What is an Accommodation?

An accommodation is an adjustment or modification that enables people with disabilities to perform tasks or functions that would otherwise not be possible, like accessing content on a website or attending a speaker’s presentation. Let’s say you’re planning a public-facing event with your department and an attendee who is D/deaf emails you to ask if you can arrange for a sign language interpreter. This is an example of an accommodation request. Other accommodations that a person with a disability might request include the provision of assistive technology for an employee or providing extended time for a student on an exam.

It’s important to note that not all disabilities are visible. In fact, the majority of students registered with Disability Services (DS) at CU Boulder have invisible disabilities such as ADHD or mental health conditions. Because of this, it’s not always apparent when someone may need an accommodation. You should never ask about the disability that someone has; you should only ask about the accommodations they need. 

Accommodation requests should be given top priority when you receive them. Receiving an accommodation request means that a person with a disability is currently unable to access content, services, or events that you provide. That request should be addressed as soon as possible to reduce the amount of time the individual has to wait until they have access. 

When planning events, allow attendees to request accommodations on your registration form. That way you know in advance that an accommodation is needed and can coordinate with DS or ADA Compliance (ADA) to fulfill that accommodation. In addition, the process of requesting and receiving an accommodation for events should not be overly difficult; for example, provide multiple ways for someone to place the request, such as via email and telephone. 

Here are some examples of how you could ask about accommodation requests on an event registration form:

  • “Do you have a disability and require an accommodation to be able to access this event? If yes, please describe below. Please note that accommodation requests received less than 5 business days before the event may not be able to be fulfilled.”

  • “For questions about accessibility or to request accommodations please contact (name) at (phone and email address). Two weeks advance notice of need for accommodations is requested.”

Which Offices Manage Accommodations at CU Boulder?

A number of campus offices are involved in accessibility work, so it’s important to know where to find support for different types of questions or accommodation requests. The two offices on CU’s campus that manage accommodations are Disability Services and ADA Compliance. 

Disability Services

Disability Services oversees accommodation requests for current students to ensure that students with disabilities receive all necessary accommodations and services to be able to participate equally in the academic environment at CU Boulder. 

Accommodations are only available to students who are registered with DS and have been approved through their registration process. All accommodations are provided based on individual student needs. Faculty may be asked to provide support or information to DS to ensure the timely delivery of accommodations for their students.

To learn more about student accommodations, check out the DS catalogue of workshops and trainings or contact Disability Services at dsinfo@colorado.edu.

ADA Compliance

ADA Compliance handles all accommodations for faculty, staff (including student employees), and visitors. The mission of ADA Compliance is to promote equal access and opportunity for those with disabilities by educating the campus community and by partnering with campus departments to address accessibility needs across the university. To learn more about ADA accommodations, request an ADA training or contact ADA Compliance at adacoordinator@colorado.edu.

August Challenges

Think about an event, process, or service that you provide in your job. (If you’re an instructor, you can think about a course you will teach.) How do you communicate to people with disabilities about how to request an accommodation for that course, service, or event? Do you know how to seek out support from one of the above campus offices if you do receive an accommodation request? 

Your Thoughts

We want to hear from you about any questions or issues you run into while trying out this accessibility practice this month! Please send us your thoughts on this month’s topic.

If you have questions or comments, or would like support with accessibility, please contact us at DigitalAccessibility@Colorado.edu.