's process is.  I don't want to discourage anyone from supporting all of our students here,  I just wanted to say something in reply to a statement from today's session about how we must provide all accommodations. I want faculty to know, if they don't already, that it is more nuanced and if a student seems to be asking for something that cuts too deeply into the course (or would create significant hardship for you), that it is always good to reach out to your institutions disability office for guidance on what the options are. (Plus they might think of creative alternatives neither you nor the student imagined.)

Happy teaching all,

Su

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Suzanne Doree
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Hi Su,

thanks so much for clarifying and correcting me on this important topic! I'll say it better next time!

Cheers,
Rosalie

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Rosalie Bélanger-Rioux, PhD (she/her/hers)
Faculty Lecturer, McGill University
Conversations for the Mathematics Community
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Original Message:
Sent: 08-24-2020 18:33
From: Suzanne Doree
Subject: Students with disabilities

Another great session. Thanks to Rosalie and Sara (and the MAA).

A quick follow-up about accommodations for students with disabilities.  I am speaking for myself here, not on behalf of my university, and I am definitely not a lawyer!!

The Americans with Disabilities Act and other follow-up documents and mountains of case law (haven't read it all and still evolving)  fall short of saying that we must provide any requested accommodation. It is a tad more nuanced.  In many, many circumstances we must but there are some exceptions.   Three prominent caveats:  1) the accommodation must be "reasonable" (which often means price or time/timing); 2) it is not expected that faculty change the (big picture) learning objectives for their course (unless those were unfair to begin with); and 3) the accommodation is connected to the disability.   In the ideal we would create courses that present no obstacles for anyone and when we do build an obstacle that can be removed we would quickly remove them.

Quick example of learning objectives:  One key learning objective of my precalc class is to "create" graphs.  I had a student who could not "draw" a graph by hand or using drawing software.  The student asked to skip all graphing questions on the homework and exams. But I believed it was fundamental to the course that they be able to create graphs.  I said "no" to their request (after consulting with my disabilities specialist) but, of course, I provided an alternative way for them to create graphs -- they chose Excel, but a scribe was another option.  This might not be the ideal example here because if the technology had been considerably more difficult, time consuming, or expensive than drawing by hand, then I might have had a problem there.

Quick example of unrelated request:  A couple of years back I had a student who took a long time to read and write.  They requested additional time on the exams, which was totally appropriate.  They also requested a note card on the grounds that they had always been allowed one in high school.  In consultation with my disabilities specialist we decided the student's disability did not necessitate the use of a note card.  (I did work with the student on how to remember things, which was a new skill for them).

Also, the institution may require some sort of process for obtaining an accommodation or limitations on how accommodations are provided, and faculty should be mindful of following whatever their institution's process is.  I don't want to discourage anyone from supporting all of our students here,  I just wanted to say something in reply to a statement from today's session about how we must provide all accommodations. I want faculty to know, if they don't already, that it is more nuanced and if a student seems to be asking for something that cuts too deeply into the course (or would create significant hardship for you), that it is always good to reach out to your institutions disability office for guidance on what the options are. (Plus they might think of creative alternatives neither you nor the student imagined.)

Happy teaching all,

Su

------------------------------
Suzanne Doree
------------------------------