Students with disabilities attend FIU for the same reasons as other students. They bring diverse experiences and interests to our university. We encourage you to partner with us to empower students with disabilities.
When course requirements create barriers for students with disabilities, accommodations can help. Accommodations are determined on an individual basis and will not reduce academic standards.
If a student in your class chooses to use their accommodations, you’ll receive an email at your FIU instructor account. This message, called a Notification of Academic Adjustment or Letter to Professor, will explain the student’s approved accommodations and give you the contact information for their DRC access consultant.
Academic Accommodation – Instructor
Ensuring meaningful access to the academic environment requires the active participation of each instructor and, often, collaboration with the DRC. FIU is fully committed to creating accessible learning experiences.
Understanding Disability-related Absences, Extensions and Accommodations
Any request beyond what is listed should be referred to the student’s DRC access consultant for review. If an accommodation listed fundamentally alters the course or compromises the academic integrity of a deliverable, contact the student’s DRC access consultant or the DRC leadership team to discuss possible alternatives.
Absences, Extensions on Assignments and Make-up Exams
Disability-related absence and extensions on assignments are designed to allow students with chronic conditions to miss class due to symptoms and submit assignments past the due date, without penalty and medical documentation, as an exception to FIU policy in the student handbook.
The DRC reviews the required documentation to confirm that the student’s disability is chronic and may affect their ability to attend class or complete assignments. To protect confidentiality and avoid the financial and physical burden of getting a doctor’s note each time, we recommend that disability-related absences be considered excused.
Students must notify both their professor and their DRC access consultant as soon as possible if they will miss class or cannot meet a deadline.
Accommodations in the Workplace
The Department of Access, Compliance, and Equal Opportunity, within the Division of Human Resources, serves as a resource for employees with a documented qualified disability who need reasonable accommodations to perform essential job functions.
Reasonable accommodations are determined case by case, based on the documentation provided. The university’s ADA Coordinator meets individually with each employee seeking accommodations to discuss available options.
For more information on this process, contact the Office of Civil Rights Compliance and Accessibility.