Ensure staff, course instructors/faculty members within their respective department have awareness of these guidelines and their relationship to departmental practices. Specifically, courses should be designed to accommodate the needs of learners with a variety of disabilities who might wish to enroll in the course. AccessAbility Services has available on its website various disability verification forms that help to facilitate the medical documentation process, ensuring students receive documentation from their health care practitioner that is appropriate for the development of academic accommodations: https://uwaterloo.ca/accessability-services/current-students/documentation. Classroom and testing accommodations will be communicated to course instructor(s) / department(s) via the Faculty Notification Letter sent by email. If AccessAbility Services determines that the student is not eligible for retroactive accommodations, the reasons will be provided to the student in person or in writing. Meet with an AccessAbility Services’ Accommodation Consultant to provide input into the development of an academic accommodation plan. Inform the course instructor/faculty member about their request for a retroactive accommodation, if still enrolled in the course or actively pursuing the academic milestone. In-person support is not available at this time. Tests will not be facilitated by AccessAbility Services without receiving the test within 2 business days. Students come from around the world to go to college and university in the City of Waterloo. Prior to starting at Laurier, I held the position of Manager, Student Accommodation - AccessAbility Services [AAS] with the University of Waterloo for five years in a similar role. Additional medical documentation may be required to support the request. Like our page to stay up to date on our events! AccessAbility Services can produce accessible course materials on behalf of course instructors/faculty members. If the retroactive accommodation is for a completed course or milestone, the student will seek a retroactive accommodation via a petition or grievance (e.g., if student alleges that an accommodation was not provided) under Policy 70, indicating a request for retroactive accommodation (https://uwaterloo.ca/secretariat/policies-procedures-guidelines/policy-70). Learn and follow the University’s Student Academic Accommodation Guidelines, as well as AccessAbility Services’ procedures for the provision of academic accommodations and services. Apply to register with AccessAbility Services once they have accepted their offer of admission from the University of Waterloo, or as soon as they become aware of (or suspect) a disability, to make the nature of their disability and/or their needs known. The course instructor/faculty member will enable the accommodation, and will participate in the accommodation process as required, to the point of undue hardship. Students requiring graduate milestone accommodations or cooperative education accommodations will book an appointment with an Accommodation Consultant to request their approved accommodations within that context. Even if a student is unsure of whether they qualify for accommodation support, AccessAbility Services can talk them through next steps, consider interim accommodations, and refer them elsewhere if appropriate. the time/timelines of both the request and the time to manage the request. Requirements for AccessAbility Services to Facilitate Testing Accommodations. Academic accommodation plans are individualized and tailored to the unique needs of students within their academic environment. Hotels near University of Waterloo, Waterloo on Tripadvisor: Find 9,319 traveler reviews, 5,233 candid photos, and prices for 272 hotels near University of Waterloo in Waterloo, Ontario. Refer all students to AccessAbility Services who request academic accommodations because of a known or suspected disability, or who are believed to require academic accommodations (Refer to Appendix C: Referring Student to AccessAbility Services). University of Waterloo Programs. In serving in this function, AccessAbility Services will: Academic accommodations and supports remove unnecessary barriers and enable students to build capacity for personal success. Indicate that there are a variety of campus supports and services designed to aid a student’s success, including the Writing and Communication Centre, the Student Success Office, and Counselling Services, which are available to all students. Course instructors who are not able to meet the schedule are required to contact AccessAbility Services within 24 hours to determine if an alternate arrangement can be made. Visiting faculty. You can also sit with them while they complete the online application which should not take more than a few minutes to complete: Indicate that in order to protect their privacy, only AccessAbility Services will review and store medical documentation. Fax:  519-746-2401 Act in their capacity to ensure all incoming and current student are effectively informed of the accommodations and supports available to students with known or suspected disabilities. If AccessAbility Services determines a retroactive accommodation is required during a course, AccessAbility Services will collaborate with the course instructor/faculty member to determine the most appropriate retroactive accommodation in light of all information, and after considering the following: the effort the student will have to put forth to support the accommodation, whether the academic record will demonstrate student’s level of knowledge. Ask the student if they are comfortable with you referring them to AccessAbility Services. If you are in contact with the student, indicate that only AccessAbility Services should be in receipt of their medical documentation for the purposes of accommodation planning. GUIDELINES FOR STUDENT ACADEMIC ACCOMMODATIONS, APPENDIX A: REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS, ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS, AND UNDUE HARDSHIP, APPENDIX C: REFERRING STUDENTS TO ACCESSABILITY SERVICES, APPENDIX D: COURSE INSTRUCTOR TIMELINE REQUIREMENTS TO FACILITATE ACCOMMODATIONS, APPENDIX E: PROTECTING PERSONAL HEALTH INFORMATION. The duty to accommodate refers to the university’s obligation to take reasonable steps to the point of undue hardship, to adjust or modify the work environment or the method of doing work in order to address the individual needs of employees and job applicants who are protected from discrimination under the OHRC. Act in their capacity to ensure that course instructors/faculty members receive resources and required support in order to implement any approved accommodations. Reasonable accommodation(s) is determined on an individual basis and must relate to the student’s specific functional limitations within the academic setting so that accommodation(s) may vary from class to class depending upon course content and format. In these instances, it is imperative that there is a quick resolution as “dispute resolution procedures that are not timely or effective could amount to a failure of the duty to accommodate” (OHRC, 2003, p.59). Here are a few helpful tips. According to the OHRC, AccessAbility Services may request additional or updated medical documentation in a range of circumstances, including: If the student does not provide additional information when requested, and AccessAbility Services can show that this information is needed, then, according to the OHRC, the student could be found to not have taken part in the accommodation process and the accommodation provider would likely be relieved of further responsibility. Accommodation at the University of Waterloo. Without this critical information, AccessAbility Services is not able to guarantee that students will be writing under the same conditions as those in the class. AccessAbility Services will then review and vet documentation and speak with the student about the situation. 