The student is requesting flexible participation. Some faculty have managed this type of flexibility using the following strategies to demonstrate engagement with material:

  • Checking-in with section TA one-on-one either before or after section
  • Checking-in with TA or Professor during office hours
  • Alternate assignments such as weekly written short statements that demonstrate engagement with texts
  • Redistribution of i-clicker points
  • Raise their hand

DSP asks faculty to consider if there other ways to meet the course objectives that take into consideration the impact of the students disability? This flexibility does not constitute a request to waive participation in your course.

If there is room for this type of flexibility, DSP can follow-up to help establish parameters.

OR

If there is no room for flexibility, then faculty must contact the ADA Compliance Officer and  document the responses to considerations below as outlined by the The United States Department of Education Office for Civil Rights, which enforces disability law in higher education:

  1. Is there classroom interaction between the instructor and students, and among students?
  2. Do student contributions constitute a significant component of the learning process?
  3. Does the fundamental nature of the course rely upon student participation as an essential method for learning?
  4. To what degree does a student’s failure to attend constitute a significant loss to the educational experience of other students in the class?
  5. What do the course description and syllabus say?
  6. Which method is used to calculate the final grade? And what are the classroom practices and policies regarding participation?

Pay attention to possible claims of differential treatment. Occasionally, a professor has a strict participation or attendance policy on paper but has modified it for others. It is important to consider any exceptions you may have made; either to your own policy or that of the program/school, especially for nondisabled students.

After these factors have been examined, a reasoned judgment should be made about whether an adjustment should be acceptable. Regardless of the outcome, the deliberative process should be well documented, so that others who were not involved in the process can understand the alternatives considered and the reasons for the final decision.

ADA Resources: https://dsp.sa.ucsb.edu/current-students/ada-resources