Information for Students
Academic Accommodations
Academic accommodations are services that provide equal educational
opportunities for students with disabilities. They are provided on an
individual basis and determined by documented need. DS will work with
students to identify needed services, accommodations, and equipment.
Accommodations available to students include the following:
Letters to Faculty
At the beginning of every semester students registered with DS may
request a letter for each of their classes that verifies disability
and appropriate accommodations. The student hand delivers the letter
to the instructor, giving the student an opportunity to discuss the
nature of the disability and any needs related to that class. DS professional
staff are available to the instructor for consultation if needed.
A Class Schedule form needs to be completed each semester to request that letters be created. The form may be completed in the DS Office or on the Class Schedule form page on the DS website
Test Accommodations
Test accommodations are provided on a case-by-case basis determined
by documented need. Test accommodations available to eligible students
include:
- Quiet room for exams
- Large print, CCTV, or Braille exam
- Extended testing time - DS determines the amount of extended time
based on the nature and severity of the student's disability and the
requirements of the test. For the majority of students, time-and-a-half
the regular test time is provided. Unlimited time for exams is not
considered a reasonable accommodation in higher education.
- Reader for exams
- Scribe for exams
- Computer for essay exams
Test accommodation may be provided by the course instructor, his/her
designee, or DS. To arrange test accommodation with DS, students must:
- Contact DS five business days in advance. Provide the course
name and number, instructor's name, date and time of the test, and
type of accommodation needed.
- Schedule the test for the same day and time as the rest of the class.
Students must obtain permission from the instructor to take tests
with DS on an alternate day or time.
- Arrive promptly at the DS office at the time the test is scheduled.
If a student is late, the time will be deducted from the extended
test time. An exception will be made in case of illness or delays
resulting from problems with VIAtrans.
- Bring a pen, pencil, Scantron, blue book, calculator, and/or whatever
other materials are needed to complete the test.
- DS will provide a proctor for exams. The proctor will administer
the exam according to directions provided by the instructor and ensure
that appropriate accommodations are made. The use of books and/or
notes during exams is generally not considered a reasonable accommodation
for a disability. Students must have permission from the instructor
to use books or notes during tests administered by DS.
- Students who must cancel or postpone a test are responsible for
contacting the instructor and notifying DS to reschedule.
Note-taking Services
UTSA relies upon a volunteer program for note-takers. Instructors identify
a student volunteer from whom the student with a disability
can obtain a copy of class notes. Note-takers can obtain carbonless
paper from DS or have their notes photocopied. Students may pick up
notes from the DS office or directly from the note-taker.
Instructors are asked not to identify students with disabilities when
a note-taker is requested. However, students are strongly encouraged
to identify themselves to their note-takers to facilitate communication.
Students should discuss any problems regarding the notes or note-taker
with the instructor and DS.
Alternative Print Formats
Disability Services (DS) provides textbooks and other materials in
an alternative format as an accommodation for students who cannot read
standard print effectively because of a visual impairment or other disability.
Textbook/print conversion is a time-intensive process, especially for
technical subject matter, and can require several weeks or even months
to complete. To ensure availability of alternative text from the first
day of class, students are advised to register early and submit requests
to DS well in advance of the start of the semester. DS cannot guarantee
timely accommodation for late requests, but will make every effort to
accommodate on a first-come, first-served basis according to the date
the request is submitted. In converting printed text to an alternate
format, DS will consider the student's request for a preferred medium,
the date the material is submitted to DS, the volume and quality of
the printed material, and the expected date of return in making the
decision as to which medium to utilize in converting the material.
When requesting text in an alternative format, the student is responsible
for providing all materials to DS. The student agrees not to copy or
distribute any alternate format text, nor allow anyone else to do so.
All alternative format materials must be returned to DS at the end of
each semester.
Accessible Formats
- RFB&D CDs- students with personal memberships in Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic (RFB&D) are responsible for acquiring and returning their own RFB&D audio-recorded texts. Students who are utilizing UTSA's institutional membership to access RFB&D CDs should register early for classes and request an Order Form for Recorded Text from DS. DS will order CDs from RFB&D based on the information provided by the student.
RFB&D will record textbooks not currently available in its audio library upon request. These special orders require six to nine months to process. Students must purchase one copy of each required text, and DS will provide the second copy required by RFB&D to provide this service. The student must acquire appropriate equipment (e.g., RFB&D compatible CD player) as necessary. DS can assist students in purchasing or obtaining equipment on loan.
- Electronic text (E-text) - DS will scan the material electronically and provide to the student as an e-mail attachment, on diskette or CD (compact disc). All files will be scanned and saved in a Word document format. The high-speed scanning process requires that the bindings be removed from the book. DS will rebind the material with plastic comb binding before returning to the student. Since the book has been taken apart, there is virtually no resale value. The student has the option of providing DS with quality Xeroxed copies of the text instead of having the bindings removed from the book.
- Braille - Students can request text materials such as a course syllabus, class handouts, and tests in Braille. Sometimes these materials can be acquired from the instructor already in electronic format, e.g., Word document saved in a diskette. Providing the document to DS in a diskette simplifies the process for converting text to Braille. However, if only a hard copy of the document is available, DS will scan the material and convert it to Braille. DS can convert text to Braille for some short documents on campus. These requests usually take two to three days to process. Requests for lengthy documents such as textbooks or specialized subjects such as math or music must be made well in advance as these materials are sent to outside sources to Braille.
Registration Assistance
Students are encouraged to schedule an appointment with their academic
advisors for assistance in selecting courses prior to registration.
Following academic advising, DS can assist students in completing the
registration process. Students with a disability-related need to register
earlier than their regularly scheduled time should discuss their needs
with DS.
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