Welcome to the Disability Services Resource Guide
for Faculty and Staff
Oregon Tech is committed to providing equal opportunity to higher education for academically qualified students.
Disability Services was established to provide leadership and assistance to Oregon Tech to comply with
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities act of 1990
Faculty and staff with questions Disability Services or the provision of accommodations for a specific student
should contact the local Disability Services office directly.
Oregon Tech Accommodations Process
Oregon Tech students who are seeking accommodations must register with Disability Services.
A student is considered registered with the Disability Services office once they completed the following:
- Disability Services Application
- Provided documentation of disability to DS staff
- Participated in an intake interview with DS Staff to review documentation, application, and discuss accommodation needs.
After registration with the DS office students must meet with DS Staff to obtain accommodation letters for each class. Accommodations are provided on term-by-term basis. Review of syllabi and discussion with the student at the beginning of each term helps guide approved appropriate and reasonable accommodations for each course.
Once the student obtains accommodation letters, the student must meet with faculty to discuss their accommodation needs. Faculty must approve (initial) each accommodation and sign the accommodation letter. Students must return signed letters to the DS office in a timely manner.
DS staff will work closely with faculty and students as needed to help implement approved and appropriate accommodations.
For more information regarding the accommodations process, please see the Disability Services Student Handbook.
Syllabus Statement
Please ensure the following information is included in your syllabi:
Students with a documented disability who require assistance or academic accommodations should contact the office of Disability Services immediately to discuss eligibility. Disability Services staff are located on both the Klamath Falls and Portland-Metro campuses; however, arrangements can be made to meet with a student on any campus or via phone.
Meetings are by appointment only, so please contact the Disability Services office at the campus closest to you: Klamath Falls (541) 851-5227 or Portland-Metro (503) 821-1305.
Specific information and Disability Services forms can be found at www.oit.edu, then go to “Academics” and click on “Student Success Center” and then “Disability Services.” This link leads to the department’s website: http://www.oit.edu/academics/ssc/disability-services
Teaching Students with Disabilities/FAQs
If a student asks me to provide them with a disability-related accommodation in my course, what should I do?
Determine whether the student has an accommodation letter for your class from the Disability Services office. If the student does not have such a letter, do not arrange accommodations with the student yourself; please refer them to the DS office.
Who is responsible for determining appropriate accommodations and what is considered appropriate?
DS staff are trained to determine appropriate accommodations based on a combination of diagnostic and student reports. Accommodations are never "typical" or "standard" they are both disability and person dependent. This means they can very from person to person for similar disabilities. DS staff spend a lot of time with students walking through various school and study scenarios in an attempt to gain a thorough understanding of their accommodation needs in an effort implement reasonable and appropriate accommodations that will best serve the students and help them meet their academic potential.
Do I have to keep the student's disability information confidential?
Yes. Students registration with DS is confidential. Additionally, students are not required to disclose to faculty what their disability is. They simply are disclosing that they have a disability under section 504/ADA.
I have a student in my class/lab with a physical disability who cannot access some of the equipment. What should I do?
Contact the DS office immediately. We will work with you to make adjustments to ensure the student has full and safe access in the class/lab environment.
Do I have to allow students to use technology in my courses?
Perhaps. Some students will have accommodations that require technology in the classroom including but not limited to audio note taking/recording, laptops for taking notes, video magnifiers, and remote interpreting/transcribers. If a student has an accommodation need for technology we it will likely need to be allowed based on previous OCR guidance.
When is a student required to notify me of a need for accommodations?
The DS Accommodation Policy requires that all Accommodation Letters are signed with and returned to the DS office a minimum of five business days before the first quiz/exam in order to receive accommodations.
There is a student in my class who has had accommodations in the past but did not bring me an accommodation letter this term. Should I provide them with accommodations anyway?
No. It is always best to go through the proper channels for accommodations so the DS office can track the services the student receives.
Am I required to sign an accommodation letter?
Based on guidance from the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights, academic accommodations must be approved as long as they do not fundamentally alter the nature of the course. If you have questions or concerns about a specific accommodations, please reach out to DS staff for a conversation before denying accommodations.
Legal Guidance