The Office of Student Disability Services provides all students who are eligible for classroom accommodations with accommodation letters verifying such eligibility.

If a student is entitled to testing accommodations, that student will bring a Testing Accommodations Request form for you to complete, so that our office can make arrangements with you on behalf of the student in a timely manner.

Please note that it is the student's responsibility to talk to you about any accommodations he or she receives, including testing accommodations. (You aren't required to take any action until the student does so.)

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to stop by the SDS office in room 238 Shuster Hall or call 718-960-8441.

Students who are eligible for testing accommodations during an exam or quiz, such as extended time or a distraction-free room, should notify their professors. Some professors request that SDS administers extended-time exams; other professors may choose to oversee exams themselves, with the required accommodations in place.

Students must follow the SDS testing accommodations policy to receive this service. An eligible student will be furnished with an accommodation letter, which they will present to you, stating that they are entitled to receive testing accommodations. It is the student's responsibility to notify you and request alternative testing.

It is also their responsibility to present you with a Testing Accommodation Request form for completion to be returned to us by the student at least one week prior to the exam, to ensure that our office makes appropriate arrangements in a timely manner.

For more information, please visit the Testing Accommodation Procedures section in the Resources for Faculty section, or feel free to either stop by our office in room 238 Shuster Hall or call us at 718-960-8441.

The Office of Student Disability Services evaluates its students on an individualized basis. Accommodations are granted based on how a student’s disability impacts their ability to take an exam. A student who is entitled to testing accommodations is required to notify you and present the proper form to you for completion prior to the exam date.

Accommodations can include, but are not limited to, extended time; a quiet/low-distraction environment; private room; use of a computer; use of a calculator; reader; scribe; sign language interpreter; use of a spell checker; Braille; large print, periodic breaks; assistive technology (e.g., closed circuit television for magnifying printed material; screen magnification or screen reading program; or speech recognition software).

It is the student's responsibility to ask for accommodations. Tests generally can't be retaken once they are administered.

To help prevent this from reoccurring, please refer the student back to our office in room 238 Shuster Hall (718-960-8441) so that the student can make sure they understand the SDS testing accommodations policy.

In addition, please be sure to include our Disability Access Statement in your course syllabus. This way, students with disabilities who need accommodations—and might not otherwise know where to get them—can come to our office and find out about the processes in place to get the assistance they require.

A student's condition may fluctuate depending on the nature of their disability; there are many conditions and/or medications that may interfere with students' academics, resulting in periodic or irregular curtailments of functioning.

The Office of Student Disability Services can verify the reason for extended absences, with the student’s permission and their submission of appropriate documentation. Please visit the Instructional and Communication Strategies section under Resources for Faculty for information on specific disabilities and how they might impact a student's academic pursuits.

Be sure and handle the situation delicately. Rather than tell the student you suspect they have a disability, talk to him or her about the trouble he or she is having in your class and what might be affecting progress. The student might come forward and admit that the issues are longstanding in nature or even related to a disability.

If so, refer the student to SDS in room 238 Shuster Hall (718-960-8441). If not, offer a list of applicable campus resources such as tutoring, counseling, and so on, and include the Office of Student Disability Services among them.

Students who cannot take notes or who have difficulty taking notes adequately are generally helped by tape recording lectures and by having a notetaker in class.

The Office of Student Disability Services makes arrangements for in-class notetakers for eligible students, either by hiring a staff notetaker to go to class and take notes or by offering a $100 stipend to a volunteer peer notetaker in the student's class.

The student will provide their notetakers with specialized paper or will arrange to have the notes photocopied (free of charge) at the SDS office. In some cases, notes are taken on a laptop instead of by hand.

The Office of Student Disability Services recruits and pays staff notetakers for our eligible students. However, students with disabilities may also recruit a peer notetaker—a volunteer in their same class—to take notes on their behalf.

From time to time, students who are eligible for notetaking services, whether their disabilities are invisible or apparent, will want to remain anonymous to their class. They might, therefore, ask their professors to make an announcement requesting a peer notetaker, similar to the one that follows:

"There is a student in our class who requires a notetaker. You will receive a $100 stipend and be invited to attend a reception at the end of the semester in appreciation of your assistance. If you are interested, please raise your hand and say your name so that the student can meet you outside of our room after class to introduce themselves."

No. Notetaking accommodations are provided to students when they are in class. The notetaker is not a proxy for the student, and the notes they take are not a substitute for attendance by the student with a disability.

Alternate format materials such as audio recordings, mathematical translations, large print, Braille, or e-text can take a considerable amount of time to develop and/or obtain. (Visit the Academic Assistance and Requesting Services section under Our Services for further information on alternate formats.)

One of the best ways to help a student who is blind or visually impaired is to have copies of your syllabus and reading assignments ready early, anywhere from three to five weeks prior to the start of the semester.

During lecture, it is good to get in the habit of speaking aloud what you're writing on the board so the student can follow along. If you are going to be providing handouts to the class, be sure and provide vision impaired students with alternate formats. (Ask the student to inform you of their needs.)

The Office of Student Disability Services can work with you to make sure your course documents are accessible to students who are blind or who are visually impaired. Call our assistant director at 718-960-1167 or stop by our Access and Technology Center (ATC) in room 146 in the library, or come to our office in room 238 Shuster, and we will be happy to help you prepare your materials. Additional information on visual impairment and blindness is available in the Instructional and Communication Strategies section on our Resources for Faculty page.