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Accommodations

Reasonable accommodations are designed to "level the playing field" by reducing the impact of one's disability on a task or activity. Such adjustments do not guarantee a student's success, but are intended to offer a fair and equal opportunity for success despite a student's particular disability. Accommodations apply to the following categories:

  • Changes to a classroom environment or task that permit a student with a disability to participate in the educational process;
  • Removal of architectural barriers;
  • Modifications to policies, practices or procedures;
  • Provision of auxiliary aids and services; and
  • Other adaptations or modifications that enable a student to enjoy the benefits and privileges of the college's programs, services, and activities.

Depending on a student's disability-related needs for removing barriers in college classes or activities, one or more of the following accommodations may be approved (this list is not comprehensive):

Testing Accommodations

  • extended time (typically time and a half)
  • quiet, reduced-distraction setting
  • private setting
  • scribe or use of dictation software
  • reader or use of document or screen reading technology
  • use of a handheld basic function calculator
  • use of spell-check technology
  • alternate format (Braille, paper, digital, audio)
  • no scantron

Alternate format materials

  • handouts or textbooks in PDF, audio, or Braille

Assignments

  • extended time
  • alternate format
  • advance notice
  • use of dictation software

Assistive Technology (For more information, see our Assistive Technology page) (opens in a new window)

Enlarged Print or Braille

Interpretive Services

  • Sign Language Interpreters
  • CART (Communication Access Real-Time Translation)
  • AD (Audio Description)

Note-taking

  • Note-taker
  • Use of laptop, recorder, Smartpen, or camera
  • Copy of instructor notes

Preferential Seating

Video Captioning

Attendance

  • A student with a documented disability, especially one related to a chronic health condition, may qualify for consideration in regard to class absences and/or tardiness.

    • Such an accommodation is a request for flexibility in a faculty member’s course attendance policy.
    • The amount of flexibility will depend on the nature of the class and whether class participation is a factor in the final grade.
    • A student with a disability who is requesting attendance flexibility as an accommodation is ultimately responsible for completing all required coursework.
    • An attendance accommodation does not allow a student to have excessive absences in any given course.
      • In such cases, the student should consult with their instructor about options to withdraw from the course with a passing grade or to receive an incomplete grade where appropriate.
  • The following six factors should be used in considering if attendance is an essential element of a course:

    1. What are the classroom practices and policies regarding attendance?
    2. What do the course description and syllabus say?
    3. To what degree does a student’s failure to attend constitute a significant loss to the educational experience of the other students in the course?
    4. Does the functional nature of the course rely on student participation as an essential method for learning?
    5. Do student contributions constitute a significant component of the learning process?
    6. Are there classroom interactions between the instructor and the students and among students?

For questions about accommodations, please contact The Learner Accessibility & Equity Office at accessibility@southwesterncc.edu or call 828.339.4326.

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