Faculty Resources

The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees: 

• “[Every] individual is equal before and under the law and has the right to the equal protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimination …”
• The Charter is responsible for making Canada more accessible. The Ontario Human Rights Act strengthened the foundation of the Charter by legislating duty that ensures legal responsibility provincially.

Ontario Human Rights Commission’s ‘Policy and Guidelines on Disabilities and the Duty to Accommodate’ (2001) states:

• “...education providers have a duty to accommodate the needs of students with disabilities, unless to do so would cause undue hardship… Accommodation is a means of preventing and removing barriers that impede students with disabilities from participating fully in the educational environment. ”

Full copies of these polices are available at Ontario Human Rights Commission​ and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act.

It is expected that any person working with students within Student Accessibility Services will respect the strictest confidentiality in regards to any information obtained from, by, or about the student.

Any information and/or documentation shared by a student with Student Accessibility Services is confidential and can only be made available to other departments, faculty, or staff if the student provides specific written consent.  A student who consents to the release of information must specify who can receive the information and what information can be disclosed.

Please note that the student does not need to notify the professor about specific details pertaining to their disability.

The Letter of Accommodation might be the basis for your initial communication with a student with a disability in your class. This letter is issued to the student by the Accessibility Consultant and is delivered to the professor through the Faculty Portal. 

The Letter of Accommodation is a summary of the recommended academic accommodations the student might be accessing in order to participate in lectures, complete course work, and/or write tests and exams.  Although the majority of classroom and testing support will be arranged and provided through Student Accessibility Services, we want the professor to be aware of this support and we need the professor’s cooperation.

For example, supports such as providing your class textbooks in alternate format to a student with a reading disability will be arranged through Student Accessibility Services; however, if you have an in-class reading assignment, you may need to provide this reading in a format accessible to the student.  Either the student or Student Accessibility Services can help you if you are unsure what the student might need and how to provide the accommodation listed in the letter.

Please remember the Letter of Accommodation is a confidential, disability-related document, and the professor has a responsibility to keep this document secure and the information within it confidential.

Please keep the following information in mind regarding online testing:

• Online assessments will not be conducted in the SAS Testing Centre unless the assessment is taking place in the classroom or has been approved as an accommodation.
• The faculty is responsible for providing extra time for online testing and exams.
• If you require a paper version of the online test or have any disability-related concerns, please email sastesting@nipissingu.ca to inform us.

During the pre-test scan, students will show the object to the camera and state out loud it will be used as per accommodations.   We have recommended that they “check in” verbally if needing to use a medical device.

If the use of a calculator as an accommodation should be restricted in your course, please contact the student’s Accessibility Consultant.

During the pre-test scan, students will show the calculator to the camera and state out loud that it will be used as an accommodation.

Memory Aids MUST be pre-approved by the instructor as per the SAS policy.

During the pre-test scan, students must show the approved memory aid to the camera and state out loud that it may be used as an accommodation.

SAS cannot verify what students are listening to when using headphones.   

 

SAS recommends earplugs instead, which are readily available at most pharmacies.

As headphones are not required for this accommodations, SAS recommends the use of an external device for sound. 

 

During the pre-test scan, students will show the phone or device to the camera and state out loud that they will be listening to music/noise as per their approved accommodations.   

 

They will then very clearly place this device away from the computer, preferably within the camera’s view and PRESS PLAY. 

 

SAS has suggested they ensure there is no reason to go to the device and that they turn off all sounds and notifications.

During the pre-test scan, students must show the headphones to the camera and state out loud that they are being used as per their accommodations. 

Whereas Respondus LockDown Browser has a built-in spell-check; there is no built-in grammar check.   

We ask that you consider the “grammar-check” accommodation in assessing the student’s written answers.

Faculty no longer need to enable Text-to-Speech. 

Text-to-Speech is now turned on by the student in advance of the assessment using Texthelp Read&Write software. 

More information on Read&Write.

