Resources for Faculty

Accessibility with course work

Stony Brook University, Stony Brook Medicine, and the LISVH is an inclusive environment where students come from a wide variety of ethnic and racial backgrounds. These differences may affect ways of learning for our students, including students who are primarily visual or auditory learners. There may also be disabilities that may affect learning or testing within the classroom, some of the limitations include:

• Blindness
• Low Vision
• Hearing impairments
• Mobility impairments
• Learning disabilities
• Health Impairments
• Psychiatric Impairments

These impairments should not affect the larger goal of education. A goal shared by the instructor and the student alike. To aide with this goal, it is suggested that Instructors design their courses following the concept of Universal Design (https://projects.ncsu.edu/design/cud/about_ud/udprinciples.htm) which includes a framework developing and creating lectures, discussion, visual aids, videos, printed materials, web resources, labs, and field placement to be inclusive and accessible to all students.

The Center for Universal Designs of the University of North Carolina State University includes the following principles:

1. Equitable Use
   
   The design is useful and marketable to people with diverse abilities.
2. Flexibility in Use
   
   The design accommodates a wide range of individual preferences and abilities.
3. Simple and Intuitive Use
   
   Use of the design is easy to understand, regardless of the user's experience, knowledge, language skills, or current concentration level.
4. Perceptible Information
   
   The design communicates necessary information effectively to the user, regardless of ambient conditions or the user's sensory abilities.
5. Tolerance for Error
   
   The design minimizes hazards and the adverse consequences of accidental or unintended actions.
6. Low Physical Effort
   
   The design can be used efficiently and comfortably and with a minimum of fatigue.
7. Size and Space for Approach and Use
   
   Appropriate size and space is provided for approach, reach, manipulation, and use regardless of user's body size, posture, or mobility.

• Disability
   Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a person is considered to have a disability if (1) they have a medical, physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, such as, but not limited to, hearing, seeing, speaking, breathing, performing manual tasks, walking, caring for oneself, learning, major bodily function; (2) has a record of such an impairment; or (3) is regarded as having such an impairment.
• Reasonable Accommodation
  A reasonable accommodation is any change or adjustment to a job or work environment that permits an otherwise qualified person with a disability to participate in the job application process, to perform the essential functions of a job, or to enjoy benefits and privileges of employment equal to those enjoyed by staff without disabilities and does not create an undue hardship for the employer.
• What is "Reasonable Accommodation?"
  Reasonable accommodation is any modification or adjustment to a job or the work environment that will enable a qualified applicant or employee with a disability to participate in the application process or to perform essential job functions. Reasonable accommodation also includes adjustments to assure that a qualified individual with a disability has rights and privileges in employment equal to those of employees without disabilities.
• How much information does university need to explore and implement an accommodation?
  Exploration and implementation of reasonable accommodation is done on an individualized basis and is an interactive process. The timeline will vary depending on the complexity of the case and available resources. Therefore, it is best to initiate your request as soon as you suspect you may need reasonable accommodation.
• I am an employee with a mobility impairment. Do you provide transportation from my home to campus?

  The university does not provide transportation from an employee's home. All employees are responsible for transporting themselves to and from campus.

  Transportation and Parking Operations in conjunction with Disabilities Support Services offers Special Transportation Services for those community members with a documented disability and/or are injured. Transportation and Parking Operations operates a shuttle service according to the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) in order to meet the needs of disabled/injured individuals. Transportation and Parking Operations may be contacted at 631-632-6418 OR 631-632-3741

  Stony Brook University individuals who require Special Transportation Services in order to travel to/from the following Suffolk Transit Connection destinations may request such services through Suffolk County Accessible Transportation (SCAT) Services at (631) 738-1150 (voice) or (631) 981-0104 (TTY);

  SCAT provides curb-to-curb transportation and will pick you up and drop you off between any two points in Suffolk County (excluding Shelter Island and trips which begin and end in the Town of Huntington, which are serviced by the HART paratransit system).

  If you need more information, please visit SCAT FAQ page (http://www.sct-bus.org/scat_faq.html). 

• What types of accommodation(s) are usually considered reasonable under the ADA?

  Making facilities used by employees accessible to the disabled, acquisition or modification of equipment or devices, provision of readers or interpreters; or similar accommodations are generally considered reasonable. Each situation will be individually evaluated.

• What types of accommodation does an employer not have to provide?
  Personal use items needed in accomplishing daily activities on and off the job such as eyeglasses, hearing aids and wheel chairs need not be furnished by employers as a reasonable accommodation. In addition, an employer need not provide any requested accommodation if it presents an “undue” hardship to the employer.
• What does undue hardship mean?
  An undue hardship includes an action or accommodation requiring significant difficulty and expense taking into account the nature and cost of the accommodation, the financial resources of the facility, the number of employees of the facility, the effect the accommodation would have on the facility and the nature of the operations of the employer.
• What, If any, accommodation will I receive?
  Once Stony Brook determines that you would require accommodation we will engage in an interactive process with you to determine if any reasonable accommodation might be provided. We will make reasonable efforts to work with you and give consideration to your preference, however we may move forward with an alternative accommodation that is a less burdensome as long as it is appropriate and meets your needs.
• How do I know what information is necessary to document my impairment(s) or provide suggested reasonable accommodation(s)?
  If the impairment and/or safe and effective reasonable accommodation are not obvious, Stony Brook may require supporting documentation from a medical provider. We will only require documentation necessary to establish the impairment and determine the appropriate safe and effective reasonable accommodation.