At the beginning of each semester, your DSPS students will send you a faculty notification letter via our DSPS Online Portal (AIM). It contains details about the accommodations the student requested for your particular class. Please read this letter carefully, and contact DSPS if you have any questions.
The following examples demonstrate varying levels of instructor involvement in the accommodation process. The examples are not designed to guide the selection of accommodations for a particular student.
Recording class lectures and discussions might be a necessary accommodation for some students. If DSPS approves use of a recording device for a student, faculty must allow it. Recording devices are specifically mentioned in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act as a means of providing full participation in educational programs and activities. As a general rule, any classroom material on which a student typically would take notes might be recorded. Occasionally, classroom discussion reveals items of a personal nature about students. If open discussions tend to reveal personal information, it would be appropriate to ask the student with a disability to turn off the recording device during these discussions.
A student with a physical disability who cannot use the standard classroom desks might need to use a chair designated for that individual. The instructor’s role might be simply to assist the student in reserving the chair for his/her use.
A blind student might use a braille note taking device which stores information electronically. The instructor would need to remember to verbalize what s/he writes on the board or to describe verbally other items used in instruction.
A note taker, who might or might not be a student enrolled in your course, attends each class session in order to take notes for a student with a disability. You can assist by helping DSPS identify students who could act as note takers, some notetakers may qualify for priority course registration as an incentive.
Some students who are deaf or hard of hearing use assistive listening devices which amplify and transmit sound. Usually the person speaking wears some type of microphone, which transmits sound directly to a receiver being worn by the student. The instructor might be asked to wear a transmitter or microphone during class. Faculty might also need to restate questions or comments that are made by other students so that this information is transmitted to the student using the assistive listening device.
Students who are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing might use an American Sign Language interpreter or a Real-Time Captioner who transcribes the lecture so that the student can access instruction and participate in classroom discussion. The instructor should speak directly to the person who is deaf or hard of hearing rather than to the interpreter.
When a recommended accommodation is additional time on tests, instructors might choose to proctor the exam themselves or arrangements can be made to have DSPS proctor the exams at a distraction-reduced site.
In some circumstances, an alternative testing method will be an approved accommodation for a student. Some disabilities make it very difficult to accurately fill out a Scantron or other computer-scored answer sheet. On a multiple-choice exam an instructor might need to permit a student to circle his or her answers on the test document. The instructor will then need to hand-score the exam. Other examples include permitting a student to speak answers into a recording device or to a scribe or to type answers on a word processor.
Permitting students to show their knowledge or mastery of the subject matter by using an alternative testing method might be a necessary accommodation, provided that the change in method doesn't fundamentally alter the education program. For example, permitting an oral exam in lieu of a written exam might be permissible unless the purpose of the exam is also to test the writing ability of the student. Likewise, permitting an essay exam in lieu of a multiple-choice exam or vice versa might be acceptable in some situations.
Adaptations such as these ensure evaluation of the student’s achievement in the course, rather than reflecting the student’s sensory, manual, or speaking skills.
Technical vocabulary might be unfamiliar to students and an interpreter. Preparing a list of such terms will help students and interpreters keep up with the lecture.
Academic accommodations should not be used to lower academic standards. They are, rather, changes to a classroom environment or task that are necessary to provide equal opportunity to eligible students with disabilities. Accommodations are designed to assist students in overcoming functional limitations resulting from their disability. Students with disabilities will still be responsible for meeting course and conduct requirements.
Under the ADA, a "fundamental alteration" is a change that is so significant that it alters the essential nature of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations offered.
If you feel that an accommodation fundamentally alters a course and/or program, please contact the Director to discuss the process of completing the Determination of Fundamental Alteration of Course/Program form.
Under the ADA, a service animal is defined as a dog or miniature horse that has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability. Service animals are working animals, not pets. The work or task performed by the dog must be directly related to the person’s disability.
No, only Public Safety can ask the two questions permitted by law. Faculty/staff cannot ask a person about their disability or their service animal.
Call Public Safety at SLO: 805-546-3205/NCC: 805-591-6205
No, the ADA does not require service animals to wear a vest, ID tag or specific harness.
The ADA requires that service animals be under the control of the handler at all times. The service animal must be harnessed, leashed or tethered while in public places unless these devices interfere with the service animal’s work or the person’s disability prevents the use of these devices. In that case, the person must use voice, signal or other effective means to maintain control of the animal.
For further reference please review the ADA guidance provided by the DOJ or, for questions, please contact the DSPS Director.
For faculty holding in-person classes who are unable to meet a student's exam accommodations in class, DSPS is able to proctor tests in the testing center using an Alternative Testing Agreement completed online using the DSPS Faculty Portal (AIM).Please visit our Faculty How To page to learn more about managing Alternative Testing Accommodations and contact DSPS if you have any questions about testing accommodations.
Please visit our Faculty How To page to learn more about managing Alternative Testing Accommodations and contact DSPS if you have any questions about testing accommodations.
Visit the module page in the Canvas Teacher Community for instruction son how to extend time in Canvas (Note: Extending times for multiple exams in Canvas at once is only possible using the "New Quizzes" feature). To extend time in McGraw Hill Connect visit the Knowledge Base Article on Assignment Extensions.
Students using the Kurzweil text-to-speech browser extension may not be able to access exam content without modifying your remote proctoring solution (Honorlock Exam configuration).
Alternate Media Services allows students to obtain classroom materials in alternate form such as braille, tactile graphics, enlarged print and electronic text. Materials converted to electronic text can be utilized in a variety of programs that allow for student accommodations. For questions regarding alternative media, please contact the DSPS Alternate Media Facilitator.