The Important Role That Faculty Members Play in Providing Reasonable Accommodations in a University Setting to Students with Disabilities

Abstract

The percentage of students with documented disabilities who are attending a university has steadily been increasing. Unlike in the Pk-12 environment, however, when a student is attending a university they become the person responsible for not only understanding what reasonable accommodations they need to succeed, but also how to express those needs to faculty members. This review focused on faculty members’ role in providing reasonable accommodations to students with disabilities in their classes. More specifically, how faculty knowledge of legal requirements, characteristics, attitudes, and understanding of what a reasonable accommodation is, and how much institutional support they believe they receive impacted their ability to provide reasonable accommodations that were requested in their classes. The results regarding faculty characteristics were mixed and there is a general need for more training to help faculty understand disabilities and reasonable accommodation. Lastly, the role school counselors can have to better prepare students with disabilities for the transition to a university is discussed.