BERKELEY _· DAVIS_· IRVINE_· LOS ANGELES _· MERCED _· RIVERSIDE _· SAN DIEGO _· SAN FRANCISCO

SANTA BARBARA _· SANTA CRUZ

OFFICE OF THE CHANCELLOR BOX 951405 LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA 90095-1405

September 23, 2009

Subject: Faculty Responsibility for Accommodating Students with Disabilities

Dear Colleagues:

For many years, UCLA has been instrumental in helping people with disabilities gain access to higher education. We have been recognized for our efforts to enhance accessibility. You as faculty members have played an important role in UCLA’s efforts to ensure that students with disabilities have the opportunity to participate in postsecondary education without discrimination. Our Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) served approximately 1,500 students this year, and this number is expected to continue to grow.

This letter has important information for you regarding your responsibility to students with disabilities in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and campus nondiscrimination policies. Students with disabilities are capable individuals who may require adaptation of materials, methods, or environments to facilitate learning. Accommodations also ensure that when students are evaluated, they are able to demonstrate what they have learned rather than the effects of their disability. Each year, through collaborative efforts between students, faculty members and the OSD, equal educational opportunities are achieved.

We ask faculty members to:

• Consult with students with disabilities and the OSD to provide appropriate accommodations in a timely manner.
• Use a syllabus statement and class announcements to invite students to discuss their needs. For example:

If you wish to request an accommodation due to a suspected or documented disability, please inform your instructor and contact the Office for Students with Disabilities as soon as possible at A255 Murphy Hall, (310) 825-1501, (310) 2066083(telephone device for the deaf). Website: www.osd.ucla.edu

• Treat and protect all disability-related information as confidential medical information. Do not single out or name students with disabilities in the classroom. Keep paperwork mentioning accommodations confidential.
• Discuss this responsibility with graduate students and teaching assistants.
• Consult with the Chancellor’s ADA/504 Compliance Office for any issues involving compliance with federal and state law and University policy pertaining to disability issues.

September 23, 2009 Page 2 of 2

Faculty members will receive verification from the OSD of a student’s eligibility for requested accommodations. Verification will be provided in the form of a letter from an OSD counselor, delivered by the student or emailed directly to the faculty member. Such verification will not include specifics about the type or nature of the disability, but will verify appropriate accommodations based on the functional limitations identified in the documentation.

Campus compliance with the ADA is a shared responsibility. For faculty members, understanding the need for accommodations, auxiliary aids and services is one way to achieve a welcoming educational environment and avoid issues that could compromise the University.

If you have any questions about communicating with or accommodating a student with a disability, please contact the OSD at (310) 825-1501. Additional information for faculty members is also posted on the OSD website, http://www.osd.ucla.edu/FacInfo.htm. For any questions regarding compliance with the ADA or Section 504, please contact Monroe Gorden at

(310) 825-1514.

Thank you for your efforts to accommodate students with disabilities in your classes.

Regards,

Thomas Rice	Rosina M. Becerra
Vice Chancellor	Vice Provost
Academic Personnel	Faculty Diversity & Development
cc: Monroe Gorden
Kathy Molini
Janina Montero