Accessibility Services - What You Need to Know
Thursday, September 24, 2015
By: Carly Fleming
Accessing the resources you need at your school
All colleges and universities
have accessibility services (sometimes called disability services) that help
provide accommodations for students with different types of challenges. These
can include, but are not limited to, learning disabilities; brain injury;
vision and hearing difficulties; and mobility, psychological and medical
issues. In order to access the services,
students must register with the department providing these services and
provide supporting documentation.
What types of accommodations might be available?
- Quiet space
for exams and extra exam time
- Access to
specialized adaptive technology and alternative format textbooks
- Tutoring
- Note-taking
assistance, permission to tape record lectures
- Counselling
- Access to
learning strategists
- Use of a
sign-language interpreter
- Access to an
assistant in a laboratory setting
How do I get the services I need?
- Take a look
online to learn about the services available at your school/the school(s) you
are interested in. Or stop by the Accessibility/Disability Services office.
- Once you
have accepted your school’s offer of admission (and any time after that), you
can make an appointment to speak with a counsellor/case manager about your
unique situation. They will want to see any documentation you have about your
specific situation. This may include a neuro-psych report or an assessment from
the hospital where you were treated.All information that you provide to them
will be kept confidential unless you give permission for it to be shared. This
means that even your teachers don’t need to know about your specific needs or
the accommodations that you receive unless you give your permission.
Contact your local SAVTI
Counsellor if you would like to discuss your academic and accommodation needs.
SAVTI counsellors can help you every step of the way as you navigate your way
through the process of getting your academic needs met in college or university.
|