Faculty Information

Instructors must include an accommodation statement on all class syllabi.

This statement can also be found on the Faculty Essential Handbook > Pages> Syllabus in Canvas.

Process for Referring a Student to the ARC

• You may notice a student who would benefit from accommodations, or a student contacts you about needing disability accommodations.
• Refer the student to the Accessibility Resource Center. Students can contact the ARC for more information or to request an intake appointment to begin the accommodation process. Contact information for ARC should be listed in your syllabus.
• If the ARC office determines that the student qualifies for accommodations, both you and the student will be given a Letter of Accommodation (LOA) that identifies the approved accommodation(s).
• You will receive the LOA by email from the ARC. The email will request that you respond to confirm receipt.
• For more information on signing up with the ARC office see the Eligibility page on the ARC web site and/or the ARC Student Handbook pages 3 and 4 “Signing up with the ARC Office.

Etiquette For Connecting Students with ARC

Do

• When speaking to a student about contacting the ARC office or about their accommodations, do so in private.
• Keep all information regarding a students’ disability and their accommodations confidential.
• Remember, it is ultimately the student’s choice to meet with the ARC to get accommodations for your class.

Do Not

• Do not ask the student to disclose their disability.
• Do not mention their disability or about signing up with the ARC in front of other students.
• Do not ask to see the student’s medical documentation.

See details about the most common accommodations provide by the ARC. For questions regarding specific accommodations on a Letter of Accommodation (LOA), contact the ARC at ARC.central@seattlecolleges.edu.

Equipment/Technology Use

Accommodation equipment may be under “Other” on the LOA with a description of how and and/or when the equipment is to be used. Most of the adaptive equipment/technology student may be using in your classroom are as follows.

CCTV for Classroom Use

• This is a large machine the student will bring to class in a black case on rollers.
• This is used to enlarge information written on the board and/or papers on the student’s desk.
• It has to plug into the wall, so the student will need access to an outlet.
• The student will have to determine what will be the best place to sit in order to successfully use the CCTV.

Handheld Magnifier

• This may have a light on it.
• Please be aware that It usually takes longer to read with a small hand-held magnifier.

Large Key Calculator

• This calculator has basic capabilities.
• It is battery operated and does not need to be plugged in.

Personal FM Systems

• This accommodation will be stated on the student’s LOA.
• The student will check out the FM system from the ARC for the quarter.
• The personal FM system is a listening device that will allow the student to listen and hear the teacher as if they were talking directly to them rather than a full classroom where background noise and distance from other speakers makes it difficult to hear.
• The instructor will wear the microphone and transmitter; the student will wear the receiver. The microphone should clip on to your collar, and the transmitter can clip onto your belt or be in your pocket. The student would wear headphones/earbuds/or hearing aids and carry the receiver.

For more information see this on-line article Using Hearing Assistive Technologies in the Classroom: Why, When and How?

Software Programs Added to a Classroom Computer

• These accommodations will be stated on the student’s LOA.
• Dragon Dictate and Zoom Text are the two most common programs.
• If a student requires software as an accommodation on a classroom computer, the ARC will work with IT to have the program installed on one of the classroom computers.
• The student will always need access to that computer while in class.

Reserved Seating/Furniture

These accommodations will be stated on the student’s LOA.

Reserved Seating

Students may receive reserved seating accommodations for a variety of disabilities, so the placement of the reserved seat will depend on their individual’s needs.

If the student needs help negotiating with their classmates for the appropriate seat, it is the instructors’ responsibility to assist without disclosing the student’s disability.

Furniture

Accommodation furniture may be a chair/stool, desk, or podium. The appropriate furniture will be provided by the ARC and may be set up in your classroom on the first day of class. It should have a notice taped to it stating the furniture is reserved and is not to be moved or adjusted.

Note: If you have furniture with a notice from a previous quarter, or for a different room, please notify the ARC, so we can take care of it.

Interpreting/CART Services

Having an interpreter or CART services (captioning) for a class will not be on an LOA. Deaf/ Hard-of-Hearing student will make the request before the quarter starts. If the request is made with enough notice, the interpreters/captioner will be set up by the first day of class.

Interpreters and captioners will need access to the Zoom log in and Canvas page for the class along with other programs used in order to review materials, interpret videos, and receive class announcements.

Interpreting

If an interpreter is scheduled for your class, you should receive an email from the interpreter scheduler along with an information sheet about what to know when working with Deaf students and interpreters. If you did not receive this, you can get the pdf, Tips For Instructors With Deaf Students in the Classroom, from the list of ARC Recourses on the side bar of this page.

If you are meeting with a Deaf student outside of class, either one of you can request an interpreter for the meeting. The Interpreter Request form is on line and can be found on the side bar of this web page.

Cart Services

For in-person classes, the CART provider will access the class remotely. Both instructor and student will sign-in to the designated site. The instructor will wear a microphone. The student will receive the captioning on a classroom computer or their lap top as the lecture is happening.

