Accommodations

Accessible furniture is any item or piece of furniture that is provided by Accessibility Services and the Facilities Management office to help students better access your course.

Student Accommodation Instructions

• Students who experience significant pain or discomfort from using the standard furniture placed in most classrooms. Students may be unable to focus, engage, or benefit from the lecture if they are in pain.
• Students who are unable to use certain furniture that is typically placed in a classroom due to the design of the furniture. (E.g. lap desk chairs are unusable for a wheelchair user).
• Students who experience difficulty with maintaining focus for extended periods of time, or when there are external stimuli present, may have a space reserved that allows them to engage more thoroughly with the class.
• Students who may need to leave the classroom more frequently to manage their disability or medical condition may have a space reserved close to the exit.

As with most accommodations, the first notice you receive may be when the student requests a notification via our student portal. Additionally, all accessible furniture, including desks, chairs, and lecterns, will have a label from Accessibility Services indicating the furniture type, classroom number, location in the classroom, days and times it is to be utilized by the student, and the student’s initials.

• Discuss the furniture placement/reservation with the student so that you can check at the start of each class to determine if the furniture is where it belongs.
• If it is necessary to move this furniture, such as during group work that you or another class might have, it is important to ensure that it is moved back to its intended location.
• If the furniture is frequently moved or absent, please notify the Accessible Furniture Coordinator at furniture@csueastbay.edu.

The accommodation of accessible media provides for the remediation of inaccessible textbooks and course materials into an accessible format. Most often this is a digital format that can be read by screen readers or text to speech software. This accommodation includes the remediation of printed and electronic materials. For inaccessible electronic materials (e.g. scanned PDF files), we may need to convert them into a larger format, create a tagged PDFs, or convert the document into an MP3, depending on the student’s specific barriers.

Student Accommodation Instructions

• Students who experience barriers with efficient or effective comprehension of text may benefit from the ability to convert the text into an alternate font, change the color contrast, or to have the text read aloud.
• Students who are unable to access most or all visual material may benefit from the ability to have text in a larger font or audio format.
• Students who experience barriers related to sustained attention may benefit from having multiple options for engagement, such as the ability to listen and read at the same time.

First and foremost, you can be the most helpful when you submit your textbook(s) by the deadlines established by Academic Affairs, the Bookstore and ITS Accessibility (reference: Office of Academic Affairs Policy on Timely Adoption of Textbooks). This includes notification of no textbook requirements or materials that will be available outside of the Bookstore. The ITS may contact you for more information about non-Bookstore supplied materials.

Please be sure to provide updates about course materials you plan to use to students and ITS as soon as possible. Students may need additional time to complete course objectives if they do not have access to accessible course materials at the same time as other students.

Accessible testing accommodations are adjustments that are applied during a student’s exams. These accommodations are approved by the students Accessibility Counselor and are based on the testing-related barriers the student experiences.

Student Accommodation Instructions | In-Person Testing

Student Accommodation Instructions | Remote Testing

• Students who experience barriers with fully and effectively demonstrating their knowledge in the time given.
• Students whose exams are not in an accessible format and cannot be readily understood by the student.
• Students who experience barriers with processing and recall of information when there is external stimuli present, such as in a traditional classroom setting.

Due to the varying environments in which a student might be taking their exam (on campus vs online) the process for implementing a student's testing accommodations differs from course to course. However, the initial request process is always student-initiated and starts with the student requesting that a notification email be sent to you that lists the specific accommodations they want to share.

The processes for on campus and online exams are outlined below.

Below are specific instructions on how to adjust time on Canvas exams for students that have extended time accommodations:

Using New Quiz Engine - Canvas New Quiz: Adding Accommodations article https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Instructor-Guide/How-do-I-add-accommodations-for-a-student-in-New-Quizzes/ta-p/1092

Using Classic Quiz Engine - Canvas Classic Quiz: Adding Extra Attempts and Extra Time article https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Instructor-Guide/Once-I-publish-a-quiz-how-can-I-give-my-students-extra-attempts/ta-p/1242

For additional assistance, we recommend contacting Faculty Support at 510-885-2700 bbhelp@csueastbay.edu https://www.csueastbay.edu/online/faculty-support.html

Below are specific instructions on how to adjust time on Blackboard exams for students that have extended time accommodations.
1) Navigate to where the test is deployed.
2) Select the drop down menu next to the test name, choose "Edit the Test Options."
3) Find "Test Availability Exceptions" > select "Add User or Group."
4) Choose the student's name, then select “Submit”.
5) Check the timer field and change the time to comply with the student's accommodation.
6) Submit

Please Note: The Accessible Testing office does not have access to your Canvas or Blackboard Course space and cannot extend the time for your students. Please be sure to do this prior to the student's scheduled exam time.

