Academic Accessibility
UNC Asheville has an Office of Academic Accessibility for university students. Its primary mission: to offer an undergraduate liberal arts education of superior quality for serious students. Through Academic Accessibility, the university seeks to meet individual needs by coordinating and implementing internal policies regarding programs, services and activities for individuals with disabilities. The office functions as a source of information, educational outreach and advice, as well as a communication link among individuals with disabilities, faculty and staff, rehabilitation agencies, and the community at large. For specific questions regarding Academic Accessibility, contact academicaccess@unca.edu. The office is located in the lower level of Ramsey Library.
Some Teacher Candidates/Licensure Students May Require Accommodations During Field Work to Guarantee Access or Participation in the University’s Courses, Programs, Services or Activities.
To Receive Reasonable Accommodation for Field Work in the Department of Education:
Step 1: Teacher candidates must connect with the Office of Accessibility (OAA) and follow their procedures for establishing eligibility.
*Critical Note: Disclosure of a disability, impairment, condition, or limitation to an individual professor, program, department, or any entity other than the Office of Academic Accessibility is not considered an official notification to the University nor a request for reasonable accommodations.
Step 2: Once eligibility is established, Teacher Candidates will request reasonable accommodations through the Office of Accessibility in accordance with OAA policies and procedures.
Field work in the department of education is a critical component and requirement for each EDUC course. Successful completion of field work is required for successful completion of the courses. Academic Accommodations are not the same as modifications. This means that they are not a change in the curriculum of the class or how the student with accommodations is graded. Accommodation is about access and refers to a change in how a student does the same work so that they have the same opportunities regardless of condition or disability.
Step 3: The Office of Accessibility will work with the Teacher Candidate to create a Letter of Accommodation outlining reasonable accommodations for field work in consultation with the Field Coordinator.
Step 4: The Teacher Candidate must work with OAA to deliver the Letter of Accommodation to the Field Placement Coordinator: Rebecca Bodenheimer – Zageir 116 – rbodenhe@unca.edu
The request for Accommodation should be made during the field application period, before the field work is set to begin unless a new circumstance changes the accommodation needs. Though accommodations can be requested later, they can’t be implemented retroactively.
The field application DEADLINE is always the “Last day to register/drop/add full semester class online via OnePort.” Typically this is a Sunday and the field application has to be submitted by Midnight of that date. This specific date can be found on the Academic Calendar for the current semester.
Step 5: The Field Placement Coordinator will deliver the Letter of Accommodation to the school district LEA for which the Teacher Candidate is placed for field work.
Step 6: The school district LEA will arrange the reasonable accommodation at the school and/or classroom where the Teacher Candidate is placed.
If there is an issue with a Teacher Candidate’s approved accommodation, they should contact the Office of Accessibility through the OAA Report a Concern Form. The OAA office should inform the Field Placement Coordinator with regard to school district accommodation concerns.
US Department of Education (.gov) Handbook for Reasonable Accommodation
Reasonable Accommodations Examples (Not Limited To):
- making physical changes to the worksite or furniture,
- restructuring or modifying jobs
- purchasing or modifying equipment such as computers or telephones,
- modifying workplace policies,
- providing materials in alternate formats,
- providing readers or interpreters,
- other services
The Department of Education’s policy is to provide reasonable accommodation for volunteers, part-time employees, student interns, detailees, and temporary employees who are qualified individuals with disabilities. These employees should be treated just like regular full-time employees, and should go through the normal process of determining whether the person has a disability and providing reasonable accommodation. With short-term employees (as with all employees), accommodations should be provided quickly. It is best to make arrangements with the employee beforehand so that the accommodation can be in place when he or she starts work. Employees who are on detail from another Federal agency should be treated like Department of Education employees with respect to accommodation issues, even though they technically are still employed by their home agency. It may be possible for detailees to bring some accommodation items with them for the duration of the detail.