Accommodations Glossary

Accommodations are not intended to reduce academic requirements, fundamentally alter the curriculum, compromise critical course objectives, or essential functions.

Accommodations are valid for the term and course, are not retroactive, and begin on the day the instructor receives the Faculty Notification Letter from Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD).

Students must request Faculty Notification Letters be sent each term they are enrolled.

Last-minute requests for accommodations that need advance planning time may pose barriers to the provision of accommodations for a particular test/exam or course assignment.

For questions related to accommodations, please contact SSD by email at Counseling.Services@tridenttech.edu or by phone at 843-574-6131.

Note: This glossary does not include all possible accommodations. Each accommodation is approved on a case-by-case basis.

Captions for Video/Media:

• Instructors: If media is not captioned, contact SSD for guidance.
• All course materials that include an audio portion should be captioned. If captioning is not already integrated with the audio or video material, a transcript of the audio must be provided to the student before the media is used. Inaccessible materials cannot be assigned as a course requirement.

Consideration for breaks due to medical condition:

• For students with disabilities who may need to leave the classroom if problems due to their condition occur
• It is recommended that students who have issues during class email or contact their instructor as soon as possible after the incident occurs and then work with the instructor to make up any missed work, if applicable. Should this happen continuously, SSD recommends that the instructor talk with the student and SSD to determine appropriate action.

Consideration for absences due to medical condition:

• For students whose disabilities require attendance consideration if problems due to their condition occur
• If it is thought that attendance can be justified as an integral part of how the course is taught and/or how learning is to be demonstrated and measured, there can be a point at which disability-related absences cannot be reasonably accommodated.
• If the maximum number of allowed absences is exceeded during the semester or module, the instructor should notify SSD to discuss an appropriate course of action. SSD should be informed as soon as possible so SSD staff can work with the instructor and student to come to a reasonable solution.

Extended Time for Assignments:

• Allows for flexibility in assignment deadlines if a student has a disability that may include random or cyclical acute episodes. The student should utilize the accommodation if they are experiencing limitations related to their documented disability.
• This accommodation is intended for use on an occasional basis and is not a “blanket” approval for assignments throughout the entire course.
• Accommodations are not retroactive, do not excuse prior late assignments or mitigate consequences from failing to meet deadlines.
• Missed assignments that occur prior to the instructor receiving the Faculty Notification are not covered under the accommodation process. SSD recommends that those missed assignments be handled in accordance with the course assignment policy.
• Students are responsible, prior to the assignment’s due date, for communicating with the instructor through email, phone, or in person to discuss a request for an extension on an assignment, the extended deadline, and the specific plan for meeting the extended deadline.
• Assignments cannot be submitted whenever desired. The accommodation is not intended to result in open-ended deadlines, submission after discussion has posted, or makeup of overdue or missed work. It does not extend to timed activities such as tests, quizzes, lab practicals or activities which require prescheduled class or group participation.

Extended Time for Testing:

• Provided for any type of timed test or activity given to students, including exams and quizzes
• Extended time on testing is typically set at time and a half. For example, if a test is scheduled for 60 minutes, a student approved for 1.5x extended time will receive an accommodated test time of 90 minutes. Extended testing time does not apply to untimed tests or testing windows. The amount of extended time on tests will vary depending on the individual student’s specific disability. Instructors should review each student's accommodation letter thoroughly.
• The accommodation does not directly apply to activities which require prescheduled in-class or group participation, such as in-person lab practicals.
• If the instructor cannot accommodate the extended time for testing in class, the student may test at the Testing Center.
• IMPORTANT: Instructors should not determine, nor adjust, the amount of extended time. Instructors should hold to the time identified in the student’s accommodation letter. If the instructor believes the amount of time should be adjusted, please contact SSD for discussion.
• Extended testing time does not apply to untimed tests.

Formula Sheet:

• For students whose disability impacts their ability to retrieve formulas
• A formula sheet should contain pertinent formulas for the materials to be tested but is not limited to those formulas. Students are expected to recognize what equations are pertinent to the current course materials and understand the proper use of the information.
• Use of a formula sheet should not compromise any critical course objectives or essential functions.

Instructor Notes / PowerPoints:

• If/when/as available, an instructor should provide their lecture notes or PowerPoint presentations to a student before the lecture. This allows the student to concentrate on the information given and participate in discussions. For some students, it is helpful to refer to these notes during lecture.
• Students with various disabilities may not be able to write notes from the board or the screen. This accommodation allows the student to use their smartphone to take photos of the board in an unobtrusive manner, i.e., with the sound turned off and taking the photos from their seat. The student can use this accommodation during a class lecture but not during a testing situation.

