Faculty and teaching instructors at U-M have a new tool to enhance student learning: the Student Accessibility and Accommodation Services website, studentaccessibility.umich.edu. This platform replaces the longstanding Services for Students with Disabilities, offering a more integrated approach to student support. SAAS was established in 2021, consolidating key disability resources under one unit to better reflect a holistic approach. The digital home for student accommodations now aligns with SAAS’s mission to foster an accessible and inclusive academic experience.
“Our vision for SAAS is to create an academic experience, a campus and a world that values equity, accessibility, inclusion and belonging for all,” stated Oluwaferanmi Okanlami, SAAS’s inaugural director, known as “Dr. O” on campus. The website is part of a larger initiative to improve digital accessibility for all users, including faculty who teach and support students. It offers a disability accommodations syllabus statement template and comprehensive information on managing student accommodations, such as exam accommodations.
SAAS comprises four departments, each enhancing student well-being:
- Academic Support & Access Partnerships provides workshops, coaching, and programs to ensure academic success for disabled students.
- Adaptive Sports & Fitness promotes awareness, access, and participation in adaptive sports and fitness.
- Services for Students with Disabilities offers classroom and housing access for disabled students.
- Testing Accommodation Centers ensure equitable exam conditions in a secure environment for students with approved accommodations.
Previously bookmarked pages of SSD resources will redirect to the new SAAS site for six months, easing the transition for users.
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