Implementing Accommodations

Student initiated communication

If any student reaches out with questions about how their accommodations will be implemented, please respond with the relevant information in a timely manner. If you need to consult with your department or DRS, please let the student know that you’ll get back to them with more information soon.

Instructor initiated communication

Many accommodations do not require student input to implement. If the student can use the accommodation as it is written without instructions or further information, you do not need to initiate communicating additional information about the implementation. In these cases, confirming receipt of the FNL/notification is sufficient.

However, if there are specific logistics related to implementation of the accommodation in your specific course that the student cannot learn from your syllabus or general announcements, you need to communicate those details directly to the student.

Additionally, there are a few accommodations that always require an interactive discussion with the student before they can be implemented. Whenever possible, we recommend that these discussions happen synchronously either in-person or virtually with the student.

The following accommodations require the instructor and student to communicate regarding implementation:

• Disability related absences (DRA)
• Ability to make up assessments due to disability related absences
• Flexible Deadlines
• Oral presentation modification
• Group Work Modification
• Class Participation Modifications
• Access to Medical Device During Class
• Access to Medical Device During Assessment (if the instructor or department will be administering exams. No agreement required for DRS administered exams)
• Ability to Wear Noise Reducing Equipment During Class
• Ability to Wear Personal Noise Reducing Equipment during Assessments (if the instructor or department will be administering exams. No agreement required for DRS administered exams)
• Use of Memory Aid for Assessments (this accommodation does not require an agreement at the beginning of the quarter but does require the student and instructor to reach an agreement to prior to every exam)

Alternative Testing accommodations modify the standard testing environment or procedures to address disability-related barriers while maintaining academic integrity.

Exam Administration Options

Your first step is to decide who will administer the exam. You have two options: use the DRS Testing Center to administer your exam or administer the exam in your classroom/department. If you have any questions about determining where to administer your exam or how to adequately accommodate your students for in-department testing, we’re happy to consult! Reach out to your campus DRS Testing Center for assistance.

You can solicit input from the student regarding their preferences. However, you will make the final decision.

When deciding who will administer your class’ accommodated exams, consider the following:

• What does your exam need? Exams that require the use of specialized software or equipment that is only available within your classroom space may not immediately lend themselves to a DRS Testing Center.
• When is your class? If it occurs outside of your campus’s Testing Center hours, students may have to take their exam at a different time than the class.
• When are you available? Exam administration requires your time, whether you or the DRS is administering the exam. Are you or a TA able to monitor a phone or email while your student takes the exam at the DRS? You or a TA need to be available for the entire time the student tests at DRS so if that’s not possible, you’ll need to consider an alternative.
• Do you have the appropriate environment for the accommodation? Consider if your department has a reduced distraction or private room space, accessible furniture options, and/or assistive technology if these are required for the accommodation(s).
• What format are your exams? Some formats—such as online exams or paper exams—are more flexible to administer in a Testing Center. Others—such as facilitated Powerpoint exams or speaking components of language exams—may require more coordination.

Option A: Administering Exams in Your Department

If you choose to administer exams within your department, you are responsible for providing all approved testing accommodations. This option is only available on the Seattle campus. Bothell and Tacoma administer all alternative testing accommodations in the DRS Testing Center.

Here’s a guide:

1. Understand the Accommodations
   Carefully review the FNL to understand the specific testing accommodations for which the student is eligible. You must be able to correctly implement every accommodation for every exam. Consult with your DRS Testing Center staff on any questions about accommodations.
2. Determine if You Can Provide the Accommodations
   Assess whether you have the resources and space to provide the accommodations within your department. Testing accommodations often require modifications to the space where you typically administer your exam such as the ability to extend the time in the space or the provision of a private room or specific assistive technology.If you want help determining if in-department administration is possible, please consult with your DRS Testing Center staff.
   

   Note

   You must ensure equitable access to the instructor/TA during the exam. The student must be able to ask questions as they arise.

3. Arrange how you will provide the accommodations
   Once you have determined that you can provide your student’s accommodations, make plans for how you’ll provide them for each exam. This can include:
   • Identifying where you can print large-print exams
   • Arranging for an appropriate space for the exam—an extra classroom, an office, or even a classroom where your class only fills half of the capacity for reduced distractions.
   • Arranging your/your TA’s schedule to allow for longer exam times

   Contact your department administrator for assistance with room reservations.

   

   Note

   If you are providing extended time for an online exam, adjust the time settings in your learning management system (e.g., Canvas) accordingly. Contact UW-IT for assistance if needed.

4. Document the Arrangements
   Keep a record of the accommodations provided, including the date, time, location, and any specific details.

