An academic accommodation is an alteration in the usual way in which students perform academic tasks. Parts of a task may be changed through an accommodation if the changes do not remove an essential course or program requirement.
For example, writing the exams in a course typically would be an essential course requirement; however, writing the answers to essay exam forms by hand typically would not be essential. Therefore, a student who has difficulty writing by hand because of a disability may require the use of a word processor to complete the exams. The use of a word processor would be an academic accommodation.
The purpose of academic accommodation is to provide disabled students with the opportunity to achieve their academic potential in essentially the same tasks that other students are required to complete. Accommodation does not fundamentally alter the content of exams, the standards used to assign grades, or the requirement that students independently demonstrate their knowledge of course material.
Some of the support services currently offered at Bishop's include:
- Assistive Technology
- Tutoring-to provide individual tutoring in coursework (this tutoring is done by upper-year students)
- Scribes-to write/type from oral dictation for taking exams
- Note taking-to provide notes taken during class lectures and discussions
- Test accommodations- to write exams in a quiet location to reduce distractions, including extended time and the use of a computer)
- Permission for audio recording of lectures
- Equipment loan
The accommodations that SDO will recommend for students are based on:
- documentation of disability
- the requirements of the student's course
- the student's history of using accommodation and other methods of coping