Once the student has notified their instructor about their accommodations by requesting that, there are additional steps taken by the student to schedule their exams with the Accessible Testing office.

1. The student submits an Accessible Testing Request Form for each exam at least one week before the date of the exam. For Finals Week, the deadline is two weeks before the first Final exam of the semester.
2. The instructor submits the Testing Conditions Google Form for Finals, Midterms and Quizzes. This will be sent by the Accessible Testing Office at least four days before the exam.
3. Using the information provided in the testing conditions forms, the Accessible Testing office will schedule a room and a proctor for the student’s exam.
4. The student is notified via Google Calendar and their Horizon email, confirming the date, time, and location for their exam.
5. The instructor will also receive an email confirmation sharing when the student is scheduled to take the exam.
6. Faculty must provide a copy of their exam at least 48 hours (two business days) before the scheduled exam time. Certain accommodations take time to coordinate (e.g. alternate formats). The requested lead time provides the Accessible Testing office the time needed to ensure that a student's accommodations are implemented effectively.
7. Accessible Testing will proctor according to the exam conditions provided by the instructor and will ensure that the student’s accommodations are provided for the exam.
8. If the student does not arrive to complete the exam with our office, the instructor is notified.
9. If the student has any questions while taking the exam, we will try to contact the instructor using the contact information provided on the exam conditions Google form. If an instructor does not permit students in the class to ask questions during the exam, we ask that they please notify the Accessible Testing office.
10. Once the student has finished, or the time outlined by the exam conditions has expired, the proctor will collect the exam.
11. The exam will be delivered to your department within one business day.

As was the case with in-person exams, the request process for using the accessible testing accommodation is student-initiated. The student requests that their instructor be notified via email (or asks their Accessibility Counselor to do so) at the beginning of the term.

1. The student submits an Accessible Testing Request Form for each exam at least one week before the date of the exam. For Finals Week, the deadline is two weeks before the first Final exam of the semester.

2. The instructor submits Testing Conditions Google Form for Finals, Midterms and Finals. This will be sent by the Accessible Testing Office at least four days before the exam.

3. Using the information provided in the testing conditions forms the exam is scheduled with one of our proctors.

4.  A Zoom link will be created and sent to the student via Google Calendar and their Horizon email to confirm the date and time of the exam.

5. The instructor will receive an email confirmation sharing when the student is scheduled to take their exam. The step by step instructions on how to adjust time in blackboard is below:

   1.     Navigate to where the test is deployed

   2.     Click the drop down menu next to the test name, choose "Edit the Test Options"

   3.     Find "Test Availability Exceptions" > click "Add User or Group"

   4.     Choose the student's name, Submit

   5.     Check the timer field and change the time to comply with the student's accommodation

   6.     Submit

6. Accessible Testing will proctor the exam according to the exam conditions provided by the instructor and will ensure that the student’s accommodations (other than extended time) are provided for the exam. Please Note: The Accessible Testing office does not have access to your Blackboard Course space and cannot extend the time for your students. Please be sure to do this prior to the students scheduled exam time.

7. If the student does not arrive to complete the exam with our office, the instructor is notified.

8. If the student has any questions while taking the exam, we will try to contact the professor using the contact information provided on the exam conditions Google form. If an instructor does not permit students in the class to ask questions during the exam, we ask that they please notify the Accessible Testing office.

What if a student chooses not to utilize their accessible testing accommodations?

Students have the right to choose when to notify faculty about their accommodations. When students have their welcome meeting with a counselor, their counselor will recommend that they send request for their instructor(s) to receive a notification email at the beginning of each term, even if they are unsure whether they will be needed. However, students may choose not to notify their instructors for a variety of reasons including perceptions of stigma and fear of judgement or retaliation. While Accessibility Services sends out messages at regular intervals to our students reminding them to notify their instructors, it ultimately falls on the student to take this first step.
While a student has the right to disclose their accommodations at any point in the semester, it is important to note that accommodations are not retroactive. If a student requests to notify their instructor later in the semester, the instructor is not obligated to apply those accommodations to work completed prior to that date.