Option B: Using the DRS Testing Center

The DRS Testing Center provides a secure and accessible environment for administering exams with accommodations. If you use the DRS Testing Center, you must meet the required deadlines and follow procedures for completing the Testing Agreement, submitting exams, and answering student questions during the exam.

Timeline Requirements

How to Use the Testing Center:

1. Complete the Alternative Testing Agreement. The Alternative Testing Agreement outlines how the DRS Testing Center will administer your exams, and is accessed through myDRS.
   • Complete the agreement once per course SLN (Scheduled Line Number). The Agreement will apply to all students requesting Testing accommodations under that SNL.
   • Notify DRS if you are teaching multiple sections of the same class to copy details from your first agreement to other SLNs.
   • Lab and quiz sections do not need Alternative Testing Agreements if all exam and quiz dates are listed in the Lecture section Agreement.
   

   Tip

   Be as specific as possible about your exam procedures and any flexibility you have regarding start and end times. Provide contact information for the person responsible for answering questions while the exam is being administered at DRS (yourself or a TA).

2. Notify DRS of modifications and exceptions to the Alternative Testing Agreement
   If you make special arrangements with a student that are not indicated in the original testing agreement agreement, please contact DRS to modify that student’s individual agreement.If any dates, times, or exam requirements change for your course over the quarter, please edit the Testing Agreement or contact your campus Testing Center to modify the Agreement details as soon as possible.
3. Deliver Your Exam:
   You must provide your exam to DRS by 8am the day prior to the scheduled exam date. You can deliver your exam by:
   • Uploading your exam to the myDRS Instructor Portal.
   • Delivering a hard copy to the DRS office by instructor or TA. DRS will not accept exams from students to protect exam integrity. Please review the operating hours for your campus’s DRS Testing Center.
4. Be Available During the Exam:
   Students taking your exam at the DRS Testing Center need to be able to ask questions during the exam. Instructors or TAs must be available to answer questions for the entire duration that the student is taking the test at the DRS Testing Center. DRS will use the contact information you provided in your Testing Agreement to reach you.
   

   Note

   DRS cannot text you. Please provide a number we can call or an email.

5. Retrieve Completed Exams:
   The DRS Testing Center will always scan and email completed exams to the course instructor(s) listed in myDRS. On the Alternative Testing Agreement, you may also select one of the following additional return methods if you wish:
   • Instructor/TA pick up: DRS will hold the completed exam for you to pick up.
   • Campus Mail: DRS will send the completed exam to you via UW Campus Mail. Please note delivery can take 3-7 business days.

What exam administration looks like at the DRS Testing Center

Academic Integrity

Check in:

DRS Testing Center staff ensure that students only bring what is allowed in the Testing Agreement or their DRS-approved accommodations into the Testing Center. Students—unless explicitly permitted by a Testing Agreement—will leave all internet-connected devices (phones, laptops, bluetooth headphones, smart watches, etc.) outside of the Testing Center.

Monitoring:

Exams taken at the Seattle DRS Testing Center are monitored in-person by exam administrators, and are also subject to video surveillance.

Adherence to the testing agreement

• The Testing Agreement guides all decisions regarding exams in that course.
• Decisions regarding extenuating circumstances like rescheduling, disability-related delays or cancellations, exam questions will all be first referred to theTesting Agreement to follow instructions.
• All contact methods will follow preferences followed in the Testing Agreement. Should these not be responded to, staff will expand contact methods.

Specialized software

DRS provides access to accessible software such as screen readers, speech to text, text to speech, magnification, etc.

DRS does not provide access to specialized software for your course, such as SPSS, JMP, R, etc. If your exam requires the use of this software, you have these options:

• Allow student to use a personal device
• Provide a web-based portal (such as JupyterHub) for the student to access the software while using a DRS internet-enabled laptop
• Provide a department laptop with the software installed and with internet disabled.

How time is handled at the DRS Testing Center

Exam Start Times

When students schedule exams, DRS checks that the exam start time matches the Testing Agreement. If the student’s request does not match the Agreement, the student is contacted and asked to reschedule, or to provide written indication from the instructor that the change has been approved.

15-Minute Grace Policy

Students are expected to begin their exam on time. DRS allows a 15-minute grace policy, after which students begin to forfeit their test time just as if they were to arrive to an in-class test late. If a student arrives after the class has begun the exam, DRS may contact the professor for approval to administer the exam before doing so.

Time-keeping During Exams

DRS does not alert students when their testing time expires. When students begin a test in DRS, they are notified of their calculated end time and reminded that it is their responsibility to keep track of their time. Students may borrow DRS timers and clocks to help with timekeeping.

