Faculty Resources
Student Accessibility collaborates closely with faculty and staff to support students at UWF. This page lists several ways for faculty and staff to partner with SAR and promote utilization of the resources we offer.
Syllabus Statement
Faculty are encouraged to begin the semester with a general announcement about resources available to students with disabilities who may need accommodations for the classroom.
A disability statement opens the lines of communication, making students feel more comfortable when approaching faculty to disclose their need for course accommodations or other disability-related needs. A syllabus statement also helps to ensure that all students are aware of the existence of Student Accessibility Resources.
The University has designated Student Accessibility Resources as the place where documentation regarding a student's disability is on file and where appropriate accommodations are determined. Reasonable accommodations are determined on a case-by-case basis, because the functional limitations of each individual and the specific demands of each course may vary. In some cases, Student Accessibility Resources may consult with a faculty member to determine the essential standards of a course or program of study in order to determine what constitutes a reasonable accommodation.
The Statement About Assistance for Students with Special Needs is required to be included in all UWF course syllabi per University Policy SA-09.04-09/19
Referrals for Services
If a student self-identifies as an individual with a disability or you suspect an academic barrier due to a disability, please provide our contact information to them. It is up to the student to self-identify with our office by completing an online application. You may also reach out to our office if you aren’t sure how to approach a student regarding a possible accommodation issue. We will reach out directly to the student.
Notice of Accommodations
Faculty will receive a notice of accommodation for any student who has requested accommodations for the current semester. If a student says that they have accommodations, but you did not receive a notice, reach out to our office and we will check the status of the student’s request. It’s important to only provide the accommodations that are listed, and only if you have a letter, because accommodations can change. Also, accommodations are not retroactive, so if a student chooses to request accommodations later in the semester, it’s active at the point you receive the letter and forward.
Faculty Support Resources
We want you to know that we are here to support you. We have resources available including coaching for how to work with students with disabilities, how to handle specific students/cases, and information about assistive technology. We know that creating an accessible course or working with accommodation needs can feel overwhelming. We will help provide you the resources and tools to make accessibility become second nature
Accessing the Accommodate Portal
Accommodate is a disability management system that will allow faculty members to:
• View all of the information regarding the approved accommodations for students in their class in one convenient location.
• View approved testing appointments for students to be proctored by Testing Services.
• Securely upload exams and testing instruction for exams to be proctored at Testing Services.
The faculty portal is available to all current UWF faculty regardless of status (i.e. full-time, part-time, adjunct). Faculty will only see information in the faculty portal if they have a student registered with
SAR (or a SAR Staff Notetaker) enrolled in a course they teach.
Log in through MyUWF by searching for SAR Accommodate Faculty Portal
Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility
UWF hosts a hub for information about accessible EIT, including electronic documents, websites, videos, software applications, and hardware devices that can be used effectively by everyone, including students, faculty, staff, and visitors with disabilities.
