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AODA Customer Service Standards
for Faculty

3.5 Confidentiality, Respect, and Dignity

It is important to remember that some students are not comfortable disclosing the nature of their disability. The student is under no obligation to disclose their disability. In fact, the choice to disclose is left up to the individual student. Any information faculty receive regarding a student’s disability is strictly confidential.

Faculty are required to maintain the confidentiality of students who have identified themselves as having a disability. Professors are encouraged to speak with the student individually about their required accommodations during regular office hours or before or after class.

Designed to maintain a student’s ability to successfully complete course requirements, accommodations assist in ensuring that students with disabilities are treated with dignity and respect.

The responsibility for making Ontario’s colleges accessible is shared among faculty members, college disabilities services offices, and students with disabilities.

The information below developed by Humber College is based upon the guidelines identified by the Ontario Human Rights Commission (2016):

  1. Students are not required to communicate their accommodation requests directly to their faculty.

Accessible Learning Services (ALS) will communicate to faculty directly about the accommodation requirements for individual students in their courses. Some students may still choose to engage with faculty directly about their accommodation requests. In most cases, this information will now be issued from ALS directly to the faculty member, via email. Where a faculty name is not identified within the Banner system, the accommodation letter will be sent to the appropriate Associate Dean for follow up. Each accommodation letter will include the name of an Accessibility Consultant available to answer questions about the specific accommodation request.

  1. In order to ensure that each school is well supported, Accessible Learning Services has assigned a consultant to each academic school.

The role of your school's consultant is to act as a point of contact to help disseminate information regarding ALS and gain some familiarity with your programs. We encourage you to include your consultant in school meetings and other gatherings of staff and faculty throughout the year for the purpose of bridging communication between ALS and your school. Please note, that although many of your students will be on the case load of your school's consultant, it is not possible for this to always be the case. If there are specific questions about a student's accommodation request, please refer to the consultant noted on the accommodation letter.

  1. Please ensure that the accommodation information is clearly presented on all course syllabi.

This information is a part of CTL's course outline template, and is included here for your reference:

Humber strives to create a welcoming environment for all students where equality, diversity and inclusion are paramount. Accessible Learning Services facilitates equal access for students with disabilities by coordinating academic accommodations and services. Staff in Accessible Learning Services are available by appointment to assess specific needs, provide referrals and arrange appropriate accommodations. If you require academic accommodations, contact Accessible Learning Services: humber.ca/student-life/swac/accessible-learning

  1. Students are entitled to request a retroactive disability related accommodation.

In order to ensure that we are consistent in our approach to retroactive accommodation, we ask that you refer students directly to ALS for review and consideration. It is also important to ensure that your school does not have any documentation that advises students that they cannot request retroactive disability related accommodation. As with all decisions related to academic standards, ALS will consult with the appropriate person(s) within the school when these issues arise. The responsibility for making Ontario's colleges accessible is shared among faculty members, Accessible Learning Services, and students with disabilities.