Student Expectations

For more information regarding expectations and steps for students who use the DRS Testing Center, please visit the Alternative Testing for Students section of our Using Accommodations page.

A memory aid is an Alternative Testing accommodation used to support students who have challenges with memory. It is a tool used to trigger information that a student has studied but may have difficulty recalling due to cognitive processing deficits associated with memory and recall.

Address Concerns Immediately

If you have concerns that utilizing a memory aid interferes with core-learning outcomes, contact the Access Coordinator listed on the FNL and myDRS portal immediately.

Memory Aid Procedures

For each exam that the student uses a memory aid, the following must occur:

1. Meet with or contact the student at the beginning of the quarter regarding your standards for acceptable memory aids on your exams.
2. The student provides the memory aid to you for editing and final approval, at least 3 business days prior to the test/exam.
   
   

   Note

   There may be instances when the 3 business days timeline does not align with the students’ needs (i.e: course content is taught in class that will be included in the exam within the 3 business days window). In those instances you should work with the student to find a new timeline for a memory aid approval.

3. Review the memory aid and return to the student at least 1 day prior to the exam if edits are required. You can either:
   • Approve the memory aid as is,
   • Remove information that you have deemed inappropriate because the memory triggers are essential to the learning objectives/outcomes for the course.
4. If the student is taking their exam at the DRS Testing Center, you must send the final approved memory aid through email to drstest@uw.edu by 8am the day of the scheduled exam.
   
   

   Note

   If this timeline is not followed, the student may not be allowed to use their memory aid in their exam.

5. If the student is taking their exam at the DRS Testing Center, DRS Testing Center staff will attach the memory aid to the exam for the student, and it will be scanned/emailed back to you after the exam is complete.
   

   Note

   DRS Testing Center staff will NOT allow students to bring in a memory aid that is not sent from the instructor’s email to reduce risk of students bringing unapproved materials to their exam.

How to Evaluate a Memory Aid

The memory aid allows the student to demonstrate knowledge of course material by helping prompt the student’s memory, not by providing the answer. Memory aids should only provide memory cues for the student to recall the concepts they have studied and should not be useful if the student has not learned the material.

Styles of memory aids may vary. Memory aids are typically small and not meant to be exhaustive such as an open book exam. Exact size of the memory aid should be at the discretion of the instructor, but DRS recommends anything between the size of a 3”x 5” index card or a 8.5”x11” sheet of paper. The content should serve as memory triggers for the student rather than explicit course content. The ideal memory aid would most likely make little sense to anyone but that specific student.

Memory Aids may or may not include*

*At the discretion of the instructor

• Acronyms
• Short phrases
• Pictures
• Schematic diagrams
• Formulas
• Names
• Definitions
• Tables
• Sample questions
• Key terms/work charts

Memory Aids generally should NOT:

• Directly answer exam or quiz questions
• Have steps listed for how to work problems
• Include specific examples of how formulas are used
• Include copied pages from textbooks
• Include the student’s extensive class notes, lectures notes, or slides
• Include access to homework in the testing environment
• Include the use of open textbooks
• Serve as a substitute for studying

View examples of Memory Aids

Accessible Instructional Materials accommodations address access needs of specific students in academic courses and programs. This may involve providing course materials in alternative formats or making adjustments to existing materials.

Course materials include: textbooks, class readings, provided documents, and more. Video and Audio materials fall under a different accommodation called Accessible Video and Audio Accommodation (see below).

This accommodation is centrally managed in the DRS Seattle office for DRS units across all three campuses – Seattle, Bothell, and Tacoma.

Your responsibilities

1. Provide detailed information about course materials and source files

   Respond to DRS’s request for material information within 5 days of receiving a request as outlined in the Instructor Implementation Timelines. DRS sends out requests 4-5 weeks before a quarter starts or once a student activates if they activate less than 5 weeks prior to the quarter.

   Please ensure you submit your textbook and course material details to the University Book Store in a timely manner each quarter, as DRS relies on this information to fulfill Accessible Instructional Materials requests.

   

   Note

   The remediation process can take multiple weeks, depending on publisher response times as well as the complexity and length of the materials. Submit your textbook information to the University Book Store and add course content to Canvas as early as possible to ensure that accessible materials can be made available to the student in a timely manner.

2. Respond promptly to requests for coordination

   Some materials require additional coordination with DRS or the student. DRS will facilitate this coordination. Respond within 2 business days to any communication from DRS or the student so that you do not delay the implementation of this accommodation.

