Services for Students with Disabilities devotes a portion of their website specifically for instructors to help you understand your shared responsibilities, rights, and terminology that pertain to equitable access in our learning environments. We encourage you to become familiar with these guidelines.

• Understanding Accommodations

• The Accommodate Platform - Instructors can access Accommodate to review Accommodation Letters for students in their course and check on service requests such as exam scheduling.

• Student Exam Accommodations

• Disability Syllabus Statement

• Instructor FAQs

• Guidelines for Ensuring Equitable Academic Access - Roles and Expectations for Students, Faculty and Instructional Staff, and Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) at U-M Ann Arbor.

SSD Implementation Guide

SSD provides an annual guide to help instructors provide accommodations for students in their courses. This guide covers best practices for many accommodations you might encounter for students and gives you the latest updates to reduce confusion in implementing accommodations. SSD Accommodation Implementation Guide for Instructors

Purpose

Testing accommodations ensure a student has the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge of the course material being assessed. Testing accommodations do not guarantee improved performance, test completion, or a particular outcome. Rather, accommodations enable the student with a disability to demonstrate their knowledge or skill on exams and quizzes.

Common Exam Accommodations

• • Extended time for exams and quizzes 

  • Quiet or low-distraction testing environments

  • Use of a computer for word processing

  • Use of assistive technology such as text-to-speech software or screen readers

  • Accessible formats, such as large print or screen readable

Testing Accommodation Center

The Testing Accommodation Center supports faculty as they implement testing accommodations. They have two locations, and capacity is determined on a first-come, first-served basis.

1. 1. Central Campus Classroom Building

      • 34 adjustable sitting/standing seats with 13 desktop computers

      • 3 private rooms with 2 desktop computers

   2. Modern Languages Building

      • 45 seats (12 are adjustable) with 4 desktop computers

      • 4 private rooms with 5 desktop computers

Contact

• Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

• (734) 763-1334 

• saas.tac.staff@umich.edu

A note about testing Accommodations in LSA

TAC is a valued partner, but its capacity to meet testing demands for the entire campus is limited. 

• • Departments and instructors should plan in advance for possible accommodation needs in their courses. 

  • Instructors are not required to use the TAC to provide accommodated testing. 

  • Instructors may use their existing class meeting spaces or departmental spaces, and should consult with their department for practices and resources to accommodate testing needs.

In addition, instructors may consider reducing the need for accommodations by designing assessments with accessibility in mind. Examples include:

• • flexible timing

  • offering multiple formats

  • including clear instructions 

Such practices align with the principles of inclusive pedagogy and can reduce barriers and minimize the need for individual accommodations, creating a more supportive and effective educational experience for everyone. Inclusive test design ultimately benefits all learners by recognizing and valuing diverse ways of demonstrating learning.

The College of Literature, Sciences, and the Arts is committed to providing an accessible environment that supports our community, which includes our learners, employees, and visitors with disabilities. Read more.

Resources for instructors

• Course accessibility - make your course files, lecture recordings, and Canvas sites accessible

• Document accessibility - create accessible documents such as PDFs, Word files, and presentations 

• Event accessibility - make events welcoming and accessible

• Physical accessibility - learn how to make sure your classroom is accessible

• Training - training baths to match your role at the university

• Try the 10-week Accessibility Challenge

The Disability Equity Office is the centralized office for advancing accessibility and disability inclusion at the University of Michigan through education, training, outreach, and providing services to individuals with disabilities. The Disability Equity Office also coordinates university compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other disability-related laws and regulations.

Read more about the services they offer for students or workplace accommodations.