The Office of Disability Services (ODS) is excited to announce the upcoming launch of our new and secure accommodations management system called Accommodate by Symplicity. The pandemic, quarantine, and remote learning/working experience quickly propelled ODS into re-evaluating all administrative, student, and instructor procedures. What became very apparent is ODS operations were ready to move into the burgeoning online world of functionality! Regardless of whether we are working on-campus or remotely, Accommodate will streamline all office functions with ease; meeting the needs of ALL users, despite the location of our working/learning environment.

Convenient

Accommodate is a data management system that will allow you to access and track accommodation forms for all students, in each class, and in one place.  No more stray accommodation forms or individual emails to keep track of!

Confidential

Accommodate provides a confidential and secure user experience for both the student and the faculty member.  Faculty can be assured that the accommodations requested by the student have been vetted and approved through the Office of Disability Services.  

Collaborative

Faculty will be notified of the approved accommodations that each student has requested specifically for each class and will have the ability to track these accommodations in one convenient place.  

Accommodate will also provide access to a faculty resource library including accommodation guides, best practices, answers to faculty questions and concerns, useful tips, and more!

IMPORTANT: Next Steps For Instructors

Accommodation Access Plans

*Please stay tuned for upcoming details announcing our Faculty Launch date and additional training materials (think spring Inservice).

This fall, as we work to transition our files and orient students and faculty, we are taking this rollout in steps. Instructors will receive Accommodation Access Plans from their student(s), via email. Please acknowledge you have read and received your student’s accommodation plan and Cc: disabilityservices@virginiawestern.edu in your message. Accommodations that alter the essential nature of the course should be noted, and we ask that you work with the student and/or ODS to determine a reasonable alternative to the accommodation.

We thank you for your patience as we make this transition. If you have any questions, concerns or suggestions, send them our way!

Sincerely,

Hillary Holland and Karole Passmore