Accommodations aren't a rare exception — they're part of the everyday reality in a typical AC classroom.

1 in 5

One in 5 undergraduates nationally report a disability (NCES).

Only 37%

Only 37% of students with a disability report their disability to their college (NCES).

Majority

The majority of disabilities on campus are invisible (chronic health, mental health, or learning-related).

The Takeaway

The takeaway: the student who needs extended time or a quiet testing space is not an outlier. Building accommodations into your normal routine, rather than treating each request as a special case, makes your semester easier too.

Nationally, about 1 in 5 undergraduates report having a disability. On our campus, roughly 1 in 13 students are formally registered with Disability Services — a gap that most likely reflects students who haven't connected with our office yet, not fewer students with disabilities.

Faculty are often a student's first point of contact. Mentioning Disability Services in class, in a syllabus, or one-on-one when a student discloses a challenge can be what prompts them to register and access support they're entitled to. A brief, matter-of-fact mention normalizes the process and lowers the barrier to reaching out.

1. Students make accommodation requests directly through Disability Services, complete the online application form and submit documentation.
2. Disability Services holds an intake meeting to determine eligible, reasonable accommodations.
3. The student provides an official accommodation plan for you each semester. (Faculty also has access to accommodation plans).
4. You implement the listed accommodations and reach out to DS with any questions about how.

• Once you have an accommodation plan, implement the listed accommodations — you don't need to independently evaluate whether they're warranted.
• If accommodation seems genuinely incompatible with an essential course requirement, contact Disability Services to talk it through together — don't deny it unilaterally.
• Keep accommodation plans and any disability-related information confidential; never identify students’ disability or accommodation status in the presence of other students.
• If a student discloses a disability but hasn't gone through Disability Services, you can point them there — you should not accommodate them informally, and DS is glad to take it from here.
• Review the accommodations statement in your syllabus with your class each semester.

These aren't required accommodations — they're low-cost habits that tend to reduce the number of individual accommodation requests you need to manage.

• Post readings and slides a few days ahead of class.
• Use a clear, consistent structure and a legible font/size.
• Offer one low-stakes way to demonstrate understanding beyond a single high-stakes exam.
• Caption or transcribe video content by default.
• State expectations for participation and deadlines explicitly, in writing.

You can access Student Accommodation Plans. While we recommend that students email or hand-deliver their plans directly to instructors, we know that this does not always consistently occur. To ensure students consistently receive the accommodations they are entitled to, we have made it possible for faculty to access the accommodation plans for all students on their class rosters. You can access these the same way students do, following the steps below:

• AC Connect
• Forms
• Student Forms
• Disability — Application for Services and Accommodations

Sierra Villarreal

Administrative Assistant

• General Questions
• Appointments
• Getting Students Started

• Office: (806) 345-5639
• Email: srvillarreal@actx.edu 

Nikki Davis

Specialist

• Student Referrals
• Dual Credit
• ASL Interpreters & Reader/Scribes

• Office: (806) 371-5436
• Email: ndhill22@actx.edu 

Jerri Peacock-Najera

Coordinator

• Grievances/Complaints
• Complex Situations
• Accommodation Approvals & Implementation

• Office: (806) 371-5917
• Email: jmpeacock21@actx.edu