How early should I send my exam to the Accessible Testing Office?

Instructors should send their exam via email to the Accessible Testing Office at least 48 business hours prior to the exam time.

What if the student can take the exam over the course of a week instead of in one sitting?

Generally speaking, when students can take an exam over the course of a few days to a week instead of one sitting, time accommodations do not apply. This does not apply to exams such as comps. Please consult with the student’s accessibility counselor should you have any questions regarding when or how to apply a student’s accommodations.

What if the student does not show for their exam?

If a student does not show for their exam with Accessibility Services proctoring, our Accessible Testing Office will inform the instructor of this and ask that instructor for guidance.
If a student is going to be absent from their exam day/time, they are to notify both the instructor and (assuming they take the exam with Accessibility Services) the Accessible Testing Office.

An assistive listening device is a piece of assistive technology that amplifies the voice of an instructor or, in some cases, a classmate.

Student Accommodation Instructions

The barriers removed by this particular accommodation are fairly specific to students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. While course notes can help to reduce some barriers associated with capturing lecture for later review, this is not a sufficient replacement for active and timely participation during lecture.

Once a student has requested an assistive listening device from our Assistive Technology Services Office (ATSO), you will be asked to wear a microphone that will amplify your voice to the assistive listening device the student is utilizing.

The request may come from either the student or their Accessibility Counselor asking you to wear a microphone for each class meeting, however also you may also receive an email from our Assistive Technology Services Office requesting that all audio/video course materials be captioned.

In addition to wearing a microphone during class, you may be asked to provide information to our office about your course material, videos, or other auditory information you plan to use in your course. In order to minimize delays to students and improve their ability to engage in your course, it is helpful for us to have this information as soon as possible, and to be updated when you make changes to your course materials.

This accommodation gives students the ability to record the audio from their class lectures. This accommodation is approved for students experiencing barriers with obtaining, retaining, and/or understanding the material presented during a lecture, lab, or activity.

Student Accommodation Instructions

This accommodation helps to provide access to a wide variety of students. Although disabilities affect everyone differently, some common examples of the barriers removed by Audio Recording of Courses accommodation are:

• Students unable to type or write quickly enough for the pace of the lecture.
• Students whose attention is compromised in the presence of external stimuli that is inherent to a traditional classroom environment.
• Students who may need to leave the classroom periodically in order to manage their health or medical condition.
• Student who experience barriers quickly assimilating or engaging with new information.
• Students who experience barriers with engaging with more than one or two complex cognitive tasks. For example, the act of writing what is presented on the board, listening to the instructor, processing the information and linking it to previously learned information, while also processing points of confusion so that they can ask questions, may present challenges for a good number of students.

If you have concerns with the audio recording of your lectures, labs, etc., please reach out to the student’s accessibility counselor right away. There is an “Audio Recording Terms of Agreement” that could be signed by the student that might also help to address your concerns. The agreement includes the following:

• Record solely in pursuit of your educational program, not for any commercial or non-educational purpose.
• Not engage in any undisclosed recordings of courses or interactions.
• Not share these audio recordings with anyone, nor play them for anyone else. I agree that these audio recordings will be used only by me, and solely in pursuit of my educational program. I agree that I will not utilize these audio recordings for any commercial or non-educational purpose.
• Erase the audio recordings within 14 days after issuance of a grade. In the event that I need to retain the audio recordings after the class has concluded, I will request written permission from the instructor. I understand that the instructor will decide whether I may retain the audio recordings for a longer period, and under what conditions.

This accommodation is just for the recording of lecture audio. However, instructors are encouraged to record lecture videos to share with all students as it can be helpful for students to refer back to the lecture and can help with the overall understanding of lecture material. To learn how to record video in Zoom, instructors can go to this website.

Course Notes is a note-taking accommodation that gives students access to a third-party vendor called Messenger Pigeon. Students will record audio of their class’s lectures and upload it to Messenger Pigeon. A Messenger Pigeon note taker then listens to the audio and creates notes based on it. Those notes are then uploaded to the student’s Messenger Pigeon account within 48 hours. If needed, students may discuss alternative means of accessing their notes with their Accessibility Counselor.

