Alternate Formats and Assistive Technology

Alternate formats for printed course materials is an accommodation intended to remove barriers to access for students who encounter disability-related barriers in accessing and engaging with standard printed texts. A variety of formats could be provided to students approved for this accommodation, including audio recording electronic computer text. Careful consideration is given to the needs of each student and to the quality and quantity of each printed document to determine the most effective modality. 

Students who are granted this accommodation work with the Document Conversion Coordinator each semester. Acquiring alternate formats requires a significant amount of time; in order to receive alternate formats as early as possible, students with this accommodation are encouraged to submit requests immediately after registering for the upcoming semester, including the name of the text and its author, publisher, edition, and ISBN. Converting documents can take 4-6 weeks, so it is imperative to inform us as soon as possible of this need, including the name of the text you need made accessible, the ISBN number, the medium you will need to access it and the instructor's name and course number).

Students who prefer to use audio books for course texts, but do not have a disability-related barrier to access are encouraged to explore resources through the Assistive Technology Center.

This accommodation is typically provided for students with sensory access needs (e.g., blind/low vision or Deaf/HOH) who may require access to in-class slides or other in-class materials before class in order to preview them using assistive tools such as a screen reader, or familiarize themselves with the ASL terminology. 

Please note that while many students who had IEPs in high school are accustomed to being provided a copy of instructor’s notes as part of their accommodations, at the college level this is typically not an appropriate accommodation. Accommodations in college are intended to ensure students have access to the same opportunities and class materials as their non-disabled peers, and are not intended to lower/alter course expectations or provide an academic advantage over their peers. Providing instructor’s notes to a disabled student often provides them with access to something more than what their non-disabled peers have access to, and thus is typically not needed for equal access. Students who have challenges related to class notes are welcome to inquire about their eligibility for Glean or Peer-Notetaker.

Often instructors will post class slides or other class materials on Canvas prior to class for all students to access. Students with disabilities that are not related to sensory access are encouraged to speak with their instructors and advocate to have course materials shared in advance for all students if they are not being posted already.

Assistive technology is not an accommodation that needs to be granted by Disability Services. Rather, the Assistive Technology Center (ATC) offers instruction, training, and support for assistive technology tools to any member of the University community. The ATC, located on the Lower Level of the W.E.B. Du Bois Library in the Learning Commons, provides a workspace and access to specialized software, equipment, and tools to improve the campus experience for the entire campus community.