How to Best Support Students

with

Academic Accommodations

Julie Rasmuson, Director of Student Accessibility Services (SAS)

Link to presentation:

How to Best Support Students with Accommodations

Julie Rasmuson (she/her)�Director,

Student Accessibility Services

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Lynda Garner (she/her)

Testing Accommodations

Coordinator

Liz Grohal (she/her)�Testing Services Specialist

Allison Hubble (she/her)�Testing Services Specialist

Office: Humanities 23�Phone: 717-815-1717

Email: sas@ycp.edu�SAS Website

Purpose of Accommodations

• Ensure equal access to learning opportunities
• Comply with ADA & Section 504 requirements
• Create inclusive classrooms that value diversity
• Empower students to succeed without barriers

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Key Principles

• Access and equity, not advantage (needs, not wants)
• Individualized support related to students specific disability needs in the higher education environment
• Confidentiality and respect
• Collaboration among faculty, SAS, and students

Common Types of Accommodations

Academic:

• SAS Testing Center use
• Extended time on exams/assignments
• Alternative format access (Braille, large print, digital e-text)
• Recording course lectures
• Instructor materials and notes access
• Accessible classroom spaces and seating
• Assistive technology (screen readers, speech-to-text, literacy software access)
• Absence accommodations and Flexible attendance policies for medical needs
• Communication support (ASL, tech)

Housing:

• Type of room access
• Type of bathroom/kitchen access
• Extra appliances
• Elevator/first floor access
• Emotional Support Animal
• Mobility/Accessibility access
• Emergency assistance alert access
• Communication access

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Dining accommodations

• Accommodations due to medical needs

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Student Program accommodations:

Ability to request accommodations for ALL extra curricular clubs, student activities, Grumbacher, all YCP sponsored private and public events.

Faculty Best Practices

• Include accessibility statement in syllabus YCP Syllabus Statements - Google Docs
• Apply Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principals into course design:

Course Materials and Activities, ensure all are accessible and inclusive for all students-

• Use accessible san serif style fonts, 14 pt +, high contrast
• Alt-text images or pictures
• Captions on all media or video
• Screen-reader friendly text, text books, and course materials (OCR PDFs ONLY)
• Clear consistent unclutter layouts (Canvas page, forms, assignments, handouts)

Assignments and Assessments-

• offer flexible assignments and assessments when possible to allow students to show what they know in a variety of formats (oral, written, project-based)
• Allow flexible deadlines or windows
• Maintain open communication with students

Strategies for Integration

• Design courses with accessibility in mind from the start, design for “who could” engage in your course the way it is designed
• Use LMS and built in accessibility checkers (Canvas, Microsoft, Google)
• Create accessible PDFs ONLY. PDFs are NOT accessible unless OCR FORMAT (can make accessible in Adobe).
• Provide lecture notes/slides in advance
• Encourage peer collaboration with equitable participation
• Regularly review and update materials for accessibility

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Benefits for Faculty & Students

• Improved student success and retention
• 750+ students year SAS services
• Enhanced engagement and inclusivity
• Reduced need for last-minute adjustments, less accommodations overall (Proactive workload)
• Strengthened institutional reputation for equity and diversity

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The Why…

• Accommodations are not just compliance—they are a commitment to academic excellence through access and inclusivity.

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• Accessibility is not a checklist, it is an ongoing practice.

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• By integrating accessibility practices, faculty empower all students to self advocate and thrive.

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• Creates an inclusive campus where all student are set up for success and find a place of belonging.

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Resources for Faculty

Student Accessibility Services

(SAS) at YCP supports students with documented disabilities in receiving equal access to the campus, course content, and programming. SAS staff determine eligibility for reasonable accommodations on a case-by-case basis through an individualized, interactive process. The College provides all students with equal opportunity to participate in all of our programs, activities, and services in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as amended in 2008 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

• SAS Faculty Accessibility Resources
• Faculty AIM Log-in (to view student accommodations)
• Instructor AIM Training (a YCP Canvas course)
• Enroll in Pathways: SAS Accessibility Basics (a YCP Canvas course)
• Digital Accessibility Training
• YCP Bias Reporting

Resources for Faculty

Center for Faculty Excellence: Teach and Advising Resources

Teaching and Advising: Center for Faculty Excellence

Syllabus Statements:

YCP Syllabus Statements - Google Docs

Accessible Syllabus:

Image – Accessible Syllabus

Inclusive Teaching and Advising Practices

Inclusive Teaching and Advising: Center for Faculty Excellence

Course Design, including enhancing accessibility:

Course Design: Center for Faculty Excellence

Resources for Faculty

LTS recently enabled a new AI Application for the York College domain.

Google NotebookLM

This is an AI-powered note-taking and research tool that lets you upload your own documents, links, or media. It can extract key ideas, generate summaries, answer questions with citations, and create study guides or outlines, all based on your uploaded sources. Essentially, it turns your notes and files into an interactive, personalized knowledge base for learning, research, or project work.

Please remember to follow the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Guidelines while using any applications. If you want to learn about other AI applications reviewed by LTS please check out AI - Additional Resources.

Resources for Faculty

Microsoft Accessibility Checker – Built into Word/PowerPoint

GrackleDocs: Making Digital Content Universally Accessible – Google Docs add-on for WCAG compliance

Youtube Auto Captioning Help – Free captions for videos

Otter Meeting Agent - AI Notetaker, Transcription, Insights (Free Tier) – Generates transcripts

WebAIM: Contrast Checker – Ensures color contrast

Color Oracle | Color Oracle – Simulates color blindness

NV Access | Download NVDA – Free screen reader for Windows

Questions?

Julie Rasmuson, Director of Student Accessibility Services

Humanities #23

jrasmuson@ycp.edu

717-815-1443