Student Accommodation Instructions

This accommodation helps to provide access to a wide variety of students. Although disabilities affect everyone differently, some common examples of barriers that are removed with a course notes accommodation are:

• Students unable to type or write quickly enough for the pace of the lecture.
• Students whose attention is compromised in the presence of external stimuli that is inherent to a traditional classroom environment.
• Student who experience barriers quickly assimilating or engaging with new information.
• Students who experience barriers with engaging with more than one or two complex cognitive tasks. For example, the act of writing what is presented on the board, listening to the instructor, processing the information and linking it to previously learned information, while also processing points of confusion so that they can ask questions, may present challenges for a good number of students.

Students are encouraged to request that their instructors be notified about their accommodations at the beginning of each semester. If their accommodations include “Course Notes & Audio Recording of Courses” the student is notifying their instructors that they will be recording audio for use in Messenger Pigeon.

Students then begin recording the audio of your lectures and manage their own usage of Messenger Pigeon.

Instructors can help facilitate this accommodation by recording their Zoom lectures and uploading both the video and audio files to Blackboard. This allows students with this accommodation to directly upload the audio file to Messenger Pigeon.

“Agreement Accommodations” is the umbrella term used in reference to accommodations which inherently require a collaborative discussion. There are four accommodations under this designation.

Students are approved for these accommodations when they may encounter barriers related to certain class policies due to the nature of their disability. These accommodations are not approved when the root cause of the student’s challenge is related to a skill deficit, conflicting life obligations, or personal choices that impact their ability to meet course expectations. Students and faculty are equally encouraged to include the student’s Accessibility Counselor if they would like support in determining reasonable parameters for the accommodation.

Important reminders about these accommodations:

1. Accommodations are not retroactive, and it is at faculty discretion to provide the agreed upon parameters prior to the date they receive the Accommodation Notification.
2. Agreements should list specific expectations and logistics to minimize confusion. Agreements that are vague, broad, or unspecific often result in students and instructors failing to meet each other's expectations.
3. AS can be included in the conversation at any point in the process, at the request of the student or instructor.
4. Concerns regarding whether the accommodation is reasonable should be brought directly to the Accessibility Counselor, not the student. If necessary, the Accessibility Counselor will communicate with the student about alternative accommodations.

The interactive process is a legal requirement of the accommodation process. For straightforward, or simple, accommodations, the interactive process may only require an email confirmation. For Agreement Accommodations, the interactive process may require one or more meetings between the instructor, student, and Accessibility Services. We have created a one page summary of the Interactive Process.

The Reasonable Extension of Assignment Due Dates accommodation provides flexibility with the submission of assignments, as due dates might pose a barrier for some students with disabilities. This accommodation provides reasonable extensions to course deadlines outlined in the syllabus. This accommodation should be used to provide reasonable extensions to the deadlines outlined in the syllabus and is not a blanket removal of all deadlines. Additionally, the parameters of this accommodation will vary from course to course and assignment to assignment, as this accommodation should not compromise the learning objectives of the course.

Student Accommodation Instructions

This accommodation could help provide access to a wide variety of students. Although disability affects everyone differently, some common examples of who might use the extension of assignment accommodation are:

• Students who require the use of assistive technology to access inaccessible course materials or to complete assignments may need more time than is provided in the syllabus. While assistive technology removes many barriers, students using this technology may require more time to complete course objectives than their non-disabled peers need to complete the same work.
• Students whose concentration or focus is compromised in a traditional college setting.
• Students whose disability may become exacerbated unpredictably and who are required to spend time addressing their health prior to continuing with their school work.
• Students whose stamina may be compromised during long or rigorous activities such as reading, working, or walking for extended periods of time.

The following questions should guide the discussion regarding the possible extension of deadlines:

• What does the course description and syllabus say regarding assignment deadlines? Will the assignment be discussed in class at a particular time?
• Does the fundamental nature of the course rely upon assignments being turned in at the designated time?
• To what degree does a student's failure to turn in an assignment by the deadline constitute a significant loss of the educational experience of other students in the class?
• What is the method by which the final course grade is calculated?
• Additionally, during this discussion, the student may propose specific extensions they feel they will need. If the student’s amount of time is reasonable, it is recommended you agree to accept the assignment at a later date. If you feel the extension is unreasonable, explain why that would be the case.