For classes over Zoom, captioning happens in a similar manner except the instructor does not need to wear a microphone.

The ARC and distance learning will work with faculty and students to set up CART services when needed.

Note Taking Services

This accommodation will be stated on the student’s LOA.

Students receiving note-taking accommodations have a few options.

• If you, the instructor, are willing, you can share a copy of your lecture notes with the student. Details can be worked out between you and the student.
• The instructor or ARC staff member can request a volunteer note-taker from the class. The instructor or staff from the ARC will make an announcement in class explaining the process and asking for one or two volunteers to share notes.
  • Remember many students with notetaking accommodations wish to remain anonymous.
  • The note-taker will fill out an agreement form with the ARC.
  • If the student with the accommodation wishes to remain anonymous, the note-taker will either send their notes via email to ARC.central@seattlecolleges.edu or bring them to BE1103 to be photocopied.
  • If the student does not wish to remain anonymous, they may work out an exchange of notes directly with the notetaker.
• The student can ask a student they have worked with before to share notes.
  • If the student agrees, the note-taker will fill out an agreement form with the ARC.
  • The two students can work out how the notes will be shared.

Testing

This accommodation will be stated on the student’s LOA.

Most students with testing accommodations will receive double time to take tests and quizzes. A few students may be approved for more than double time based on their documentation.

Testing Guidelines

ARC provides a Testing Guideline's agreement that students are required to read and sign when they receive testing accommodations. Please look this over to see our guidelines for students taking accommodated tests at the ARC.

Instructor’s Responsibilities

The instructor must deliver the test in person to BE1103 or via email to arc.central@seattlecolleges.edu along with a testing cover sheet. Faculty can request a digital copy be sent to their email for their convenience. The testing coversheet is a fillable pdf that can be used with only minor adjustments for each test.

Test Integrity

• Students can’t bring anything into the testing room without instructors’ approval.
• If a student is not following testing guidelines, it will be noted on the testing cover sheet when the test is returned to the instructor.
• Phones are not allowed in the testing rooms!
• Please contact us if you have any concerns regarding test integrity.

Additional accommodations during Tests

Some students may require additional testing accommodations such as large print (see next section on printed materials), a computerized version of the test, or a reader or scribe. In these cases, we need to have at least 1-3 business days to adjust the test or schedule a space, reader and/or scribe.

Alternative Textbooks and Printed Materials

This will be listed under other on the LOA.

The type of alternative text will depend on the student’s disability. It could be enlarged text, braille, or converting to a digital format such as pdfs, EPUB or audio depending on what the publisher offers.

Student’s Responsibility

It is the student’s responsibility to look up the books required for their classes, fill out the Alternative Format Book Request form, and return to ARC. The link to this fillable pdf is on the left-hand menu for all ARC web pages under ARC Resources.

Instructor’s Responsibility

It is the instructor’s responsibility to have other classroom printed materials sent/delivered to the ARC with enough time to convert the text to the appropriate format for the student. The amount of time needed varies depending on the size and original format of the text. For example, most Word documents can be converted to other formats easily, while a photocopied or re-copied printed document may have to be completely retyped and will take a lot more time.

Online printed materials are often easy to enlarge, but not always accessible to screen reader programs. The ARC is happy to work with instructors to best convert or set-up online materials when needed.

Memory Aid

This accommodation will be stated on the student’s LOA under Other Accommodations. For information on this accommodation, see information sheet Memory Aid Procedure (pdf). The link is on the left-hand menu for all ARC web pages under ARC Resources.

Extended Time on Assignments

This accommodation will be stated on the student’s LOA under Other Accommodations.

Some disabilities are cyclical in nature or may have flares in severity and as a result, the disability may impact the student’s ability to attend class or complete an assignment at the scheduled time. The flexibility in attendance and the flexibility in assignment due dates accommodation is not intended to be used every week or for every assignment but on an as needed basis. The accommodation for flexibility in assignments is generally 1-3 days as needed. Students should communicate with their instructor when utilizing this accommodation. Students are still responsible for completing all coursework.

Please contact the ARC office if you have concerns relating to this accommodation or if the number of classes missed will impact the student’s ability to successfully complete the course.

Audio Recording of Class

This accommodation will be stated on the student’s LOA under Other Accommodations.

The accommodation to record the audio portion of a lecture allows students with disabilities to have an equal chance to receive and process information presented in class by supporting their notetaking needs. Students are asked to sign and follow the ARC Audio Recording Agreement.

Accommodations are approved based on student needs and supported by documentation of disabilities. Accommodations should not override the essential learning objective/outcome of a course.

If there is a difference of opinion between the student and Instructor as to how an accommodation is implemented, then both the student and instructor can meet with the ARC Advisor to discuss the issue.

If an instructor has concerns or questions regarding a conflict between the essential learning objectives for the class and the accommodation, they should meet with the ARC Advisor and provide a full copy of their class syllabus.