Abstract
This session will present how New Mexico State University, through the Disability Access Services Department, works with students who disclose a disability or impairment that creates barriers in their courses or other University sponsored activities. It will include a brief overview of post-secondary trends and the most commonly reported disabilities and requests for accommodations in university settings. Attendees will become familiar with the process to implement accommodations that can mitigate such barriers and what it means to be a qualified student with a disability who can receive accommodations. After covering how to meet the requirements of the American’s with Disabilities Act (ADA), the session will provide strategies for course development that can be inclusive of every student and even reduce the need for students with disabilities to request accommodations. We will discuss Universal Design concepts and provide examples of strategies that can be built into a course.