Personal Care Attendant (PCA):

• The student needs a Personal Care Attendant (PCA) who may be present in the classroom.
• It is the student’s responsibility to obtain a PCA and to communicate with instructors regarding the PCA’s presence in the classroom.
• As required, the PCA may assist with a student’s personal care needs in the classroom but may not assist with academic needs. It is not the responsibility of the PCA to be an academic advocate.
• The PCA is expected to allow the student to take responsibility for his/her own actions, refrain from speaking on the student's behalf, and discuss confidential information with others.

Preferential Seating:

• Preferential seating means a student is seated in a location most beneficial for his/her classroom learning, allowing them to see, hear, pay attention to or participate in activities the same ways as their peers.

Quiet Room for Testing:

• To provide access to course examinations, tests, and quizzes in a private or isolated setting, typically in a Testing Center
• The Testing Center can provide a quiet room for testing and has locations across all campuses. Students may discuss their preferred testing location with their instructors.
• Students are encouraged to make faculty aware of their intent to use their testing accommodations at the course's start. It is the student's responsibility to arrange with the Testing Center, if applicable.
• A quiet room means that the student needs to be assessed in a separate, reasonably quiet, low stimulus room on their own. The location chosen must allow students to start and finish assessments with little distraction or interruption. Tools that may help further reduce distractions for students may include noise cancelling headsets, ear plugs or study carrels.
• A quiet room for testing purposes should not compromise any critical course objectives or essential functions. Faculty should discuss with the student if this accommodation will be needed for this course's tests.

Scribe:

• Assigned to assist with writing or otherwise marking responses during tests for students who have limited fine motor ability and/or a vision disability. A scribe may write responses to essay questions or "show work" for math tests but only as verbally directed by the student who is testing. A scribe may also fill in Scantron responses as verbally directed by the student who is testing.
• A scribe is not allowed to independently edit, embellish or otherwise correct a student’s verbal responses to test questions or prompts.

Sign Language Interpreter (provided by SSD):

• Once approved for accommodation for a sign language interpreter by SSD, the student is responsible for submitting an ASL Interpreter Request Form for academic and other college activities.

Student may have seizures in class:

• A Special Medical Attention Form should be filled out stating the safety procedures to be followed if this is to occur. Forms are available at the Public Safety Office on Thornley Campus.

Use of a Calculator:

• For students whose disability impacts their ability to perform math calculations
• Only non-scientific, four-function calculators are allowed. Four-function calculators with the square root function are acceptable.
• Calculators that make noise must have the sound feature turned off. Calculators built into cellular phones, other electronic communication devices, or with built-in CAS (Computer Algebra Systems) are not considered acceptable under this accommodation.
• Use of a calculator should not compromise any critical course objectives or essential functions.

Use of a Computer/Laptop:

• For in-class work, allows a student to use their personal laptop or computer to record lectures, take notes or type answers to written exams or in-class writing assignments. Using a computer allows a student the opportunity to provide legible and organized responses.
• This accommodation will allow students to access a dictionary or spell check options during exams, but only when doing so does not compromise critical course objectives or essential functions.

Use of a Recording Device:

• Allows for audio-recording of class lectures, exclusively for their personal study.
• Recorded lectures may not be shared with others or used against the faculty member, other lecturers, or students whose classroom comments are recorded as a part of the class activity.
• A student may use their smartphone to record lectures.
• Not complying with these procedures may result in a Student Code of Conduct violation.

Use of Testing Center:

• To provide access, when necessary or by request, to course examinations, tests and quizzes for students whose documented disability affects their ability test.
• A student who receives this accommodation can elect to take tests in person at a Testing Center location on any campus. Students should discuss their preferred testing location with their instructors.
• Students are encouraged to make faculty aware of their intent to use their testing accommodations at the course's start. It is the student's responsibility to arrange with the Testing Center, if applicable.
• The Testing Center is a distraction-reduced testing environment outside the classroom that limits auditory and visual interruptions. It allows for increased control of lighting, noise, or other environmental distractions that may impact student performance in a testing situation. The environment is not required to be a private or isolated setting and can include testing near or with other students. The location chosen must allow for students to start and finish their exams with limited interruptions. Tools that may help further reduce distractions for students may include noise cancelling headsets, ear plugs, study carrels, etc.
• Use of the Testing Center should not compromise any critical course objectives or essential functions.
• In the event testing at a Testing Center location is not feasible, an alternative location, on or off campus, may be established by Faculty allowing for minimum distraction and disruption. Faculty are encouraged to work with students to establish an alternative location that ensures test standards and integrity are maintained.

Word Bank / Cue Sheet:

• For students who have difficulty retrieving precise words and/or names due to a disability
• Instructors should allow the student to use an appropriate and relevant list that contains terms and names needed for short answers, fill in the blank, and essay exams. IMPORTANT: A word bank /cue sheet is not intended to include content that will be directly assessed, but rather, prompts such as keywords, or mnemonics to assist the student with recall.
  • The student must submit a draft word bank to the instructor for approval before the exam.