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Frequently asked questions
- Can I request documentation of disability from my students?
- A student in my class has identified herself to me as having a disability. What do I need to do next?
- What should I do if I feel that implementing a student's disability-related academic accommodation will interfere with the learning outcomes of my course?
- What if a student requests an academic accommodation that is not identified by Access & Diversity?
- What do I need to know about students writing accommodated exams through Access & Diversity?
1. Can I request documentation of disability from my students?
You should not ask a student to share information about the nature of their disability, nor should you request copies of their documentation. Documentation of disability is given directly to Access & Diversity by the student, as outlined in UBC's policy on Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities (Policy 73).
The student will provide you with an Academic Accommodation Letter, which includes information about the student's eligible academic accommodations, as well as other information required to implement accommodations.
Please note that a disability is treated differently than an illness, such as the flu or a cold. In cases of illness, students are expected to speak with you or with faculty advising contacts to determine what documentation is required for related academic concessions.
2. A student in my class has identified herself to me as having a disability. What do I need to do next?
Ask the student if she is registered with Access & Diversity. If she is, ask her to provide you with a copy of her Academic Accommodation Letter.
If she is not registered with Access & Diversity, recommend that she call Access & Diversity at 604.822.5844 to set up an appointment to meet with a Diversity Advisor – Disability.
3. What should I do if I feel that implementing a student's disability-related academic accommodation will interfere with the learning outcomes of my course?
If you are concerned about the impact of academic accommodations on your course's learning outcomes, contact the advisor identified on the student's Academic Accommodation Letter. You may also contact the Disability Liaison for your faculty.
4. What if a student requests an academic accommodation that is not identified by Access & Diversity?
All academic accommodations must be based on disability-related functional limitations that are confirmed by medical documentation provided to Access & Diversity. If a student requests an academic accommodation that is not identified by Access & Diversity, refer the student to their Access & Diversity advisor to discuss the request.
You are not authorized to increase, decrease, or otherwise change a student's academic accommodations. All such requests must go through the student's Access & Diversity advisor.
5. What do I need to know about students writing accommodated exams through Access & Diversity?
For each exam written with Access & Diversity, the student must provide you with our Exam Accommodation Form. You'll need to complete this form in order for us to schedule the exam sitting. It is very important that all information in the instructor's section of the form is completed because we can only schedule the exam according to the stipulations listed on the form (for example, exam length, allowances, format of the exam, etc.).
The student must then return the completed form to Access & Diversity seven days prior to mid-term exams or seven days prior to the start of the formal final exam period.
You are expected to provide Access & Diversity with a copy of the exam two days prior to the exam sitting in person (to Room 1203 in Brock Hall), by confidential fax (604.822.6655), or by email to access.diversity@ubc.ca.
Access & Diversity will deliver the completed exam to your departmental office.
