Academic Accommodations Procedures

Testing Accommodations for Qualified Students with Disabilities

The process of determining reasonable and appropriate testing accommodations for students with disabilities is a collaborative one between Disability Resources (DR), faculty, and the student.

Procedures
Students should take the following steps to receive testing accommodations:

-Meet with assigned DR staff member each semester. If the student is eligible, an Accommodation Request Form (ARF) will be completed for each class for which testing accommodations are applicable. This should be done within the first couple of weeks of the semester or a minimum of two weeks before the first exam.

-It is the student's responsibility to arrange a meeting with the instructor to discuss accommodations and have the ARF form signed. During this meeting, students should ask how the instructor would like to handle testing accommodations.

Submission deadlines for Testing Accommodation Forms:

The student should fill out an online test request form at http://www.disability.ku.edu ONLY IF the instructor cannot make test arrangements.

-FIVE (5) working days PRIOR to the requested date for all non-final tests and quizzes.
-TEN (10) working days PRIOR to the LAST DAY of classes for final exams.

NOTE: The date of the exam and weekends DO NOT COUNT when calculating working days.

Once a student submits the online test request form, Disability Resources reserves a room, arranges for a proctor and contacts the instructor about the test exchange. A confirmation email will be sent to the student, the instructor, and the proctor to confirm all details approximately two to three days before the exam.

General guidelines for exams administered through Disability Resources:

-Exams will be administered at the designated class time unless an alternate time is authorized by the instructor. Disability Resources will adhere strictly to designated start times and time limits. An exam will be returned to the instructor 15 minutes after the start time if a student is late for the exam.

-If for any reason a student will not be taking a scheduled exam through Disability Resources (including withdrawing from a course), the student must notify DR in person, through a phone call (785-864-2620), or via email (drtestcoord@ku.edu) so that the space may be used for other students.

-Disability Resources will make every effort to provide accommodations on evening exams; however, students may need to seek accommodations directly from faculty or try to schedule the exam during business hours.

-Students may choose to not use the testing accommodations.
  Faculty do not have an obligation to allow a make-up exam to retroactively
    accommodate a student who chooses not to use accommodations.
 Students have a responsibility to request exam accommodations in a timely manner,
    typically five business days.
 If the instructor is not able to make arrangements for test accommodations,
    students may fill out a Test Accommodation form online through the DR website.

-Any instance of academic misconduct as defined by University Senate Article II, Section 6 will be referred to the instructor.

Note-Taking for Qualified Students with Disabilities

Students must provide required disability documentation to Disability Resources (DR) that clearly supports the need for note-taking accommodations. Notetakers are solicited, in class, on a volunteer basis. If a student is dissatisfied with notes for any reason, the notetaker will be terminated and a new notetaker found. If the student receiving notes withdraws from a class, he or she must inform the notetaker and DR in writing within 24 hours. If the student terminates the notetaker, he or she must submit the reason for termination in writing to his/her DR professional staff.

Note: Students must attend class to obtain notes

Procedures for students, staff and faculty

Students

-Meet with Disability Resources staff to request accommodations.
-Review note-taking procedures with Disability Resources staff and pick up Non Carbon Paper (NCR) and Note-taking Instructions for each class.
-Meet with instructor to discuss accommodations in a timely manner.
-Ask the instructor for assistance in selection of the most qualified note-taker from the students who volunteer. Select a primary note-taker.
-If no one volunteers, contact Disability Resources immediately.
-Inquire whether instructor has adequate notes that can be shared.
-Attend class.

Faculty/Instructor Responsibilities

-Discuss note-taking accommodation request with student.
-If necessary, clarify procedures with Disability Resources.
-Read the in-class announcement requesting a volunteer note-taker.
-When asked, review the quality and content of notes and recommend the most qualified note-taker.

Primary Note-taker Responsibilities
-Provide clear and concise notes for the student.
-Supply copies of notes when requested by the student or instructor.
-Notify the student and Disability Resources immediately if dropping the course so that
-Pick up a letter of commendation for serving as a note-taker at the end of the course.

Alternative Print Policy and Procedures

Disability Resources at the University of Kansas will provide alternative text for required course readings to qualified students with disabilities. Textbook/print conversion is a time-intensive process and can require up to three to six months (e.g., math or science texts) to complete. To ensure the availability of these accommodations from the first day of class, students must provide qualifying disability documentation, meet the accommodation request deadlines, and follow specified procedures.

Policy

-Disability Resources professional staff must authorize alternative print as an accommodation.

-Requests for alternative text must be submitted a minimum of six (6) weeks in advance of the start of the semester.

-Disability Resources will convert materials to alternative formats for in-class required readings first and then as time allows will work with students on research materials in collaboration with the KU Libraries.

-Copyright law requires that students provide the books/materials (and a receipt for them) that are to be converted to alternative formats. Disability Resources will provide a verification receipt of materials delivered for text conversion.

-Disability Resources does not produce alternative text materials that are already available in the needed format at other sources (e.g., Learning Ally, internet, public libraries).

