Course Based Accommodations
- Notetaking
Notetaking accommodations provide students with disabilities, both physical and learning, access to lecture material. Notetakers are fellow students in the class.
- Audio Record Lectures
Students with visual disabilities, learning disabilities, ADD/ADHD, or physical disabilities may use a digital recorder to take notes or as a backup to notes received from the notetaker. Recording is the student's responsibility.
- Alternative Media
Students may need printed material in an alternative format, such as larger print, audio, or an electronic text version, due to a vision disorder, a reading disorder, or a physical disorder that makes reading typically printed materials either difficult or impossible.
- Sign Language Interpreting
Sign language interpreters facilitate communication between deaf and hearing individuals so that deaf students can participate on an equal basis with other students. The interpreter will interpret into sign language everything that is heard in the classroom as well as interpret into English all questions and comments signed by the deaf student(s).
- Speech to Text Services (CART)
Some deaf or hard-of-hearing students who don't use sign language may request speech-to-text transcription services. The speech-to-text transcriber provides communication access by listening to what is said in the classroom and re-presenting it as text via a court stenography machine or a laptop computer. With minimal delay, the information is transmitted to the student's computer or a monitor where the student then reads the transcript.
- Assistive Listening Devices
Many students who use hearing aids effectively in quiet environments have a difficult time following information presented in large college classrooms. Assistive Listening Devices (ALDs) can be used with or without hearing aids to address listening challenges in three ways: minimizing background noise, reducing the effect of distance between the sound source and the person with hearing loss, and overriding poor acoustics such as echo. The DRC has a limited number of ALDs for eligible students to check out on a semester-to-semester basis.
- Captioned Media (Closed or Open Captioned)
Audio-visual materials that are captioned provide visual access to the audio portion of the video or film for students who are deaf or hard of hearing.
- Specific Seating
Front-row seating may be necessary for students with various disabilities. Examples include students with hearing loss who rely on lip-reading, students with low vision who need to be near the board, students who need to record lectures, and students who have difficulty with attention.
- Accessible Furniture
Height-adjustable desks and chairs are placed in classrooms by the DRC in response to a request by a student with a disability. These items should not be removed or repositioned.
- Lab Assistance
A lab assistant provides physical assistance to DRC students in lab settings. Lab assistants should not do the work for the student but should manipulate materials, write, or complete other class-related tasks as directed by the student with a disability. The lab assistant will comply with all safety regulations required in the class. The DRC will hire and train the lab assistant.
- Equipment Loan
The DRC maintains a small loan bank of assistive technology, which can be loaned to students registered with our office on a short-term basis. Available equipment includes digital recorders, MP3 players, Victor Vibe readers, Eclipse readers, and FM systems.
- Priority Registration
To maximize each student's disability management when planning his or her course load, the university provides priority registration to students with disabilities through the DRC.
Eligibility is based on appropriate documentation of the disability and is determined on a case-by-case basis. Priority registration can be granted on a long- or short-term basis. Priority registration is available to DRC students:
- With mobility impairments that adversely impact their ability to get from class to class in a timely fashion.
- Who cannot attend classes during certain parts of the day due to documented medical needs (chemotherapy, renal dialysis, or stamina or fatigue issues).
- Who need to frequently arrange for on- and off-campus service providers (personal care assistants, paratransit transportation, etc.).
- Who use services requiring significant planning on DRC's part to arrange (sign language interpreting, real-time captioning, Braille, textbook conversion, etc.).
- With mobility impairments that adversely impact their ability to get from class to class in a timely fashion.
Students eligible for this service are encouraged to register early each semester in order to create a class schedule that meets their disability-related needs.