200 University Avenue West. Uphold a student’s academic accommodation plan, as determined by AccessAbility Services, to the point of undue hardship. View David Kibble’s full profile to. In-person: Needles Hall North, Room 1401 Milestones or non-course degree requirements (graduate or undergraduate). All tests must be received by AccessAbility Services 2 business days prior to the start of the test. 15 years 2 months. The purposes of the student academic accommodation guidelines are to: These guidelines apply to all academic requirements, including but not limited to: More specifically, the guidelines apply to: Students with disabilities require equitable opportunities to access and benefit from their education and receive reasonable academic accommodations. If you have questions about registering with our office and/or if you have encountered any unexpected barriers that are preventing you from engaging and participating in the registration process, please contact us by phone: 519-888-4567, ext. Course instructors/faculty members are encouraged to seek support from the Center for Teaching Excellence for creating accessible and inclusive learning environments. Make an appointment with AccessAbility Services to discuss the request for a retroactive accommodation. University of Waterloo. Support that AccessAbility Services determines whether a student requires disability-based academic accommodations. Contact AccessAbility Services if changes or problems arise related to disability or accommodations. Inform student that in order to consider retroactive accommodations that are disability related, AccessAbility Services will need to be consulted and engaged in the process to protect the student’s privacy and ensure the student is supported. the essential components of the course and program. Select and request classroom, alternate format, and/or testing accommodations at the start of each academic term (or when registering for the course) using AccessAbility Services’ online system both to trigger the Faculty Notification Letter and to request accommodation services from AccessAbility Services. As indicated by the Ontario Human Rights Commission, educators have the responsibility to implement accommodations in a timely way, to the point of undue hardship. When a student requests a retroactive accommodation related to a disability during the course or when actively pursuing the academic milestone, the course instructor/faculty member should: When notified of a student’s request for a retroactive accommodation, AccessAbility Services will: Retroactive Accommodation after Completion of Course/Milestone. Receive all referrals for academic accommodations for students with diagnosed or suspected disabilities. Apply with AccessAbility Services (using the process identified in Procedure 1) and indicate in the application that they are seeking support for a retroactive accommodation (if not already registered). Located in Waterloo, 500 metres from University Stadium and 1. Such students are encouraged to apply online or contact the Office directly. Collaborate with AccessAbility Services to resolve accommodation disputes, ensure approved academic accommodations are upheld (to the point of undue hardship), and support students with disabilities registered with AccessAbility Services as required. You can also sit with them while they complete the online application which should not take more than a few minutes to complete: Inform students that retroactive accommodations will be thoughtfully considered. The available courses are distributed under 6 faculties namely, Applied Health Science, Engineering, Arts, Environment, Mathematics and Science. Rather, documentation supporting the need for an accommodation is intended to provide the University of Waterloo’s AccessAbility Services with critical information about the functional limitations that a student experiences as a result of their specific disability, for the purpose of designing an appropriate accommodation plan. As the OHRC stated in their Policy (2016): There is no set formula for accommodating people identified by Code grounds. You will receive a confirmation email to your UWaterloo student email. Accommodations related to cooperative education will be communicated by email to relevant individuals within Cooperative Education and the Centre for Career Action, or to the student directly to present as appropriate. AccessAbility Services will email the course instructor/faculty member to set a meeting, within 5-10 business days, to understand why the accommodation is not being upheld. Students with disabilities may request and authorize that AccessAbility Services share relevant information from their files to assist in obtaining access, accommodation, or service. This section outlines three guidelines for designing, facilitating, and supporting student academic accommodations. Ideal for families, groups & couples. You can apply for academic accommodations once you have received your offer of admission, and you're a registered student with the University, or, as soon as you become aware of (or suspect) a disability, medical condition, and/or have experienced trauma that is impacting your academics. A mere assertion of undue hardship, based on impressionistic views or stereotypes, is not sufficient. The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee peoples. However, this can only occur once AccessAbility Services has received all required materials in advance. Discover a wide range of options close to your campus on Student.com. It is important to note that the University has a legal duty to accommodate students with disabilities to the point of undue hardship – which is applied at the institutional level. As such, the meaning of disability should be interpreted broadly, and should remain flexible and encompassing of new and emerging disabilities including those where a precise diagnosis is unclear or not yet determined (Refer to Appendix B: Documentation Requirements). Basic Process for Establishing Accommodations. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Understand that students assume the risks and consequences associated with going against medical advice provided by their health provider and/or recommendations of AccessAbility Services (i.e., the accommodation plan). Book your University of Waterloo, Waterloo holiday home online from AU$ 48/night. If the original accommodation is agreed to cause undue hardship, then AccessAbility Services and the instructor will explore whether an alternate and equivalent accommodation can be implemented. 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