-Material that needs to be converted to e-text requires the removal of book bindings and thus may reduce or eliminate the potential for book resale at the end of the semester.

Procedure

-Students should meet with their Disability Resources coordinator to discuss eligibility for alternative formats. Students will be provided an orientation to the policies and procedures of requesting and using alternative formats. Students will be required to review and sign an Alternative Print Contract verifying that they understand the alternate print guidelines and their responsibilities in the process.

-Register for classes as soon as possible. As a student, it is your responsibility to schedule an appointment with your academic advisor in a timely manner and clear all holds so that you are eligible to enroll in classes as soon as you are allowed.

-Obtain a list of textbooks and other required readings for each course. If the material needs to be converted, students must provide all required readings to Disability Resources six (6) weeks before the semester begins. This includes textbooks, course packs, and any PDF or other documents posted to course Blackboard sites. The list of required books can be obtained in multiple ways (see "How to Obtain Your Reading List and Books" on p. 13).

-Check with Learning Ally for availability. Students can search Learning Ally's on-line catalogue at www.learningally.org/Audiobooks/21/. For each book requested, you need the following: author's full name, complete title of the text, edition number, and copyright year. Please note that ISBN is NOT a reliable way to search for these materials.

-If books are not available from Learning Ally, students must bring the textbooks with a copy of the receipt to the Disability Resources office for the conversion process at least six (6) weeks before the first day of class. Disability Resources cannot guarantee availability of alternate formats by the time classes begin unless the deadline is met. Material will be converted on a first-come, first-served basis once the deadline has passed. Students who miss the deadline will need to provide Disability Resources with a copy of each syllabus with reading due dates. (Brailled materials may require up to six months to obtain, so please communicate with DR staff individually about any material needed in Braille).

-Acquire appropriate equipment (e.g., Learning Ally playback equipment and software for PC or MAC). Equipment for Learning Ally playback is available for loan from Disability Resources in limited numbers on a first-come, first-served basis.

-At the end of the semester, all books obtained from Learning Ally through Disability Resources' institutional membership and any borrowed equipment must be returned. A hold will be placed on a student's record should any material not be returned to Disability Resources.

How to Obtain Your Reading List and Books

**First, it is crucial that students enroll in classes as soon as they are eligible to do so. Students should start obtaining book lists immediately upon enrollment.**

-Contact the course instructors to obtain a copy of the syllabus or a list of required reading either in person, by phone, or e-mail. If the instructor is unavailable, call the academic department and inquire if they have the syllabus or reading list for your class. You will need to obtain ALL required reading. This includes textbooks, course packs, and PDF and other documents that might be posted on Blackboard as required reading for the course.

-Contact the KU Bookstore at the Memorial Union. You can search for your books online at www.jayhawks.com; you will need to provide the course number and instructor. If your books are available, you may purchase them online and have them shipped to Disability Resources or to your home address. You may also contact the Jayhawk Bookstore (785-843-3826) or the University Book Shop (785-749-5206). Books are also available from Internet sources such as Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Half.com.

-If you are still unsuccessful in obtaining your book list, contact your Disability Resources professional staff member immediately.

Student Resources

The University provides assistive technology that students can use themselves in order to produce alternative text materials. Flatbed scanners, conversion software, and screen readers are available in the Budig Computer Lab, Anschutz Library, and the Kansas Union. Voice-to-text software and hardware are available in the JRP Learning Resource Center. A CCTV for enlarging print is available in Watson Library.

Another resource for students who need to obtain books and have either a computer or MP3 player is www.audible.com. This website allows individuals to purchase books already converted to audio files.

Sign Language Interpreting Services for Students

Disability Resources recognizes the importance of quality real-time auditory access to academic and co-curricular materials. Consequently, sign language interpreting and real-time speech-to-text services are integral pieces of the accommodation process for students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. The following procedures outline the provision of such services.

Procedures

-First day of class: On the first day of class, arrive a few minutes early and introduce yourself to the interpreter. The interpreter will be looking for you in the first row of the classroom or at the entrance of the lecture hall. Be sure your seat in each classroom is right for you. It is important that you have a direct line of vision to the instructor, the board or screen, and the interpreter.

-Course syllabus: It is your responsibility to secure a syllabus (an outline of the main topics covered throughout the semester) for each class and use it to plan for your assigned readings, exams, presentations, and final exam dates.

-Questions about class information: If you have questions about class information, ask the instructor. It can be very beneficial to meet with the instructor outside of class time, either during the instructor's office hours or by making an appointment with the instructor. You may request interpreting services for meetings with your instructors. If you want to talk briefly with the instructor or teaching assistant immediately preceding or following class, it is your responsibility to ask the interpreter if he/she can arrive before or stay after class for this purpose.

-Schedule changes: Disability Resources needs a copy of your class schedule and accommodation requests to arrange interpreters. Students eligible for early enrollment are encouraged to take advantage of this privilege and submit class schedules to the Interpreter Coordinator promptly. Students who do not take advantage of early enrollment will be ineligible to do so in successive semesters. Because of the limited availability of interpreters, schedules and schedule changes received less than five business days prior to the first day of class are at risk for starting the semester without a service provider. If you need to make a schedule change, please discuss your options with the Interpreter Coordinator before making the change to ensure the availability of a service provider.

