Accommodation Services

Common Testing Accommodations include:

• Extended Time (time and a half or double time)
  • If exam is on talon or other testing software, extended time will need to be manually added for the student to receive this accommodation.
• Semi-Private or Individual Testing Rooms
• Exams Read Aloud by Software or Staff person

Where do students take exams and how do they receive their accommodations? 

This depends on the course and exam requirements, such as the format of the exam, and whether monitoring/proctoring is required.

• Typically for face to face or hybrid courses where exams are taken in the classroom, students will take their exams at the Test Center to receive their accommodations.
• For online exams (Talon, McGraw-Hill, HAWKES, etc.) with monitoring/proctoring required, students may take these at home with the proctoring software required. Students are  are responsible for ensuring a quiet, low distraction testing space. 
• For online exams, no monitoring or proctor required, students can take these at home and are responsible for ensuring a quiet, low distraction testing space. 
• Lab/Practical Exams: Accommodations for Lab courses may be different than accommodations allowed for lecture tests and quizzes. Lab test and quizzes evaluating a student's performance of a specific skill will need to be taken in the lab and extra time may not be considered a reasonable accommodation. Please discuss all test and quiz arrangements for lab courses with students.

Note: All testing appointments with the Test Center need to be scheduled in advance. A student cannot schedule their exam until the instructor has provided the exam instructions and information to the Test Center 

​​​​​​​How do I send a test to the Test Center for a student?

Check out the Test Center Instructions for Faculty on the Test Center website. 

How do I adjust the amount of time allowed on an exam or quiz in TALON?

You can use the Classlist Tool's Accommodation feature to allow students with accommodations extra time on your quizzes. Need support? Contact an Instructional Designer or email aisd@kirkwood.edu.

Memory Aid Accommodation, what is it and how do I provide this?

A memory aid is a tool used to trigger information that a student has studied but may have difficulty recalling during exams and quizzes due to processing deficits with memory. Memory aids can contain acronyms, short phrases, pictures, schematic diagrams or mind maps, names, definitions, tables, charts or key terms, and certain formula. Memory aids are cues to a larger body of information and would not be useful to a student unless they know and understand how to use the information the aid contains. If the student does not know the course material being assessed, the memory aid would not be beneficial. Students can either create the memory aid independently and have it approved by the instructor or create the memory aid together with the instructor. Examples of this could include a note card or a sheet of notes or formulas.

An advocate will reach out to discuss an appropriate and reasonable memory aid. Once an appropriate memory aid has been determined and approved, an updated accommodation letter with the approved memory aid information will be sent to student, instructor and advocate for the specific course.

Please include information about the approved memory aid when submitting exam information to the Test Center via Registerblast in the "Special Requests" section.

Providing Equal Access and Determining Reasonable Accommodations 

What is equal access?

Equal access is a civil right. State and Federal entities and laws enforce equal access as a civil right. As an educational institution, we follow guidance from the Office of Civil Rights who “ensure equal access to education and to promote educational excellence…through enforcement of civil rights” (https://www2.edu.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/aboutocr.html).

Equal access means that a program, course, or service is accessible by ALL individuals. It applies to all goods, services, information and communication. It provides an equal opportunity to participate and benefit from the aforementioned. By working towards ensuring equal access at the college, we can help to create additional opportunities for individuals with disabilities and reduce the need to find reasonable accommodations, modification or exceptions.

Determining Reasonable Accommodations

For some accommodation requests, reasonable accommodations are already established and a process is in place to provide these accommodations. For example, providing extended time on exams or quizzes for a student.

For other accommodation requests, Accommodation Access Advocates will need to seek out additional information in order to identify what would be considered a reasonable accommodation. In these situations, Advocates will engage in an interactive process and work closely with both students and faculty to determine options. Within the interactive process, Advocates are seeking and evaluating information about the following: 

• Students accommodation request and specific information related to their disability 

• Course and/or Program learning outcomes, standards, essential functions, policies, and/or procedures. 

  • This includes specific information about the course and assignment structure and requirements including specific activities 

  • Program Essential Functions and Standards

• Legal Obligations

Definitions

Disability

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defines a person with a disability as a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activity. 

This includes people who have a record of such an impairment, even if they do not currently have a disability. It also includes individuals who do not have a disability but are regarded as having a disability.

The ADA also makes it unlawful to discriminate against a person based on that person’s association with a person with a disability.

Major Life Activity

Major life activities include, but are not limited to: caring for onesself, performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, eating, sleeping, walking, standing, lifting, bending, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating and working. A major life acitivity also includes the operation of major bodily function, including but not limited to, functions of the immune system, normal cell growth, digestive, bowel, bladder, neurological, brain, respiratory, circulatory, endocrine, and reproductive functions. (http://www.eeoc.gov/policy/docs/902cm.html#902.1b)

Equal Access

First, State and Federal entities and laws enforce equal access as a civil right. As an educational institution, we follow guidance from the Office of Civil Rights who “ensure equal access to education and to promote educational excellence…through enforcement of civil rights” (https://www2.edu.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/aboutocr.html).

Equal access means that a program, course, or service is accessible by ALL individuals. It applies to all goods, services, information and communication. It provides an equal opportunity to participate and benefit from the aforementioned. By working towards ensuring equal access at the college, we can help to create additional opportunities for individuals with disabilities and reduce the need to find reasonable accommodations, modification or exceptions.

Reasonable Accommodation

Reasonable accommodations are academic adjustments that allow a student with a disability to have an equal opportunity to meet an academic standard or requirement. Reasonable accommodations...  

• Do Not Reduce the established course standards or learning objectives.
• Do not lessen the expectations required of a college student to fulfill general academic responsibilities.

Reasonable accommodations are determined through an interactive process based on individual needs related to a disability, documentation, and course or program standards, outcomes, and objectives. Accommodations Access Advocates will facilitate and assist students and faculty through this process and make the determination of a reasonable accommodation. Some examples of reasonable accommodations include:

• Testing accommodations: additional time when taking a test, a quiet environment for testing, having the test read to you or having a scribe to write answers.

• Recording class lectures: using a recording device when the instructor is lecturing to allow you to listen to the recording at a later time for the purpose of completing notes or re-learning material. (Will be allowed if there are no discussions protected by privacy laws within the lecture).

• Other note-taking aides: having access to lecture notes, power point slides or other note-taking aides provided by the instructor. 

• Specific seating location in class or adjustments to desks, chairs and tables within the classroom: to allow optimal access to the classroom experience.

• Alternative Text: allows students to receive their textbooks in an electronic format. Read&Write software will be downloaded to your personal computer, which allows you to hear the textbook being read as you follow along. Read&Write software has many features to enhance you reading and writing experience and is provided free of charge. Learn more about alternative text and how you can get started at www.kirkwood.edu/alternativetext.

• Assistive Technology: students can learn about additional technology aides which may enhance their educational experience.  

• Sign Language Interpreters: are provided to deaf and hard of hearing students who know American Sign Language (ASL).

• Other requests for accommodations will be reviewed on a case by case basis. Please talk with an Accommodations Access Advocate.