Prior to determining that a specific extension is unreasonable, please consider whether the assignment or request falls into one of the following categories:

• The assignment extension would have a negative impact on other students in the class. This is common with group projects.
• The assignment extension could have a negative impact on the student requesting the extension. This is most common with class discussions.
• The student’s request for extension is coming after the assignment was supposed to be submitted. Unless specified in the student's accommodations, requests for extensions need to be submitted prior to missing the deadline.
• The extension of the assignment alters a key course requirement

If you feel that a specific extension request is unreasonable, or that extension requests in general are unreasonable, please reach out to the student’s Accessibility Counselor prior to discussing your concerns with the student. Please be prepared to clearly explain why you feel the extension request will compromise the learning objectives of your course. In preparation for this conversation, we recommend considering alternative accommodations.

• Some possible alternatives would be to allow access to assignments earlier so the student may work ahead. Another option might be to approve a shorter extension.

Students have the right to choose when to notify faculty about their accommodations. When students have their welcome meeting with a counselor, their counselor will recommend that they request a notification be sent to all of their instructor(s) via email at the beginning of each term, even if they are unsure whether they will be needed. However, students may choose not to notify their instructors for a variety of reasons including perceptions of stigma and fear of judgement or retaliation. While Accessibility Services sends out messages at regular intervals to our students reminding them to notify their instructors, it ultimately falls on the student to take this first step.
While a student has the right to disclose their accommodations at any point in the semester, it is important to note that accommodations are not retroactive. If a student requests that their instructor be notified later in the semester, the instructor is not obligated to apply those accommodations to work submitted prior to that date.

“Agreement Accommodations” is the umbrella term used in reference to accommodations which inherently require a collaborative discussion. There are four accommodations under this designation.

Students are approved for these accommodations when they may encounter barriers related to certain class policies due to the nature of their disability. These accommodations are not approved when the root cause of the student’s challenge is related to a skill deficit, conflicting life obligations, or personal choices that impact their ability to meet course expectations. Students and faculty are equally encouraged to include the student’s Accessibility Counselor if they would like support in determining reasonable parameters for the accommodation.

Important reminders about these accommodations:

1. Accommodations are not retroactive, and it is at faculty discretion to provide the agreed upon parameters prior to the date they receive the Accommodation Notification.
2. Agreements should list specific expectations and logistics to minimize confusion. Agreements that are vague, broad, or unspecific often result in students and instructors failing to meet each other's expectations.
3. AS can be included in the conversation at any point in the process, at the request of the student or instructor.
4. Concerns regarding whether the accommodation is reasonable should be brought directly to the Accessibility Counselor, not the student. If necessary, the Accessibility Counselor will communicate with the student about alternative accommodations.

The interactive process is a legal requirement of the accommodation process. For straightforward, or simple, accommodations, the interactive process may only require an email confirmation. For Agreement Accommodations, the interactive process may require one or more meetings between the instructor, student, and Accessibility Services. We have created a one page summary of the Interactive Process.

This Reasonable Modification of Course Attendance accommodation provides flexibility with the attendance policies to students who may experience barriers related to attending class periodically or unpredictably. When such students experience an exacerbation of their disability related symptoms, they might be unable to attend class. This accommodation helps to provide equal access for students by preventing them from being unfairly penalized for their disability.

Student Accommodation Instructions

Some attendance policies may present barriers for certain students with disabilities who may be unable to attend class on a periodic or unpredictable. Although disability affects everyone differently, some common examples of students who may need Flexible Course Attendance accommodation are:

• Students whose ability of attending the course is compromised due to episodic or chronic medical symptoms. These symptoms may be unpredictable and/or debilitating.
• Students whose health, or ability to manage their disability, will be compromised by attending class when their symptoms arise.
• Students who are receiving recurring medical treatment for a disability or ongoing medical condition.

Talk with the student and confer with their accessibility counselor to understand how many times the student may be unable to attend class for a disability-related reason. If the current attendance policy does not meet the needs of the student, consider what sort of flexibility can be reasonably provided without altering any fundamental course requirements. Instructors should give thought to the following:

• How does attendance factor into the grading process?
• What flexibility might be extended to students unable to attend class for non-disability related reasons? (e.g. illness, family emergency, etc)
• If the student did not attend, how would it affect the educational experience of the other students?
• What is the role of classroom participation and discussion in the learning process?
• What are other methods of engaging with the course material presented?
• If the student is unable to attend due to a disability-related reason, how could they be supported?

If you have questions about this accommodation, or feel that it might compromise the learning objectives of the course, please reach out to the student’s accessibility counselor to discuss possible alternatives prior to raising your concern with the student.

