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What Are Accommodations?

Accommodations are intended to offer students equal opportunity to meet essential program and course requirements. In high school, you may have called it an IEP or a disability accommodation. Providing accommodations invites collaboration between the student, Accessible Learning Services (ALS), and faculty as part of our shared duty to accommodate students with disabilities.  

Accommodations are based on the specific nature of the disability, student needs and academic program requirements. ALS has documentation on file that supports accommodations. They do not modify curriculum, course objectives, or change the core requirements of a program.  

Information related to your disability and accommodations is shared only with your written consent. No information related to your disability appears on your accommodation plan or on your academic transcript. 

Please note that Disability Services has been renamed Accessible Learning Services.  

Making an accommodation plan

Once you are registered with ALS, accommodation planning is a collaborative process between you and your accessibility consultant. Your individualized accommodation plan will be determined through your previous learning experience, the functional impact(s) of your disability, and the academic program requirements. 

During your studies, your accommodations may need to be reviewed or revised depending on the demands of specific courses, field placements and other factors. 

Types of accommodations

There are varying accommodations for tests, academics, and work integrated learning experiences, depending upon your previous learning experience, functional impact(s) of your disability, and academic program requirements.  

Examples of accommodations may include:

  • Extra time for testing (1.5 x duration of the class test) 
  • Accessible textbooks and course packs 
  • Use of assistive technology (Kurzweil, Dragon, Read and Write, Large Print, etc.) 
  • Note-taking support 
  • Reduced course load