Amanda,
How does your student accessibility office determine if a particular accommodation is reasonable without consulting the faculty member responsible for the lab
and/or EH&S?
Chris
________________________________
Christopher M. Kolodziej, Ph.D.
Chemical Hygiene Officer
UCLA Environment, Health & Safety | Laboratory Safety
Mobile: (310) 261-8611
From: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
On Behalf Of Amanda MacPherson
Sent: Friday, April 5, 2019 12:32 PM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Food accommodations in the laboratory
Hi Denise,
No, neither the laboratory coordinator nor the laboratory instructor were consulted. We have a good relationship with the student accessibility office, but rarely do the consult with us about accommodations. It is normally when we are
trying to draft/revise a policy that we reach out to them.
Amanda,
My question is how was the accommodation approved (or was it) without/before talking to the lab manager/instructor? It seems to me that there are many lab related accommodations that are not being discussed with the necessary people, meaning
those involved in the lab and lab instruction at many institutions from conversations I have had with colleagues. Has any one else noticed this? Should the lab staff/faculty make the first move and talk to disability services regarding these issues? I am an
advocate for student accommodations in learning environments but it seems that the line of where we say what is or is not possible regarding laboratories is being pushed further and further and my worry is that we get to the point of a free for all and student
safety becomes compromised.
This is a question posed by one of the biology faculty at our school. What is the best way to manage a student with an accommodation for food or beverage in the lab? We have recently had a student with an accommodation to be able to chew
gum in one of our labs (in this case an anatomy lab). We were able to work around it in this case, but have ongoing questions about managing these lab situations. Has anyone else addressed similar situations?
--
Amanda MacPherson
Chemistry Laboratory Coordinator
Physical Sciences Department
York College of Pennsylvania
--- For more information about the DCHAS-L e-mail list, contact the Divisional membership chair at
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--
Denise Beautreau
General Chemistry Laboratory Manager
"The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well." "No one has ever become
poor by giving."
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membership**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org Follow us on Twitter **At_Symbol_Here**acsdchas
--
Amanda MacPherson
Chemistry Laboratory Coordinator
Physical Sciences Department
York College of Pennsylvania
--- For more information about the DCHAS-L e-mail list, contact the Divisional membership chair at
membership**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org Follow us on Twitter **At_Symbol_Here**acsdchas