Students have the right to choose when to notify faculty about their accommodations. When students have their welcome meeting with a counselor,their counselor will recommend that they request a notification be sent to all of their instructor(s) via email at the beginning of each term, even if they are unsure whether they will be needed. However, students may choose not to notify their instructors for a variety of reasons including perceptions of stigma and fear of judgement or retaliation. While Accessibility Services sends out messages at regular intervals to our students reminding them to notify their instructors, it ultimately falls on the student to take this first step.
While a student has the right to disclose their accommodations at any point in the semester, it is important to note that accommodations are not retroactive.If a student chooses to notify their instructor later in the semester, the instructor is not obligated to apply those accommodations to exams taken acquired prior to that date., the instructor is not obligated to apply those accommodations to absences acquired prior to that date.

This accommodation is meant as a part of a larger conversation with the student’s accessibility counselor. This conversation will go over the specifics of the student’s barriers and will provide an opportunity to discuss solutions for your specific course. A student with this accommodation may only be sensitive to specific chemicals, or may have a broad sensitivity to multiple chemicals and fragrances. The specifics of each students needs will be discussed with the Accessibility Counselor.

Student Accommodation Instructions

Some fragrances or chemicals can cause certain students with disabilities to experience irritation and/or an allergic reaction. When the barrier of the fragrance/chemical is removed from the environment, it allows the student to physically attend the course without compromising their ability to engage with the material.

By working with the student and their accessibility counselor, an announcement will be developed that you will need to give at the beginning of the term. Strategies will also be developed for ensuring access for the student if there are any triggering fragrances or chemicals inherent to the course, such as in a chemistry lab.

Additionally, depending on the fragrance/chemical and the severity of the condition, an alternative plan may need to be developed for the student should they come into contact with a triggering fragrance or chemical in the classroom. For example, if a peer in the classroom forgets the announcement and attends class with a triggering fragrance, locating a desk/chair in the room where the student can sit comfortably.

An email from either the student or their accessibility counselor regarding this accommodation.

To both make the announcement during your first class meeting regarding the use of fragrances and to discuss any potential access issues with the student and their accessibility counselor (such as the example above). Some students in your course may struggle to remember the announcement. Reminders may need to be given periodically through the semester to ensure that the student is able to consistently attend class.

Often deaf students use American Sign Language (ASL), a language with its own syntax and grammar, different than English. However, there is a continuum of signed languages falling between ASL and signed exact English. Sign language interpreters typically work in teams, and alternate interpreting every 20 minutes. When the team interpreter is not interpreting, they are still present and ready to back-up the ‘working’ interpreter.

In a classroom, the interpreters will likely sit in the front of the classroom, near the instructor, so the student can see the interpreter, the instructor, and any visual aids (ie: PowerPoint slides). The team interpreter will be seated off to the side where they also can see the ‘working’ interpreter, the instructor, and any visual information. They will physically switch positions when they switch interpreting roles.

In a remote setting, the deaf student will usually use a second device connected to a Zoom session with the interpreters so they can clearly see the interpretation and your lecture. However, if the interpreters join the course Zoom session, they will turn off their camera when not interpreting.

Student Accommodation Instructions

Real time captioning (RTC) provides verbatim human-generated real-time typed captions for students. This is different from auto captioning on platforms such as Zoom. Zoom captions are software-generated with artificial intelligence and are roughly 80% accurate, well below the threshold for accessibility. For this reason, if a student receives real-time captioning as an accommodation, the use of machine-generated captioning will not suffice.

Captioners usually work solo, though may work in teams, depending on the nature and length of the assignment. Even prior to the pandemic, remote real time captioning was very common. When students use remote captioning, they will utilize their laptop in class to access the real time captions. The same is true when a captioner works on-site in a classroom.

Student Accommodation Instructions

Enabling the Zoom CC Live Transcript feature during lecture can be beneficial for many students in your class, and gives students the option to engage visually, auditorily, or both when accessing your lecture material. To enable closed captioning in a Zoom lecture, please refer to these instructions on the Zoom website.

Students with these accommodations initiate their accommodation by submitting their request. Once the request has been submitted, our Interpreting & RTC Coordinator will schedule service providers for the student’s class times. You may be contacted by our Interpreting & RTC Coordinator to assist in facilitating these accommodations during your lecture.

When working with deaf and hard of hearing students, please refer to our Working with Students Who Have Disabilities page for tips on working with students who use interpreters or real time captioning.

