Accommodations
Policy
Student Access and Accommodation Services (SAAS) provides accommodations to students with disabilities and/or medical/mental health conditions once the student self-identifies, provides the appropriate documentation of disability and/or medical/mental health condition, and becomes eligible for services through the access training process.
Procedure
Once the Documentation Review Committee has approved a student’s submitted documentation, the student and the coordinator have completed the access training process, and the student has become eligible through the office, the SAAS office has primary responsibility for filling accommodation requests. When a student requests an accommodation, they must submit an accommodation request through the Accessible Information Management (AIM) online request system. Each request has specific submission date requirements or the request cannot be filled. Listed below are the accommodations the office provides and the submission deadlines. Complete and detailed procedures for filling accommodations requests are in the SAAS Policy and Procedures Manual.
E-Text or Braille
The student is approved for the text conversion service through the Documentation Review Committee. The coordinator will explain the text conversion service to the student during completion of the access training process. Details of text conversion services are available in the Text Conversion Policy and Procedure Manual.
Requests for each type of text conversion must be completed within two weeks after the start of advanced registration each semester. The textbook for each request must accompany the request form. In the case of E-Text and Braille, the binding of the book will be removed and the book will be rebound and given back to the student when the E-Text or Braille has been completed. If a request and the textbook are submitted later than the designated date each semester, the request will be completed as soon as is possible throughout the semester.
Seating Accommodations
Seating accommodations are for students requiring a specific table or chair within the classroom due to the impact of a documented disability and/or medical/mental health condition. SAAS collaborates with Facilities Management to provide these tables and chairs. Students needing such an accommodation are to contact SAAS. SAAS will contact the Facilities Management movers and request the appropriate table or chair for placement in the requested classroom.
Extended Exam Time
Extended exam time is provided for students whose documentation of disability and/or medical/mental health condition supports the need for this accommodation. Extended exam time means just that; extended. Extended exam time does not mean “as long as it takes until the student is finished” or that it is the decision of the student. The decision of the length of extended exam time is made by the Documentation Review Committee. The timelines in place are to assure equal opportunity to complete an exam due to disability and/or medical/mental health condition, yet are to ensure that students with disabilities and/or medical/mental health conditions are not given an advantage over other students also taking the exam. The following guidelines apply when a student uses extended exam time:
| Time and a half | Double Time | |
|---|---|---|
| 50 minute | 75 minutes (1 hour, 15 minutes) | 100 minutes (1 hour, 40 minutes) |
| 75 minutes | 112 minutes (1 hour, 52 minutes) | 150 minutes (2 hours, 30 minutes) |
| Final Exam | 3 hours | 4 hours |
Extended time does not apply to take-home exams and quizzes. Extended time applies to exams and quizzes where time to complete the exam/quiz is specified by the instructor. Online exams and quizzes that are available for a week, but students have a specific time to complete the exam/quiz once started, will receive an extension for the specific exam/quiz time, not the length for which they have access to the exam/quiz. If you have any questions about whether or not extended time applies, contact a SAAS coordinator.
If a student finds they may need more time, they are welcome to speak with their coordinator who in turn will present the request to the Documentation Review Committee.
It should be noted that a student may also work with their professor in obtaining a separate exam room with that professor if the professor is willing to provide this. However, the professor is not obligated to do so, since this accommodation is provided in the SAAS office.
Notetaker
A notetaker is provided for student whose documentation of disability and/or medical/mental health condition supports the need for this accommodation. To obtain this accommodation, the student must complete the Notetaker Request on AIM at the beginning of the semester or as soon as the student becomes eligible for services. The SAAS staff will find a volunteer in the same class to be a notetaker and then contact the student with the name and phone number of the volunteer. It is the student’s responsibility to call the volunteer to set up a time to meet within one week of assignment and get copies of the notes.
The student is also permitted to find a notetaker volunteer in the class. Often, the student will know someone in class who takes quality notes and be willing to be a volunteer. This may be a preferred source of notes by the student, because the individuals know each other. After the assistance has been provided to the student, the volunteer and the student should verify to the SAAS office the amount of time spent, so the volunteer hours can be logged for that volunteer.
It is required that the student attend all scheduled class sessions and take the best notes they can. If it is reported that the student is not attending class, and then asking for the notes, a suspension of notetaker as an accommodation will be considered by the director. It is the student's responsibility to communicate absences to their notetaker.
It is the responsibility of the student to either obtain the NCR (No Carbon Required) note paper from our office to use or bring the volunteer to the Text Conversion Lab to copy the volunteer’s notes. Both the NCR paper and the copying of notes are free of charge to the student.
Academic Aide
SAAS provides academic aides for students who require the assistance of another individual while in the classroom environment. Such assistance may be for students who are blind, low vision, or have limited mobility. Aides may perform such task as assisting with beakers and test tubes in a science laboratory, assisting with the removal or placement of a book/class materials in a backpack, or manipulation of materials in an art studio setting.
Aides are not provided by SAAS for personal assistance, i.e., dressing, bathing, toileting. These services are provided through independent agencies. SAAS staff will refer eligible students to the Department of Rehabilitation Services to receive assistance requesting this service.
