Faculty Resources
All Teaching Faculty should use:
Below is the statement that should be placed in your syllabus to notify students with Disabilities that they must register with the Disability and Accessibility Services (DAS) office if they are to receive any academic accommodations.
The University strives to make learning accessible for all. If you anticipate or experience academic accessibility barriers based on your disability, please contact Disability and Accessibility Services (DAS) to discuss potential accommodations. Students will need to register with DAS each semester they are enrolled as soon as they have their schedule for the term. DAS can be reached at 313-593-5310 or [email protected].
Notice: All student accommodation letters are valid only if they are sent from Disability and Accessibility Services staff. If you ever question the source of a letter you may receive please reach out to [email protected] with your concerns.
Visit the University of Michigan’s Accessibility website for details on this topic.
Specifically your Role as an Instructor and tips for creating content correctly.
Adding Students Additional Time in Canvas Quizzes/Exams
Canvas Threads - Accommodations for Quizzes and Assignments video by Christopher Casey, Coordinator of Digital Education.
If you are using another platform for exams and quizzes please consult the company.
If a student requests to use their test accommodations for in person classes and you cannot provide the accommodations, they will need to submit a test proctoring request via our DAS Test Proctoring Request form. The form link is provided to our students when they register with our office. We request at least one week's notice for testing appointments.
Once we receive this form, you will be sent an email titled ACTION Required - Review Test Proctoring Request for Case #########. When you receive this email, you will notice a link to click. Please click this link, where you will find a secure platform to answer needed questions about proctoring the exam. An option to upload the exam is also provided. Without your approval, within 48 hours of the requested exam date, we will cancel the student’s test request with our office, so please click the link as soon as possible and complete the required questions. Please complete the test request questions, even if you choose not to upload the exam at that time.
To provide the exam to the Disability and Accessibility Services Testing Center, choose one of the following methods:
- Upload the test via Salesforce
- Physically bring the test to 262 Fairlane Center North
- Email the test to [email protected]
If you make a mistake and need to change information on the link you submitted, please contact us at [email protected] as soon as possible.
Test proctoring services location and testing hours:
- Location: 262 Fairlane Center North
- Phone: 313-593-5310
- Testing Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-4:30 PM
If you need further information or help, please call us at 313-593-5310 or email [email protected]
You can also view our Faculty Test Proctoring Verification Form Guide for more information on filling out the form.
For Final Exam Requests we do ask for more advance notice for these requests and your decisions. For Fall 2024 they are due on Tuesday, December 3rd. You can view our Fall 2024 Final Exam Announcement for more information.
Universal Design (UD) fits within the Social Model for Disability approach. UD is “the design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design” (The Center for Universal Design).
UD has evolved to include both Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Universal Design of Instruction (UDI):
- UDL is a “framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn” (CAST).
- UDI “challenges the instructor to go beyond legal compliance to proactively design an accessible course and integrate practice so that all students benefit. UDI can be applied to all aspects of instruction, including class climate, interaction, physical environments and products, delivery methods, information resources and technology, feedback, and assessment” (Equal Access).
- Creating Inclusive Digital Classrooms from UM-Dearborn Digital Education Day 2023.
- Design Your Courses for Accessibility from UM-Dearborn Digital Education Day 2023.
- 5 Ways DAS Supports Faculty & students recording. Learn more about how the DAS office supports faculty and students. You can view the 5 ways slides from the presentation as well.
- Tips for Faculty Accessible Documents in the Classroom presented by Jane Vincent, Assistive Tech Manager, ITS University of Michigan.
- Designing an Accessible Online Course presented by Jeff Sykes, Assistive Technology Coordinator, Grand Valley State University.
You may receive an accommodation letter with accessible documents listed.
- This means that any materials whether required or supplemental that you provide your students need to be accessible.
- Keep in mind as faculty members you are the content expert for your course. If there are diagrams, graphs, figures, charts, and or pictures, you may have to provide alternative text for students with this accommodation.
- This would be an alternative description for these items in your PowerPoint files or shared course documents.
- Check out the University of Michigan’s How to Create Accessible Documents webpage to get started.
- To test if the articles and documents you provide in your course are accessible, you can run them through the free online Natural Reader program
- This will show if the text will read aloud or if it is a blank document. As well as if the material reads in proper order.
- For articles you can also reach out to the Mardigian Library to see if they have an accessible version that can be downloaded and or linked for your class.
- Visit the University of Michigan’s Accessibility website for more information on this topic and Your Role as an Instructor.
Students and faculty have access to the following programs:
- Read & Write is reading/writing/notetaking software.
- Natural Reader online is a free professional text-to-speech program that converts any written text into spoken words.
- Morphic.org Morphic makes computers easier to use. You can download your own Morphic Plus for FREE and customize your toolbar for use.
- Office 365
- Word has Read Aloud and Dictate features for everyone.
- Google Doc accessibility features
- Google Drive and Docs has Type with your voice and Screen Reader support.
Access through Software Center:
- JAWS (Job Access With Speech) is a computer screen reader program for Microsoft Windows and available on all University desktops.
- Morphic is an accessibility toolbar with built in accessibility features including a magnifier.
Registered DAS Students may be granted access to:
- Glean a notetaking software.
- Dragon Naturally Speaking a speech to text software.
"The Hub for Teaching and Learning Resources (often referred to simply as the “Hub”) collaborates with faculty to strengthen a campus teaching culture rooted in scholarship that supports student learning, encourages measured pedagogical risk-taking, fosters teaching for equity, and builds community among faculty and students."
By visiting the HUB webpage you can schedule an appointment with an Instructional Designer and view faculty resources directly from the HUB.
Highlighting a New Colleague with the HUB:
Chen Wang is a new Instructional Technologist in Digital Education and the Hub for Teaching and Learning Resources. Her primary responsibilities include video recording and light editing for faculty, keeping abreast of accessibility in digital education, and supporting pedagogical application of digital tools. She has a Masters in Learning Sciences and Technologies from the University of Pennsylvania. If you’d like to reach out to Chen please use her scheduling link or email: [email protected].