Voice-To-Text function is available in LDB and SAS students will be provided the necessary tools and instructions.

For students that have a medical condition that requires access food, medicine or a device OR may require they leave the testing room: 

 

Students will clearly explain the situation to the camera and proceed accordingly.

Students have been asked to stay within the camera’s view.

If requested by the student, SAS will make arrangements to provide a Scribe/Reader or Interpreter.

For students who have “Scrap paper” as an accommodation:

During the pre-test scan, the student will state out loud that they will use scrap paper and show both sides of the BLANK pages to the camera.

When using a rest, pain or washroom break, the student will state out loud that they will be doing as per their accommodations.

Students have been asked to stay within the camera’s view, when possible.

These may be recommended classroom accommodations for students with low vision and/or visual processing deficits.  

• An 8.5x11 handout enlarged to 11x17 will quite often be enough to serve a student with low vision, and this is a technique we often use with tests and exams in our office. 
• Also, if you provide students with an electronic text version of your handout, they may be able to increase the font size themselves using their computer technology. 
• When SAS puts in place “coloured paper” as an accommodation, we will typically recommend a colour of paper for you to use, typically blue, beige or green coloured stock, all of which are available through Print Plus.

Students with physical disabilities, medical disabilities and/or temporary injuries may require the use of ergonomic chairs in the classroom. These chairs will be placed in your room by Student Accessibility Services, along with a sign reserving the chair for the student. The chair is often placed in an accessible area of the classroom, which is dependent on the students’ needs. Student Accessibility Services will remove the chair at the end of the term.

Access to notes/presentations in advance enables students to obtain materials that promote essential learning behaviours like preparing for class and note-taking. Providing materials in advance is proven to be a good teaching practice and an element of universal design for learning. 

At the discretion of the professor, materials may be available on a week-by-week basis prior to a class, or all materials may be provided at the start of a course.

SAS understands that some instructors do not like posting their presentations in advance for fear it may deter students from attending class. If this is the case, please consider emailing the presentation in advance of class to the specific students requesting this accommodation. 

A number of the barriers created by various disabilities can be accommodated by the use of a laptop or tablet on which to take lecture notes:

• Students with grapho-motor disabilities may find they can type faster than they can handwrite and that they can read their notes that they type much better than their poor handwriting.
• Similarly many students with poor working memory can benefit from typing as they can take down more information before it is lost from consciousness.
• Students with low vision or who are blind are often taught from a young age to type as they can create a set of notes that can be reviewed with the use of a text reading program.
• Students also find that it is much easier to add to and amend their notes with a computer to ensure that they have an accurate and complete set of notes from which to study.

It is true that time and again research seems to validate that handwriting notes is a more powerful cognitive learning strategy; however, for a number of students with disabilities who can effectively take their own notes on the computer, they will still benefit from actively engaging in the note taking process.

Please note, when this accommodation is recommended for students by their Accessibility Consultant, the students are cautioned to use their computers for note taking purposes only and to avoid distracting themselves and others with browsing the web or social media

"Captioning" is the conversion of audio to text format to be synchronously available within audio/video content. If you are planning to use audio/video content in your course, please remember it is your responsibility to ensure that all course material is accessible for your students. To get you started, below is some helpful information. If required, please reach out to the Teaching Hub for additional support, teachinghub@nipissingu.ca 

The function of this accommodation is to help students compensate for the time they may lose due to their disability-related symptoms while completing coursework. Providing extra time for assignments ensures that students with disabilities are not unfairly penalized for requiring additional time due to their disability-related symptoms.  

Students must communicate the need for each disability-related extension with faculty and SAS. Requests for extensions may come from the student or from SAS on behalf of the student. SAS will only advocate for extensions that are directly related to a student's disability. 

Students who are deaf or who have hearing loss may require the use of an FM system: an assistive listening device that transmits speech picked up from a microphone on an FM radio frequency. The professor will be required to wear a tiny transmitter pack with microphone, while receivers are worn by the student so that they can hear the transmitted message.

