Welcome Widener Faculty and Staff!
Faculty and Staff Accessibility Guides
Learn the “how” of accessibility. Find answers to your questions including: How do I add time in Canvas for tests? How can I make PDF’s accessible? How do I turn captions on in Zoom? How do students use SAS testing center and more!
Information about the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
The Office of Student Accessibility Services’ mission at Widener University is to ensure our academic programming and physical spaces are accessible to people with disabilities. We do this by following the Americans with Disabilities Act’s guidance, as well as precedence set by the Office of Civil Rights. For more information about the ADA, ADA AA, and OCR, please visit: AHEAD Resources around ADA Compliance
Information about Academic Accommodations
Academic accommodations are intended to minimize or eliminate the impact of a disability, allowing the individual to gain equal access, without compromising the essential elements or functions of the course, program, service, or activity.
Student Accessibility Services authorizes accommodations for Widener students and provides assistance and consultation to faculty and staff regarding the facilitation of accommodations.
How do we determine what accommodations are necessary?
Students submit request forms to the Office of Student Accessibility Services and must submit documentation from their treating or diagnosing professional providing sufficient information to determine if the student’s disability impacts their experience here at Widener. For more information on this process, please see our Accommodation Request Process Guide.
We also take into consideration if the requests are reasonable. Reasonable requests do not alter essential elements of a course or lessen the rigor of that academic programming. Additionally, reasonable requests generally do not include modifications that are infeasible or require extraordinary measures to accomplish.
Have questions about specific accommodations? Click links below to find out more!
Academic Coaching
Our office provides academic coaching to any student connected with our office who desires such assistance. In coaching, the Director or Assistant Director of Student Accessibility Services work individually with the student to develop academic skills such as time management, coping skills for anxiety, study skills and relationship building.
How can you help to create a more inclusive environment? Put a statement in your syllabus about Accommodations. Here is an example.
Always maintain confidentiality of any sensitive information (including that a student is connected to our office).
Research elements of universal design that you can implement in the classroom.
Refer to our office any students who independently decide to disclose any diagnostic information that impacts the student academically.
