Acknowledging Letters of Accommodation

What is a letter of accommodtion?

When a student registered with DSP requests accommodations for your course, a Letter of Accommodation (LoA) (formerly called an Instructor Letter) is automatically sent to you through the MyDSP online faculty portal.

The Letter of Accommodation includes:

The student’s full name
The full name and email address of the student's DSP Disability Specialist
A list of approved accommodations the student has requested for your course

This letter serves to inform you of your responsibility to provide the accommodations requested under the Americans with Disabilities Act, and it may include accommodations that necessitate an interactive process with DSP or some preparation on your part.

What the Letter Confirms

If you receive a Letter of Accommodation, you can be assured that the student has provided the University with documentation establishing a disability under the legal definition. Students may only request accommodations that have been approved based on the documented disability and its academic impact.

If a student discusses disability-related needs but has not submitted a Letter of Accommodation, please refer them to the Disabled Students Program (DSP) to begin the registration process.

How to View and Acknowledge Letters of Accommodation

Step 1: Log Into the MyDSP Faculty Portal

If students have sent you Letters of Accommodation, they will appear on your homepage.

The overview table includes the following columns (left to right):

Course
Student Name
Date Received
Requested Accommodations
Acknowledgement Status

A screenshot of the "Welcome" dashboard in the faculty portal. The page features an Accommodation Summary box showing the total number of requests, acknowledgments, and pending reviews. Below, a detailed table lists individual students, their specific course sections (e.g., THTR 5), the date their request was received, a list of their approved accommodations (such as "Extended Time on Exams: 150%"), and their current status ("Pending Review"). Action icons allow instructors to view or download official acco

Step 2: View or Download the Letter

In the second column from the right (titled “Letter”):

Click the downward arrow icon to download the full Letter.
Click the eye icon to view the Letter in a new tab within the system.

A close-up view of the Letter of Accommodation interface highlights the "Letter" and "Action" columns. Under the "Letter" column, an eye icon and a downward arrow icon allow for viewing and downloading the document.

Preview of a Letter of Accommodation:

A digital Letter of Accommodation addressed to Professor Julie. The document confirms a student's eligibility for services under the Americans with Disabilities Act. It includes a specific "Approved Accommodations" section, which lists "Extended Time on Exams: 150%" for all assessments that occur during scheduled class time, including quizzes and lab practicals.

Step 3: Acknowledge the Letter

To acknowledge a Letter:

Check the box in the far-right column (titled “Action”).
Click the white and blue Mark Acknowledged button.

A focused view of the accommodation portal table showing two rows. In the first row, a checkmark is selected in the "Action" column next to a "Pending Review" status, while the "Mark Acknowledged" button at the top of the section is highlighted and ready for selection.

To acknowledge multiple Letters at once:

Check multiple boxes individually, or
Check the box next to the Mark Acknowledged button to select all letters.

A close-up of the accommodation list shows multiple rows with checkboxes selected in the "Action" column. A primary checkbox in the header row is also selected, and the "Mark Acknowledged" button at the top is active, indicating that several student requests are ready for simultaneous confirmation.

Once acknowledged, the status will change from “Pending Review” to “Acknowledged.”

Letters marked Acknowledged automatically move to the bottom of the list.
New Letters and those still Pending Review remain at the top for visibility.

Accommodation Descriptions

The Letter of Accommodation provides a brief description of each approved accommodation. For more detailed information, in the overview table, click any accommodation listed under the Accommodations column that includes a hyperlink.

A screenshot of a student list in the faculty portal showing individualized accommodation requests for students. The table displays the request date, a specific list of approved accommodations (e.g., "Memory Aid," "Spellchecker"), a "Pending Review" status, and icons to view or download the official letters.

Clicking the hyperlinked accommodation will open a more comprehensive description with, if applicable, implementation guidance.

A zoomed-in view of an instructional pop-up window titled "Memory Aid" with extensive paragraphs of descriptive text. It explains the accommodation's purpose in supporting students with memory deficits and details its physical specifications.

Sorting and Filtering Letters

The portal includes several filters to help you manage and review Letters efficiently.

You may filter by:

Course
Status (Pending Review vs. Acknowledged)
Quarter
Specific Accommodation

For example, if you select “Captioning (CART)” under the Accommodation filter, only students who have requested CART services will appear in the list.

A screenshot of the instructor dashboard focusing on the filtration system for accommodation letters. An open dropdown menu under the "Accommodation" header displays various filtering options, including "Alternate Exam Setting," "Captioning (CART)," "Exam Reschedule," "Extended Time on Exams," "Memory Aid," "Private Exam Setting," "ReadSpeaker TextAid," and "Spellchecker." The background table updates in real-time to show only the students matching the selected criteria.

The student Trevor is the only student who has requested CART and will appear as the only ‘record’ on the list if that specific accommodation is selected.