If a student is going to a campus event and needs interpreting or RTC they will need to submit a request for themselves. If the event organizer is requesting interpreting or RTC for someone else they can fill out this rrequest form for others. To ensure an interpreter or captioner is available we ask that this request be submitted with as much notice prior to the date of the event.

• Add in the link about making accessible events.
• If it is a virtual event, remember to enable the Zoom Live Transcript.
• Accessibility services recommends to include the following information on all event promotional materials:
• Individuals that require accommodations for this event please contact Accessibility Services as soon as possible prior to the event date

Email: as@csueastbay.edu | Phone: 510-885-3868

An individual who is not enrolled in your course/lab hired by Accessibility Services to aid students with fine motor impairments to perform certain physical requirements for lab activities.

Student Accommodations Instructions

Courses/labs that involve activities that rely on fine motor or dexterity may create barriers for otherwise qualified students who have limited use of their hands.

The student with this accommodation will request a lab assistant with Accessibility Services and we will hire one as soon as possible. This process ideally begins before the start of the term, however this is not always the case. Having your course syllabus available as soon as possible will help the student, and their accessibility counselor, determine if a lab assistant is necessary.

The lab assistant will follow the requests of the student who would otherwise be unable to perform the physical tasks outlined by the instructor and the course requirements. The lab assistant will not perform any tasks not explicitly requested by the student. For example, if the student instructs their lab assistant to perform an action that is incorrect, the lab assistant will not correct the student and will perform that incorrect action. The fact that the student has a lab assistant should not be providing them with an unfair advantage.

An email from the student and/or their accessibility counselor indicating they will be utilizing this accommodation and how they will be doing so.

Prior to the start of the term, you may receive an email from the student or their Accessibility Counselor, requesting a copy of your syllabus if it has not already been posted to the course space.

Additionally, we ask that you ensure that the student’s lab assistant has access to what is needed to perform their duties, such as supplies and sufficient space. , and that the lab assistant is not being a substitute for the student’s attendance.

“Agreement Accommodations” is the umbrella term used in reference to accommodations which inherently require a collaborative discussion. There are four accommodations under this designation.

Students are approved for these accommodations when they may encounter barriers related to certain class policies due to the nature of their disability. These accommodations are not approved when the root cause of the student’s challenge is related to a skill deficit, conflicting life obligations, or personal choices that impact their ability to meet course expectations. Students and faculty are equally encouraged to include the student’s Accessibility Counselor if they would like support in determining reasonable parameters for the accommodation.

Important reminders about these accommodations:

1. Accommodations are not retroactive, and it is at faculty discretion to provide the agreed upon parameters prior to the date they receive the Accommodation Notification.
2. Agreements should list specific expectations and logistics to minimize confusion. Agreements that are vague, broad, or unspecific often result in students and instructors failing to meet each other's expectations.
3. AS can be included in the conversation at any point in the process, at the request of the student or instructor.
4. Concerns regarding whether the accommodation is reasonable should be brought directly to the Accessibility Counselor, not the student. If necessary, the Accessibility Counselor will communicate with the student about alternative accommodations.

The interactive process is a legal requirement of the accommodation process. For straightforward, or simple, accommodations, the interactive process may only require an email confirmation. For Agreement Accommodations, the interactive process may require one or more meetings between the instructor, student, and Accessibility Services. We have created a one page summary of the Interactive Process.

A memory aid, or sometimes known as a “cue sheet”, is used by students to more efficiently or accurately recall learned information. The goal of the memory aid is to give students an equitable opportunity to demonstrate knowledge of course material, without providing the answer.

Student Accommodation Instructions

Certain exam structures (e.g. multiple choice, essay, short answer) may create barriers for students who have difficulty accessing the information they’ve learned when placed in certain environments or when asked in a particular way.

• One barrier that can be addressed through the use of memory aid would be that of the actual testing environment. If the environment cannot be adjusted sufficiently to remove barriers related to recalling information, a student may benefit from a memory aid.
• Another barrier might be the exam conditions. Exams that require uncued recall of explicit information may create barriers for students who have difficulty with efficiently or accurately recalling information in a short time frame. By having access to information that is non-essential to the test, a student may be able to demonstrate their mastery of the course information.

