Rights and Responsibilities of students with disabilities
Service Animals and Emotional Support Animals in an Academic Setting
Digital Access - Creating Accessible Materials
Faculty are asked to include a statement in their course syllabi explaining that students with disabilities who may need accommodations should talk with you and contact the Student Accessibility and Support Services (SASS) office.
Some students may be shy or unsure how to approach faculty about their disability, making it difficult for them to request accommodations. Including such a statement in your syllabus lets students know that you are approachable and also lets them know that they need to be in touch with SASS.
Below are some recommended disability access statements. Please feel free to use one of the versions below, or create your own version. As always, please contact SASS staff at sass@kenyon.edu with any questions/suggestions.
“Students with disabilities who will be taking this course and may need disability related accommodations are encouraged to make an appointment to see me as soon as possible. Also, you are required to register for support services with the Student Accessibility and Support Services (SASS) in Olin Library. Please contact Erin Salva at salvae@kenyon.edu.
"If you have a disability and feel that you may have need for some type of academic accommodation(s) in order to participate fully in this class, please feel free to discuss your concerns with me in private and also self-identify yourself to Erin Salva, Director, Student Accessibility and Support Services (SASS) at salvae@kenyon.edu."
Or…
“Kenyon College values diversity and recognizes disability as an aspect of diversity. Our shared goal is to create learning environments that are accessible, equitable, and inclusive. If you anticipate barriers related to the format, requirements, or assessments of this course, you are encouraged first to contact the office of Student Accessibility and Support Services (SASS) by emailing Erin Salva at salvae@kenyon.edu, then to meet with the instructor to discuss accommodation options or adaptations.”
Due to fairly recent legal interpretation of the Fair Housing Act (FHA), issues related to animals on college campuses have become more complex over the past couple of years. What does this mean for Kenyon? It means that students may be allowed to have an emotional support animal living with them in residence halls when there is a nexus between a student’s disability and the need for this accommodation. Emotional support animals cannot be restricted by breed, size, or weight — so we will have a variety of animals in our residence halls.
What does this mean for faculty? It means that you do not need to allow these animals in your classrooms as they are covered by the FHA, which covers housing only. So no, you do not need to allow students to bring bunnies, rats, cats, dogs, and birds to class.
However, students are allowed to bring services animals to class. Service animals, which are covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act, are trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities (e.g., guide people who are blind, alert people who are deaf). Service animals are restricted to dogs and miniature horses.
Please refer to Kenyon's guidelines regarding service animals. And our emotional support animal (ESA) guidelines (provide link). Please contact Student Accessibility and Support Services if you have any questions about animals on campus.
It is essential that all of Kenyon's programs, activities, and events are designed to provide universal accessibility. These are some important things consider a few matters in planning events that will be accessible to everyone. The Student Accessibility and Support Services (SASS) office has devised this checklist to help you determine if your program is accessible. We encourage people planning events off campus to use this checklist to ensure their program is accessible. Complete the checklist below, and contact the SASS office with questions or concerns.
Is there an entrance that does not require the use of stairs?
If no, add a ramp or lift if possible.
If no, add an alternate route on level ground, if possible.
Or, relocate the program to an accessible building.
Contact the SASS office to discuss accessibility of campus buildings, or other available options.
Are there appropriate signs directing attendees to accessible entrances and bathroom facilities?
If no, create and post directional signs through an accessible route.
Contact the SASS office to discuss other options, or the possibility of relocating your program or event.
Is the path at least 36 inches wide?
If no, enlarge the pathway if possible.
Relocate the program, or contact the SASS office to discuss other ideas.
Are curb cuts located in parking lot and drop-off areas?
If no, contact the SASS office to discuss possible options for installing a curb cut.
Relocate your program to area with greater accessibility.
Are there accessible parking spaces available near the accessible entrance?
Contact the SASS office to discuss potential difficulties with parking, or to discuss possibilities for relocating your program.
Is there at least 1 fully accessible male and female rest room or 1 accessible unisex restroom?
If no, reconfigure rest room or combine rest rooms to create one unisex restroom, if possible.
Relocate the program, or contact the SASS office to discuss available options.
If the location for your event or program has multiple floors, is there an accessible elevator to the meeting room?
If no, relocate program or contact the SASS office to discuss other potential options.
Is an accessible path of travel available to the meeting room?
If no, relocate the program, or contact the SASS office to discuss other potential options.
Is the meeting room accessible for speakers and presenters? Can participants navigate easily in the space?
If no (and the space is not tiered) and the furniture is moveable, reconfigure the space to allow for more room.
Contact the SASS office to discuss other possible options for accessibility for speakers and attendees.
Does your publicity/invitation contain information regarding reasonable accommodations?
If no, be sure to include a statement about how a person can obtain accommodations for the program, such as, "If you need an accommodation to fully participate in this event, please contact..." Then, be sure to include your name and contact information so that a person with a disability can get in touch with you about accommodations.
Has a participant, either audience member or speaker, requested an accessible meeting space?
Make sure the location is completely accessible for the participant by using this checklist.
Has a staff member been assigned to ensure that accommodation arrangements are handled appropriately?
Designate one staff member to handle all accommodation requests. This person can be the liaison to the SASS office to discuss possible options for accommodations.
Has a participant requested an assisted listening system?
Contact the SASS office to determine where to obtain an assisted listening device.
Has a participant requested a sign language interpreter?
Contact the SASS office for assistance with scheduling an interpreter for your
Has a participant requested handout materials in an alternate format?
Contact Emily Wise in the SASS office (wisee@kenyon.edu) to learn about putting a handout into Braille or another digital accessible format as needed.
If a video or video clip is part of the program, are the videos equipped with captions for participants with hearing impairments?
When purchasing or renting AV materials, request one with closed caption capability.
If a captioned video is not available, contact Erin Salva, Director of SASS (salvae@kenyon.edu, 740-427-5453) to discuss having your video captioned.