Student Accessibility Services or the student will provide the FM system.

A student who is approved to record or access recordings of course content will have the accommodation listed on their Letter of Accommodation as “Content Capture by Alternate Means”. This accommodation is only granted to students when the appropriate supporting documentation has been provided to SAS.

Punctual and regular attendance is essential for the successful completion of courses at Nipissing University. According to the Academic Policies and Regulations of the institution, absenteeism should not exceed 20% of classes, or the student may be excluded from writing the final examination.  

Students with this accommodation have disabilities that are episodic in nature with random or cyclical acute episodes, and as a result, the disability may occasionally impact the student’s ability to attend class.  

Students with this accommodation are required to speak with each of their professors to discuss this accommodation and to clarify the class attendance policy with regard to meeting course requirements. Students are also responsible for contacting the faculty member and Accessibility Consultant by email as soon as possible each time a disability-related absence will occur/has occurred and, as necessary, inform the faculty member when they will return to class

Note-taking is a recognized accommodation that helps provide equitable access to course content and supports the academic success of students with disabilities.

How Faculty Can Support Note-Taking Accommodations

Faculty play an important role in supporting students who have approved note-taking accommodations through the Student Accessibility Services (SAS) office. The following practices can support students with note-taking accommodations and improve access for all learners:

• Provide Access to Lecture Materials

Share lecture slides, outlines, presentation materials, or other instructional resources before or after class whenever possible. Access to these materials helps students follow along during lectures and review content more effectively.

• Record and Share Lectures

Where appropriate, provide access to audio or video recordings of class sessions. Recordings allow students to revisit course content and clarify their understanding.

• Enable Closed Captioning on Video Content

​​​​​​​Ensure closed captions are enabled for video materials. Captions support students who are deaf or hard of hearing, as well as students who benefit from receiving information through multiple formats.

• Use Transcription Tools

When providing audio content, such as recorded lectures or podcasts, use transcription tools whenever possible. Written transcripts improve accessibility and provide students with another way to engage with course material.

• Work with SAS to Support Accommodation Needs

Some courses may require individualized approaches to implementing note-taking accommodations. If you have questions about how a note-taking accommodation can be effectively supported in your course, contact SAS as soon as possible. SAS will work with faculty and students to identify appropriate solutions that ensure the student's accommodation needs are met while maintaining the essential requirements of the course.

By incorporating accessible teaching practices and collaborating with SAS when needed, faculty help ensure that students with note-taking accommodations have equitable access to course content and learning opportunities.

Student Responsibilities for Note-Taking Accommodations

When students are approved to receive note-taking as an accommodation through Student Accessibility Services (SAS), they must adhere to a set of responsibilities to ensure the accommodation is used appropriately and supports their academic success.

Faculty should be aware of the following key expectations for students receiving note-taking accommodations:

• Agreement to Terms of Use

​​​​​​​Students must review and sign the SAS Student Responsibilities for Note-Taking Services agreement, which outlines the proper use of notes and recordings.

• Confidentiality and Academic Integrity

​​​​​​​Notes provided as part of an accommodation are for the eligible student’s personal use only. Sharing notes with others is strictly prohibited and may be considered academic dishonesty.

• Proper Use of Class Recordings

​​​​​​​If a student is permitted to record lectures as part of their note taking accommodation (Content capture by Alternate Means):

• Recordings are for personal academic use only.
• They may not be shared, published, or quoted without the express permission of the instructor.
• All content is protected by copyright law; if instructor permission is granted for use beyond personal study, the instructor must be credited accordingly.
• Policy Compliance
  
  Any misuse of notes or recordings may be treated as a violation of the university’s Student Code of Rights and Responsibilities and could lead to corrective action.

Faculty are encouraged to contact SAS with any concerns or questions about how these responsibilities are managed or enforced.

To view a full copy of the most recent agreement, please contact SAS at: sastech@nipissingu.ca