Although memory aids vary from student to student, and exam to exam, here are few common examples of what might be helpful or reasonable for a memory aid to contain:

• A list of key terms
• Personalized phrases
• Diagrams
• Tables
• List of steps in a procedure
• Formulas
• Acronyms
• Mnemonic devices (example: PANDA for the order of operations)

• Consider what you are assessing with the exam. For example, in a math class, students might be tested on whether or not they can solve a particular math equation. If an instructor were to grant a memory aid that included the formulas the student would still need the knowledge to solve the problem. In this scenario such a memory aid would be reasonable. However, for this same test, a memory aid containing examples of worked problems may not be reasonable.
• When making an agreement with a student be sure to clarify who will be expected to create the memory aid. In most cases, students are expected to create a rough draft of a memory aid that will then be reviewed by the instructor before being used on an exam. Sometimes instructors will offer to give the student a memory aid that they have created. Both options are fine as long as it is communicated clearly between parties and there is a reasonable amount of time to finalize the memory aid before the test.
• If an instructor believes that any sort of memory aid is unreasonable they should contact the student’s accessibility counselor. The counselor and instructor will review the course content and purpose of the exams to determine whether or not a memory aid will fundamentally alter the learning objectives.

Students have the right to choose when to notify faculty about their accommodations. When students have their welcome meeting with a counselor, their counselor will recommend that they request a notification be sent to all of their instructor(s) via email at the beginning of each term, even if they are unsure whether they will be needed. However, students may choose not to notify their instructors for a variety of reasons including perceptions of stigma and fear of judgement or retaliation. While Accessibility Services sends out messages at regular intervals to our students reminding them to notify their instructors, it ultimately falls on the student to take this first step.

While a student has the right to disclose their accommodations at any point in the semester, it is important to note that accommodations are not retroactive. If a student chooses to notify their instructor later in the semester, the instructor is not obligated to apply those accommodations to exams taken acquired prior to that date.

“Agreement Accommodations” is the umbrella term used in reference to accommodations which inherently require a collaborative discussion. There are four accommodations under this designation.

Students are approved for these accommodations when they may encounter barriers related to certain class policies due to the nature of their disability. These accommodations are not approved when the root cause of the student’s challenge is related to a skill deficit, conflicting life obligations, or personal choices that impact their ability to meet course expectations. Students and faculty are equally encouraged to include the student’s Accessibility Counselor if they would like support in determining reasonable parameters for the accommodation.

Important reminders about these accommodations:

1. Accommodations are not retroactive, and it is at faculty discretion to provide the agreed upon parameters prior to the date they receive the Accommodation Notification.
2. Agreements should list specific expectations and logistics to minimize confusion. Agreements that are vague, broad, or unspecific often result in students and instructors failing to meet each other's expectations.
3. AS can be included in the conversation at any point in the process, at the request of the student or instructor.
4. Concerns regarding whether the accommodation is reasonable should be brought directly to the Accessibility Counselor, not the student. If necessary, the Accessibility Counselor will communicate with the student about alternative accommodations.

The interactive process is a legal requirement of the accommodation process. For straightforward, or simple, accommodations, the interactive process may only require an email confirmation. For Agreement Accommodations, the interactive process may require one or more meetings between the instructor, student, and Accessibility Services. We have created a one page summary of the Interactive Process.

This accommodation allows students who experience certain barriers with demonstrating knowledge in particular formats an equitable opportunity to demonstrate the learning objectives for the course.

Student Accommodation Instructions

While student’s disabilities, and the barriers they experience, may vary from course to course, some common barriers that may be removed by this accommodation are:

• Assignments that are designed to put students in high impact situations, such as presenting to a class, may create barriers similar to those experienced in a testing environment, thereby limiting their ability to demonstrate their knowledge.
• Assignments that require students to respond with little notice or preparation, such as when being called on in class, may not give the student sufficient time to process the question and/or accurately recall an answer to the question.
• Assignments that directly conflict with a student’s impairment, such as a student who communicates nonverbally in a class that has an in class presentation assignment.

• The option to deliver a presentation assignment to the instructor during office hours instead of to the entire class.
• The option to write a paper instead of delivering a presentation.
• The option to record their presentation and share it with the class instead of delivering it in person.
• The option to respond to in class questions in an email after class.
• The option to raise their hand instead of being called on with no notice.

• What are the learning objectives of the assignment?
• What aspects of the assignment structure/parameters are required in order to demonstrate those learning objectives?
• Are there alternative methods of demonstrating the stated learning objectives, and are those reasonable in the context of the course?