Academic Services

Types of Accommodations

Academic accommodations reduce or eliminate barriers to ensure you have equal access and opportunity to learn and participate in educational programs. This is accomplished with modifications, adjustments, auxilary aids and/or services with the sole purpose of providing equal opportunity to the educational process. It is useful to think about accommodations as adjustments to the way things are typically done. Appropriate accommodations vary for each student, but possible accommodations may include:

• Changes to the classroom environment or task that permit a student with a disability to participate in the educational process
• Modifications to policies, practices, or procedures (e.g., reduced courseload, testing accommodations, etc.)
• Provision of accessible instructional materials may include written or spoken communication including electronic text, braille, text enlargement, captions and CPRINT/CART, etc.
• Other adaptations or modifications that enable a student to enjoy the benefits and privileges of the college's programs, services and activities

Some academic accommodations are things that are done for you and can be put in place quickly. Others require your participation and have a specific process for implementation. If you are approved for any of the accommodations below, please be sure you understand your responsibilities for implementation. 

Alternative format requests

Students who receive “alternative format” accommodations require academic materials in particular formats in order to fully access the content; those formats can include large print, Braille, and electronic textbooks, among others. If you are approved for electronic textbooks specifically, your responsibilities include: 

• Signing up for Bookshare by opening the email from Bookshare Support and completing the individual membership using your personalized activitation ID
• Completing the Request for Electronic/Accessible Texts Google Form each semester so the bookstore can pull your booklist
• Responding to the bookstore with questions if it's not clear to you how to find the books listed on your booklist 
• Sending copies of receipts to the bookstore contact to obtain pdf's for books that are listed as ATM
• Purchasing ebooks when available 
• Contacting us anytime with questions or concerns

Assistive technology

Assistive Technology (AT) is an umbrella term for any device or system that allows individuals to perform tasks with increased ease or tasks they would otherwise be unable to do. We recommend multiple assistive technologies to students and offer specific devices and software as a way to ensure access to course materials and information. If you are approved to use Kurzweil or a Livescribe pen specifically, your responsibilities include: 

• Signing up for Kurzweil by clicking on the Kurzweil Self-Registration link that is sent to you by DAR
• Following the instructions emailed to you by DAR for checking out a Livescribe pen from the library
• Contacting us anytime with questions or concerns

Captioning

We know that studies have repeatedly documented that captions on a video improves comprehension of, attention to and memory for the video¹. Captions are beneficial for all students and particularly for students who are D/deaf or have hearing loss and for students watching videos in their non-native language. Some day, we hope that everything at Hope will be proactively captioned in every course. In the meantime, we will reach out to faculty each semester to ensure all audio/visual materials are captioned for students who are approved for captioning as an accommodation. If you are approved for this accommodation, your responsibilities include:

• Responding to emails from DAR with your schedule for the next semester after you have registered for courses 
• Contacting DAR if your schedule changes at any time during the semester 
• Contacting us anytime with questions or concerns

¹ Gernsbacher M. A. (2015). Video Captions Benefit Everyone. Policy insights from the behavioral and brain sciences, 2(1), 195–202. https://doi.org/10.1177/2372732215602130

Interpreters and CART/CPRINT

Qualified interpreters or live captions (CART/CPRINT) may be approved to provide communication access. CPRINT is similar to CART (communication access real-time translation) in that the service providers for both systems can provide a real-time display of the spoken information and transcript. C-Print captionists, however, provide a meaning-for-meaning representation of the spoken information versus verbatim, which has traditionally been the goal of CART providers.

Each semester, students must submit requests to use these services for courses with at least two weeks notice (or 10 business days, excluding holidays). Students may make requests with less notice but there is no guarantee that coverage will be available.

If you are approved for one of these accommodations, your responsibilities include: 

• Responding to emails from DAR with your schedule for the next semester after you have registered for courses 
• Contacting DAR if your schedule changes at any time during the semester 
• Communicating with the interpreter or captionist to set up and implement the service
• Contacting us anytime with questions or concerns

Note-taking assistance

Note-taking assistance accommodations are used by students for whom there are barriers to taking notes due to their disability.

Our primary method for providing note-taking assistance is through the use of assistive technology, primarily Livescribe pens and Glean. Students can choose other assistive technologies for note taking assistance, too. We are developing a note-taking toolbox that will be added to our assistive technology page soon.

If you are approved for this accommodation, your responsibilities may include: 

• Completing a Recorded Lecture Policy Agreement
• Following the instructions emailed to you by DAR for checking out a Livescribe pen from the library
• Downloading the Otter AI app for use on your cell phone or computer
• Contacting us anytime with questions or concerns

Testing accommodations

Testing accommodations are modifications to the regular testing environment, including the use of auxiliary aids, that allow individuals with disabilities to demonstrate their true aptitude or achievement level on assessments. Some examples of testing accommodations include Braille or enlarged font, screen reading technology, extended time, reduced-distraction rooms, etc.

If you are approved for this accommodation, your responsibilities include: 

• Notifying faculty of approved accommodations each semester by completing a semester request in Accommodate
• Reading and submitting the Testing Agreement 
• Completing a Request for Testing Accommodations form at least three business days in advance of needing to use testing accommodations in the DAR office 
• Read all emails with the subject line "Final Exam Accommodations" and follow the instructions to schedule final exams
• Contacting us anytime with questions or concerns

Stay up to date on everything you need to know about testing accommodations by reviewing updated testing accommodation information for students each academic year. 

This is not an exhaustive list of academic accommodations. If you have questions about accommodations you do not see here, please contact us. 

And that's not all! Our staff is available to meet with you to identify and problem solve disability related barriers you may experience during the transition to college, from a change in disability status to promoting successful learning. You can choose to meet with us once or on a regular basis. Sessions might focus on: 

• Self advocacy
• Individualized learning strategies
• Assistive technology
• Time management