Once the Documentation Review Committee has approved a student’s submitted documentation, the student and the coordinator have completed the access training process and the student has become eligible through the office, the coordinator for that student will assume primary responsibility for fulfilling Academic Aide accommodation requests. The coordinator will work with the SAAS office coordinator to determine the names of students who may be interested in being an Academic Aide. These names can be gleaned from the volunteer lists. The coordinator for the student will then contact the list of students to determine who would be interested in being an aide, the quality of service the aide will provide, schedules matching, introduction of the student and the aide, and talking with the professor of the class to explain the duties of the aide.
Exams in Audio Format
Exams in audio format are provided for students whose documentation of disability and/or medical/mental health condition supports the need for this accommodation. To obtain this accommodation, the student must check this box on the exam request on AIM and submit it three business days prior to the exam. The SAAS coordinator will find a volunteer to be a reader for the exam time or prepare the exam in audio format. Procedures for preparing an exam in audio format are available in the SAAS Policies and Procedures Manual.
If a student requests a reader for homework or personal use, SAAS is not required to find a volunteer, nor will be responsible for payment for such use. It is the student’s responsibility to find an individual, whether a volunteer or for pay, to complete that personal task. If the individual is to be paid, it is the student’s responsibility to arrange payment. The student may also work with the Department of Rehabilitation Services in regard to funding a reader for personal use.
Exam Room
Exam rooms are provided for all students who take exams at the SAAS office. Private exam rooms are provided for students whose documentation of disability and/or medical/mental health condition supports the need for this accommodation. The student must submit the Exam Request in AIM three business days prior to the exam. SAAS staff will schedule an exam room within SAAS for the specified exam time and the length of time requested.
It should be noted that a student may also work with their professor in obtaining a separate exam room if the professor is willing to provide this. However, the professor is not obligated to do so, since this accommodation is provided in the SAAS office.
Sign Language Interpreter/CART Provider
Sign Language Interpreters/CART providers are provided for students whose documentation of disability and/or medical/mental health condition supports the need for this accommodation. To obtain this accommodation for registered courses, the student must comply with the following timelines:
1. Requests for all courses for a semester must be submitted no later than two weeks after the start of advanced registration during the previous semester.
2. If a student registers for a course less than two weeks before the start of a semester, a sign language interpreter/CART provider is not guaranteed for the first week of classes.
3. Requests for a course starting in the middle of the semester (i.e., an eight-week course) must be submitted two weeks before the start of the course. If the student submits the request less than two weeks before the start the course, an interpreter/CART provider is not guaranteed for the first two weeks of classes.
If a student needs an interpreter for an event, they must submit it a request five business days prior to the date of the event. Failure to turn in the request in the specified time and to obtain the Senior Staff Interpreter’s authorization may result in the request not being filled and non-payment to the service provider. The Senior Staff Interpreter is responsible for filling the request.
Exam Requests
SAAS provides exam accommodations for students who have been approved for this accommodation.
- Exam requests must be submitted to AIM three business days prior to the date of the exam. NO late requests will be accepted.
- SAAS staff is responsible for processing the exam requests.
- The SAAS staff member is to check the following:
- Exam date and time is the same as when the class is to take the exam.
- Amount of exam time requested is appropriate to that student’s documented accommodations.
- If the student’s request has generated in AIM that the professor’s approval is needed for an alternate time or professor approved materials (i.e. change, exam time, use of notes, open book, calculator).
- SAAS staff is responsible for scheduling a room, managing volunteers, and obtaining, proctoring, and returning the exam back to the professor.
PLEASE NOTE: If a student is caught using unapproved materials during an exam/quiz, they will be referred to Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution by the director of SAAS.
Scribe for Tests and/or Scantrons
Scribes for exams and/or scantrons are provided for students whose documentation of disability and/or medical/mental health condition supports the need for this accommodation. To obtain this accommodation, the student must check the scribe box on the exam request on AIM and submit it three business days prior to the exam. SAAS staff will find a volunteer to be a writer for the exam time.
If a student wishes a scribe for homework or personal use, SAAS is not required to find a volunteer, nor will be responsible for payment for such use. It is the student’s responsibility to find an individual, whether a volunteer or for pay, to complete that personal task. If the individual is to be paid, it is the student’s responsibility to arrange payment. The student may also work with the Department of Rehabilitation Services in regards to funding a scribe for personal use.
Priority Registration
SAAS grants Priority Course Registration to specific students each semester. These students then may register for courses on the first day of registration each semester at the designated hourly time from the University Registrar.
Procedure
In the first month of each semester SAAS coordinators will be asked by the office manager to review a list of students who will be granted Priority Course Registration as an accommodation. The students who are granted priority registration may receive this for the following circumstances:
- Students with alternative format accommodations
- Students with mobility accommodations
- Students with health/medical accommodations
Once the coordinators have approved this list, which includes the student name and UID, it is then given to the University Registrar’s office where this data is logged, thus granting the student access to register the first day of Advanced Registration.