IF you are having trouble with responsiveness from a professor, it would be wise to document the incident with an email to the Disability Services Office at your school. Simply stating the details and posing a question of how you should proceed should help you get support from the Disability Services team and begin a process of working with the professor to make sure your learning accommodations are met. After a student has been approved for accommodations at their college’s Office of Disability Services, they will work with the Office to confirm each term which accommodations they want in their classes. Different courses may require different accommodations and some may not require accommodations at all. Additionally, a student’s needs may change over the course of their education, so developing strong lines of communication with the team in the Disability Services Office and communicating with professors is very important. But what if a student believes they are communicating their access needs properly, yet those needs aren’t being met?
We have heard stories where students immediately file a civil rights complaint or begin to take formal legal action. While in some cases this might be necessary, we would like to offer some ideas that could be helpful before considering such action.
IF you are having trouble with getting a response from the Disability Services Office at your school, it would be a good idea to write an email explaining the matter and/or show up to the Disability Services Office in person to follow up. Make sure the person you normally work with is included and be sure to include the director on the CC line of the email. If that doesn’t help, requesting support from a person in a leadership role within the school might help shed some light on the problem. The Dean of Students Office might be the proper place to ask for support. An email requesting their help with your problem may get you started.
COMMUNICATING your unmet need to another department within the college or university might get the attention of people who are able to help you. If there is a specific problem or a blatant violation, having multiple people know what is going on may resolve a wider issue within the school. The Dean of Students usually looks after the academic and personal needs of all students, so their office might be a good choice for getting support.
FILING a complaint at your school might be a necessary step. Each school has different processes, so make sure to find out if there is a specific process, website or form at your school.
FINALLY, if it is necessary to take legal action or file a formal civil rights complaint with the Department of Justice, your self-advocacy efforts through emailed correspondence and/or documented requests for help may be useful in the matter.
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