As Vol State faculty members, we share in the College's commitment to accommodating students with disabilities and creating a more accessible learning environment and should be prepared for the possibility of being approached by students with accommodation requests. The content here is designed to help you understand how the disability accommodations process works at Volunteer State, to support you when working with students with disabilities, and to help you learn more about universal design and creating learning environments that are accessible to all.
For more information about disability accommodations at Volunteer State Community College, please reach out to the Access Center staff.
Access Center
143 Ramer Administration Building
Phone: (615) 230-3472
Email: access.center@volstate.edu
The following official VSCC disability statement should appear on every syllabus to alert students with disabilities to the process of registering in the AC for accommodations.
For Students with Disabilities: “Students who have learning, psychological, physical and/or other disabilities may be eligible for accommodations that provide equal access to educational programs and activities. It is the student’s responsibility to self-identify with the VSCC Access Center to receive accommodations and services in accordance with Section 504 of The Rehabilitation Act and The Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADA/AA). Students who provide appropriate documentation and who are registered in the Access Center will receive appropriate accommodations. For further information, contact the Access Center at (615) 230-3472, or visit the office which is located in Ramer room 143.” 9 So students will understand the importance of meeting with faculty, the AC also recommends including a personal statement on the syllabus, such as: “If you have accommodation needs for this class, please meet with me during regular office hours to discuss the arrangement of your accommodations.”
In addition to this syllabus statement, the Access Center encourages faculty to make an announcement during the first week of class to encourage students to self-identify and discuss accommodation needs with you directly.
“If you have accommodation needs for this class, please meet with me during regular office hours to discuss the arrangement of your accommodations.”
Vol State has many resources to help faculty with creating accessibility documents and class materials. Accessibility is for everyone, and it's the responsibility of every faculty member to ensure course materials are accessible.
For more support in learning how to create accessible course materials, please reach out to our instructional designers at eLearn@volstate.edu.
Here, you'll find resources that will help you understand how to support students with disabilities as well as how to make your teaching more inclusive and accessible to those with disabilities. If you would like to add something to these resources. please forward them to Jessie McKinney (jessie.mckinney@volstate.edu) for possible listing here.
Working with Students with Disabilities: 5 Steps for Facilitating Access
STEP 1:
Use a Syllabus Disability Statement “For Students with Disabilities: Students who have learning, psychological, physical and/or other disabilities may be eligible for accommodations that provide equal access to educational programs and activities. It is the student’s responsibility to self-identify with the VSCC Access Center to receive accommodations and services in accordance with Section 504 of The Rehabilitation Act and The Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADA/AA). Students who provide appropriate documentation and who are registered in the Access Center will receive appropriate accommodations. For further information, please contact the Access Center at (615) 230-3472, or visit the office which is located in the Ramer Administration building, room 143.” Recommended Addition/Announcement: “If you have accommodation needs for this class, please meet with me during regular office hours to discuss the arrangement of your accommodations.”
STEP 2:
Respond to All Accommodation Requests -Accommodation memos will be sent by email to instructors’ Vol State email addresses through the Access Center online system “AIM” -An Alternative Testing Agreement link contained in the memo is required for Access Center staff to administer testing, GALLATIN CAMPUS ONLY -Scheduled exams generate an email with link to upload tests, GALLATIN CAMPUS ONLY -Contact test centers at other campuses for testing instructions/submitting tests: Cookeville: 931.520.4605 Livingston: 931.462.5202 Springfield: 615.433.7032
STEP 3:
Respect Student Confidentiality -Students cannot be required to disclose medical details, including diagnoses -Disability status/accommodations can only be shared with others involved in accommodating the student -Only discuss accommodations in a private setting, i.e.: during office hours or by appt.
STEP 4:
Consult with AC Anytime -Whenever questions or concerns about student requests arise -For assistance in arranging special or unusual accommodations, ie: sign language interpreters, classroom adaptive technology, and accessible furniture -For assistance in determining alternative accommodations when standard accommodations will not work due to the nature of a course -For guidance in handling behavioral issues such as odd or inappropriate behavior
STEP 5:
Choose Accessible Course Materials -Use materials that are already accessible such as searchable PDF’s, captioned videos, and textbooks with e-text versions -Use an accessibility checker such as “Check for Issues” when creating documents, etc. in Microsoft Office -Contact Vol State’s Distance Learning department and/or the Access Center for guidance on creating accessible materials
For more suggestions, check out the Working With Students with Disabilities - Faculty Handbook.