3. Submit additional materials that need remediation

   If you add additional materials to your course during the quarter, you must notify DRS at least 10 business days before the material is needed.

What to expect from DRS

1. DRS will send you a request for details about course content

   We will contact you to request details about all required course materials, including textbooks, articles, lab manuals, book chapters, and any other materials used in your course.

   We will ask for details about the file formats being provided, and may request a tentative reading schedule to help expedite work orders.

   Timing of request

   • Students should activate this accommodation 5 weeks prior to the start of the quarter, allowing DRS to send the materials request 4-5 weeks prior to the quarter.
   • DRS processes new applications throughout the quarter, meaning some students will activate this accommodation after the quarter begins.
   • You must respond to all requests within the timelines specified in our Instructor Implementation Timelines regardless of when in the quarter they are received

2. DRS will facilitate additional collaboration

   DRS may need to partner with the student and instructional personnel to obtain additional information. Meetings may be required for complex materials (STEM, foreign language, Braille). DRS will reach out for additional details and/or coordinate these meetings as needed.

3. DRS will obtain accessible materials or remediate materials to remove barriers

   DRS will first attempt to locate a pre-existing accessible version. If no pre-existing version is found, DRS will remediate the material in-house. This may involve debinding and scanning textbooks, converting files to other formats, adding captioning to videos, or other modifications.

   

   Note

   All costs directly related to providing/creating Accessible Instructional Materials are covered by DRS.

4. DRS will notify students when remediated materials are ready for use

   DRS may distribute material in its entirety or in sections, depending on the timeliness of receiving material information or the timeliness of remediating the materials. Due to regulatory and copyright restrictions, materials processed by DRS are typically delivered directly to students.

The implementation of interpreting and real-time captioning involves the coordination of two UW departments (DRS and DSO), communication access professionals, and, of course, you!

DRS responsibilities

• Approves the accommodation
• Notifies Disability Services Office (DSO) of need for interpreter/captioner when the student activates their accommodation
• Covers the costs associated with providing interpreters and captioners for a classroom accommodation

Disability Services Office (DSO) responsibilities

• Hires and schedules interpreters and real-time captioners for the student’s class
• Reaches out to instructors with information about interpreters/captioners joining the class in person or virtually
• Requests that interpreters are added to any course learning management systems

Instructor responsibilities

Your main responsibility is to ensure access by supporting the interpreter/captioner in making the information accessible to the student. This may include:

• Providing materials ahead of time as requested
• Let the student know as soon as possible if there will be audio portions on exams
  • If the student is testing in the DRS Testing Center, you will also need to inform DRS that there are audio portions on exams
• Adjusting participation and speech patterns as indicated in DSO’s interpreter/captioner guides for instructors
• Ensuring that interpreters/captioners can access locked rooms (whether remote or in-person)
• Ensuring the interpreter/captioner and the student are positioned so the student can easily see the interpreter and/or captioning.

Interpreters – Trained professionals, called interpreters, translate between a spoken and a signed language. While American Sign Language (ASL) is the prevalent signed language in the United States, other types exist.

Live-Captioners – Trained professionals, called captioners, create a transcript of information presented verbally in class so that verbal information is displayed as text for the student to read in real-time. For the student to read the screen, they and the captioner will need to sit next to each other in the classroom, or the student needs to have remote access to their captioner on a device.

Interpreters and captioners are vetted, trained, and expected to follow professional ethics. They should not:

• Add or delete information.
• Explain, define, or repeat information.
• Take responsibility for the student’s absences or classroom performance.
• Provide service during non-oral portions of tests (unless requested in advance for oral portions).
• Participate in class discussions or activities.
• Advise people on the subject of deafness.
• Talk about court reporting equipment or the profession during class time.

Timeline

DSO needs at least 10 days to find an interpreter/captioner for a single event request. DSO needs at least 5 weeks for a class request.

Copies of PowerPoints and Displayed Materials provides access to displayed lecture materials, such as PowerPoint slides and prepared lecture exhibits or handouts, if they are not already being provided to the whole class. Students eligible for Copies of PowerPoints and Displayed Materials may also be eligible to record class audio.

The student needs additional access to any previously prepared materials (presentation slides, handouts, notes) and displayed materials (notes written on the whiteboard/overhead) used in class. This may be provided by sharing presented materials directly with the student and ensuring ample time for the student to take pictures of displayed materials. The instructor must communicate how access will be provided and must provide materials within 24 hours of the relevant class session. DRS stores the required DRS Lecture and Presentation Agreement signed by the student.

