Faculty and Staff Resources

We offer specific "Dos and Don'ts" below, and additional resources for faculty at the bottom of this page.

Here are some brief answers to your accessibility questions:

• Students have the right to disclose their affiliation with AccessABILITY and need for accommodations at any point during the semester.
• Accommodations cannot be mandated or forced upon students.
• Students who stop attending class due to medical/disability-related emergencies must always be granted a "WU" grade. When unsure, please call us for confirmation before assigning any grade.
• Students must abide by CUNY's conduct policies despite having a disability or a diagnosed medical condition.

• Include the following statement in your syllabus to encourage students to visit our office, to self-identify and request accommodations. Consider also offering reminders throughout the semester.

"Accommodations for Students with Disabilities:

In compliance with the ADA and with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, Hunter College is committed to ensuring educational access and accommodations for all its registered students. Hunter College's students with disabilities and medical conditions are encouraged to register with the Office of AccessABILITY for assistance and accommodation. For information and appointments, visit the Office of AccessABILITY in Room E1214 or call 212.772.4857/or VRS 646.755.3129"

• Ask your student to show you their Accommodation Card
  (when they disclose that they have registered with our office). Ask them to connect you with their AccessABILITY Counselor via email, in order to confirm the accommodations and address any questions or concerns you may have.
• Contact our office if you have questions about a student's needs.
  While we are not at liberty to reveal a student's diagnosis, our Counselors can assist you in understanding the nature of the accommodation.
• Announce exams and quizzes in advance.
  Our students are required to submit signed Testing Accommodation Forms at least two weeks before the scheduled exam or quiz. Our staff is always happy to work with you and your students to finalize arrangements. If a request is late, however, it may require rescheduling, and/or the instructor may be responsible for facilitating the exam and the accommodations.
• Make general announcements to remind your astudents to submit testing accommodation forms
  if they plan on using accommodations. And remind them to complete all required information on the Testing Arrangement Form to prevent delays in services (e.g. pickup and delivery information along with special instructions).
• Always caption media that is presented in your course.
  This is a legal mandate for all campus personnel. Media that is not captioned must not be shown in class if a student requires this as part of their accommodation (for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students). For questions regarding captioning, please contact our Coordinator of Interpreting Services, Jasper Thacker at jthacker@hunter.cuny.edu.
• Create accessible documents for your course, for those with vision or learning conditions
  This includes ensuring that your material is readable, large fonts, alternate text, etc., before presenting them to your class, to ensure all students can access your materials at the same time. This helps to avoid retrofitting accommodations for a student, which can be time-consuming for everyone involved. If needed, please consult our office for making such provisions.
• Meet with a student individually to discuss how their accommodations will apply to your course.
  Establish the best mode of communication to discuss accommodation-related matters. Note that students' accommodations may change throughout the semester, based on condition or additional documentation.

• Ask the student to submit medical documentation to you.
  Should you receive such documentation, please return it to the student and ask them to submit it to our office directly
• Request (or make) a copy of a student's Accommodation Card.
• Disclose a student's status as registered with the Office of AccessABILITY to others.
  Please make classroom announcements general and individual inquiries in private.
• Ask students why they are registered with AccessABILITY or ask for specific information about their disabilities.
  Students may disclose their conditions voluntarily but must not be asked to do so.
• Forbid students from recording your lectures,
  as this may be a necessary and approved accommodation through the Office of AccessABILITY. Students must, however, submit the Classroom Lecture Recording Agreement Form to you in advance when use of a recording devise in your class is established as a form of accommodation. NOTE: Recorded/transcribed lectures may not be shared with anyone, whether inside or outside your class, without the consent of the instructor. The recorded/transcribed lecture is protected by copyright laws and all intellectual property rights in the recorded/transcribed lecture belong to the Instructor and should be returned upon request.