Academic Accommodations

Students in class taking exam

Accessibility Support Center: Accommodations & Services

For information on services and accommodations, it is best to refer to the ASC web page Links to an external site. or to contact the ASC directly. 

 

Academic Accommodations: Legal Requirements

All California community colleges are required by Title 5 regulations and section 504 to prohibit discrimination against students with learning or other disabilites by regulating that:

  • Tests which a college or university uses or relies upon, including standardized admissions tests, must not discriminate against persons with disabilities. Tests must be selected and administered so that the test results of students with impaired sensory, manual, or speaking skills are not distorted unfairly but accurately reflect the aptitude or achievement level and not his or her disability.
  • Students with impaired sensory, manual, or speaking skills must be provided auxiliary aids. This may be done by informing them of resources provided by the government or by charitable organizations.
  • Colleges and universities must also make reasonable modifications in academic requirements to ensure full access to educational opportunities for students with disabilities (Title 5, California Code of Regulations). Modifications must be reasonable and appropriate and cannot create a fundamental alteration of the course
    Of course, federal regulations, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the ADA Ammendments Act (ADAAA) and the National Rehabilitation Act, were also written to prevent discrimination against persons with disabilities.

One of the major responsibilities of a Learning Disabilities Specialist is to make sure that students with learning disabilities are given an equitable opportunity to compete in an academic setting. Support services include working with students and Cabrillo College staff to provide appropriate academic accommodations. These accommodations basically include three types

  • In-class accommodations
  • Services or auxiliary aids
  • Institutional accommodations

Examples of in-class accommodations are preferred seating, a student note-taker or extended time on tests. Services or auxiliary aids might include digital note-taking sofware or devices or using alternative-media to convert books into audio or digital format. Institutional accommodations include priority registration services and course substitutions or waivers. When adjusting a student’s academic plan and accommodations, the Learning Disabilities Specialist or ASC Counselor should:

  • Talk with the student to develop a set of accommodations that needed for disability-related reasons, address barriers a student might be experiencing, improve access, and that the student is interested in trying
  • Make sure that accommodations do not compromise the academic integrity of the student’s or college’s program and do not create a "fundamental alteration" to the course. A fundamental alteration would change something critical about the course such placing a barrier in the student's ability to learn the fundamental learning outcomes of the course.  
  • Maintain confidentiality

 

TYPICALLY REQUESTED ACADEMIC ACCOMMODATIONS

In-class accommodations and auxiliary aids may include, but are not limited to:

NOTE-TAKING

  • Digital notetaking app
  • Smart pen
  • Note-taker (student notetaker)
  • Laptop computers (supplied by the student)

 

TEST MODIFICATIONS

  • Extended time
  • Alternative location
  • Use of a word processor
  • Use of spelling checkers
  • Use of text-to-speech or speech-to-text software

 

OTHER SERVICES OR AUXILIARY AIDS OR EQUIPMENT

  • Basic function calculators 
  • Spelling checkers
  • Enlarged materials
  • Screen readers (computer programs that voice text)
  • Speech-to-text software (voice recognition software that types what is said)
  • Alternative media or format for books, such as audio or electronic books


INSTITUTIONAL ACCOMMODATIONS

  • Priority registration
  • Special classes
  • Course substitutions
  • Course waivers
  • Reduced academic load 

In addition, under the coverage of the Americans with Disabilities Act Ammendments Act, students with learning disabilities have the right to accommodations on local, state, and federal professional licensing exams and board exams.


REQUESTING ACADEMIC ACCOMMODATIONS

The ASC website Links to an external site. has information on the process for applying for services and accommodations through the ASC. Accommodations can be arranged through the ASC for each class each semester.

After LD testing has taken place, the LD Specialist makes recommendations regarding academic accommodations for the student. This advice may need to be modified depending upon a student’s course load each semester. There may be times when a student is taking courses which strongly challenge the area of disability or, conversely, times when little or no accommodation is necessary. It is therefore important for each student who requires accommodation to meet with an ASC Counselor and/or LD Specialist any time there is a need for different accommodations than are currently set up.

FACULTY MEMBERS MAY NOT, BY THEMSELVES, DECIDE AN ACCOMMODATION IS NOT NECESSARY. (The Office of Civil Rights, OCR, Western Division, San Francisco 5/16/02).

If a faculty member objects to an accommodation, he or she should contact the ASC or the individual LD Specialist or Counselor who works with the student. Students can always contact the ASC for support and advocacy if their accommodations or services are questioned. There is also a grievance process (see Student Handbook and Just Report It for further information). 

 

COURSE SUBSTITUTIONS AND WAIVERS

There are college wide procedures for obtaining course substitutions or waivers, but they are complicated and time-consuming and usually used only as a last resort, when all other accommodations have been exhausted and a student still cannot pass a course (see Cabrillo Substitution policy in the Cabrillo Student Handbook). The student must work very closely with the LD Specialist and/or an ASC counselor to obtain this kind of accommodation. Students should be aware that course substitutions or waivers issued through Cabrillo are decisions only for this college. Many other colleges and universities have a similar process that must be repeated if you transfer to their institution.