The accommodation is not meant to be a replacement for a student’s own documentation of presented material or a substitute for class attendance. Students should still take their own class notes to the extent possible, unless unable to do so due to the effects of a disability.

DRS stores the required DRS Lecture and Presentation Agreement signed by the student. You can request that DRS share it with you by reaching out to the assigned Access Coordinator.

Your responsibilities:

• Communicate with the student how you are providing them with presented and displayed materials for the course.
• Ensure that the presented materials you provide to the student meet any accommodation needs or accessibility needs for presented materials.
• Provide all relevant course materials, handouts, presented materials needed for accommodation in a timely manner–within 24 hours of class when possible. Instructor personal lecture notes are not included.
  • Whenever possible, provide the student with presented and displayed materials before the start of the class.
  • The student is responsible for taking their own photos of the whiteboard/written content.
  • If a student is absent, you are not required to provide the missed materials to them.
• Contact the student’s Access Coordinator if you are concerned that this may not be a reasonable accommodation based on the course format(s) or course environment.

Ability to Audio Record Lectures provides students with the permission to record audio throughout a lecture or class. Students may use a variety of audio-recording software or devices depending on their preference. Students with this accommodation also will have the Copies of Presented and Displayed Materials accommodation to allow them to record alongside notes.

The accommodation is not meant to be a replacement for a student’s own documentation of presented material or a substitute for class attendance. Students should still take their own class notes to the extent possible, unless unable to do so due to the effects of a disability.

DRS stores the required DRS Recording and Presentation Agreement signed by the student. You can request that DRS share it with you by reaching out to the assigned Access Coordinator.

Your responsibilities

• Contact the Access Coordinator immediately if you have questions or concerns.
• Confirm with the student that they will be permitted to record audio. Use this time to note if there will ever be sensitive, non-content-related material that will require all students to pause notetaking or audio recording.
  • Please be advised that this is the student’s form of notetaking so as long as other students are allowed to take notes of any kind, this student must be allowed to record.

Common Questions

Do I need to announce that recording is happening?

Two-party consent is the law that requires notification of recording. However, two-party consent only applies where the conversation is private. The back-and-forth interchange in a classroom is not considered private. Therefore, you do not need to announce that recording is happening.

If you choose to announce to the class that the class is being audio recorded, you must not identify the accommodated student.

Can a student record a class without instructor permission?

No, except when a DRS accommodation is presented to the instructor. Per WAC 478-121-107(8), it applies only where the student has an approved accommodation. The DRS Faculty Notification letter is the notice granting permission of the student and informing the instructor(s).

Does the ability to record a class as an accommodation violate the UW Student Conduct Code?

No. WAC 478-121-107 describes various forms of “academic misconduct” that violate the code, one of which (under subsection (8)) is “[t]he recording of instructional content without the express permission of the instructor(s), unless approved as a disability accommodation, and/or the dissemination or use of such unauthorized records.” WAC 478-121-107(8).

Are group sessions in courses allowed to be recorded as an accommodation?

Yes. Recording is an accommodation for a student to have access to a record/notes of class. If other students are allowed to take notes from group discussions then audio recording as a form of notes/record of class is allowed.

Are office hours conversations that are 1 to 1 only between an instructor and a student something that can be recorded?

Depends. If there has not already been a discussion between the instructor and student about this educational environment, it may be considered a private conversation. In a discussion between the student and instructor, both parties would have to discuss why the recording would be needed and how it would be stored/shared or not. An alternative to a recording is for the student to take notes. Another alternative is for the instructor to take notes and/or to send a follow up email.

Can the class be recorded when the content displayed on PowerPoints/slides/notes is my intellectual property?

Yes. DRS accommodations are approved through a University process to ensure equal access and non-discrimination to our academic courses. Material presented in class to all students is course material and thus required to be accommodated if DRS presents you with a notification. The UW Student Conduct Code is the process to hold students accountable if material is shared outside of the stated DRS agreements.

How does this accommodation work with guest speakers?

If notetaking of any kind is allowed during a guest speaker, then the student with this accommodation is allowed to audio record. We recommend discussing this with your speakers far in advance so you can address any concerns or make necessary changes. Do not disclose personal information about the specific student including their name or other identifying information.

Furniture & Equipment is a set of accommodations approved by DRS so students with disabilities can have equal access to classroom spaces and furniture. Placement of furniture into classrooms/requested spaces is carried out by appropriate units on campus in partnership with DRS.

Your Responsibilities:

• Help with ensuring that the student with the accommodation has access to the furniture once it is placed in the classroom and that other students are not misusing the furniture.
• Instructors should not move the furniture without checking with the student first.