-Attendance: If a student will be absent for any reason, it is important that he/she notify the Interpreter Coordinator as soon as possible but absolutely no later than 15 minutes before the class. When possible, a cancellation notice should be made a minimum of two business days in advance of the event/class. Failure to notify the Interpreter Coordinator in advance will result in that absence being counted as a no-show/no-call. The student is responsible for notifying the Interpreter Coordinator of his/her absence even if there is more than one D/HH student in the same class.

-To notify about an absence: Text: 785-691-7284, include your name and the course name in the message.

-Interpreter wait time: If you are late, the interpreter will wait 10 minutes for a 50-minute class and 15 minutes for classes longer than an hour. If you do not arrive to your class within these timelines, the interpreter will leave and notify the Interpreter Coordinator of a no-show/no-call.

-Student no-show/no-call: After third no-show/no call per class per semester, interpreting services will be suspended for that class. It is the student's responsibility to arrange a meeting with the Interpreter Coordinator to discuss the situation and review DR policies regarding cancellations. After this meeting, interpreting services for that class will resume.

-After fourth no-show/no call per class per semester, interpreting services will be cancelled for that class. It is the student's responsibility to arrange a meeting with the Interpreter Coordinator to discuss the potential continuance of interpreting services for the class in question. After this meeting, services may or may not be reinstated depending on the availability of interpreters.

-Interpreter no show: Contact the Disability Resources Office mehennin@ku.edu or kimbates@ku.edu or text 785-691-7284 if the interpreter does not show up for class. As a last resort, a digital audio recorder is available from Disability Resources to record lectures, and arrangements can be made for audio recordings to be transcribed as soon as possible.

-Communication with your interpreter: Communicate with your interpreter. If you have problems understanding signs used or any other concerns, discuss the concerns with the interpreter. On the first day of class or early in the semester, let the interpreter know if you will be voicing for yourself or prefer him/her to voice for you. Let the interpreter know your sign preference (ASL, PSE, SEE), seating preference, and/or concerns you are having that affect your ability to understand the interpreter. If your concerns are not resolved after talking with the interpreter, address your concerns with the Interpreter Coordinator.

-Confidentiality: KU interpreters are expected to conduct themselves in a manner consistent with the professional standards set by the Registry of Interpreters of the Deaf (RID) Code of Professional Conduct as well as abide by all University Policies and Procedures and the regulations set forth in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

-Interpreters at the University of Kansas may share classroom accommodation-related issues with other Disability Resources staff on a "need to know" basis. As a result, there will be times when interpreters share typically confidential information about students and work experiences/challenges for the purpose of improving the quality of the Disability Resources services.

-Internships: Students may be involved with internships or field work placements as part of their academic program. Disability Resources considers internships and field work placements in the same light as regularly scheduled courses at KU. All of the responsibilities and policies regarding use of services (i.e., interpreting and speech-to-text services) remain in effect for all students who earn course credit in field placement(s) and internship programs.

-Transportation: Some courses or course assignments may be held off campus (i.e., not on KU's main campus). Students are responsible for arranging their own transportation to and from the off-campus site. Disability Resources staff and contracted service providers do not provide transportation for deaf and hard of hearing students to or from campus or other sites. This applies to internships, field placements, group meetings, courses, and other placements that take place off campus.

-Additional academic interpreting requests: If you need an interpreter for any other meeting (such as meeting during a professor's office hours), lecture, or class related activity it is imperative that you complete a Service Request Form at least 5 business days in advance so that an interpreter can be secured. This form can also be found on the KU Disability Resources web page.

-Non-academic interpreting requests: All extra-curricular (non-academic) or employment-related interpreting requests should be made to the department or organization hosting the activity or event. Host departments/organizations may consult or collaborate with Disability Resources in procuring interpreting services. If your requests for services are not satisfied, please contact Steve Ramirez, KU ADA Coordinator.

-Academic advisor: It is your academic responsibility to establish an on-going relationship with an academic advisor. This should be done during your first semester at the university so that you will have access to information for appropriate course selection during your academic career at KU. The Interpreter Coordinator will assist you with accommodation-related issues but will not assist you in choosing your classes. If you need an interpreter to meet with your advisor, plan ahead; complete a Service Request Form online at least five business days in advance.

-ITP students: Students in the Johnson County Community College's Interpreter Training Program (ITP) may be observing the interpreter or doing some interpreting for your class. This experience is a critical element of interpreter training. Student interpreters will NOT be observing YOU but rather the interpreting process. If a problem develops, inform the KU staff interpreter working with the intern so that the situation can be resolved.

Questions: Disability Resources is here as your ally. If you have any special needs or concerns, please direct them to the Interpreter Coordinator, Kim Bates, in 22 Strong Hall, 785-864-2620 (v/tty), or kimbates@ku.edu.