For Prospective Oles & Families

• Students whose documentation describes barriers to reading text in a typical way and who could benefit from having books in an audio format

In which alternate formats are texts available?

Disability and Access staff will determine which format is available for each book you request.

• Read and Write — a toolbar resides on the desktop and is accessible while using any software on your computer. Read and Write provides speech-to-text, text-to-speech, mp3 creation, and many more features
• Bookshare® — an ebook library that makes reading easier. Students can access a huge collection of ebooks and read their way with the most customizable ebooks for people with reading barriers. See how Bookshare ebooks work.
• Braille — Required readings, tests, and quizzes can be embossed in-house in most cases
• Large print — Required readings, tests, and quizzes can be made available in large print
• Converting hardcover to PDF — Sometimes you just need a lighter load! Carrying just your computer and PDFs (rather than a backpack of heavy textbooks) can help with mobility and balance disabilities, and more. As long as you have purchased or rented the book, we can scan it to PDF for you under the Chafee Amendment.

How can I prepare before each semester?

Be ahead of the game! As soon as the book lists are posted:

1.      Buy your books and deliver them (or have them mailed directly) to Disability and Access (DAC), Tomson Hall, suite 153 (c/o Laura Knobel-Piehl)

2.      Keep your original email or paper receipts, and bring them into DAC with your books

DAC will look through your request form to see if alternate texts are available before cutting the binding and scanning the book. Cutting the binding will be the last resort. If cutting is needed in order to scan the book, DAC will have your book rebound with spiral binding at no charge to you.

Tests can be designed in ways that include or exclude. Many St. Olaf instructors create student assessments that are flexible and rarely require accommodations. Some assessments, however, still present barriers. You should always have the opportunity to demonstrate what you’ve learned without the design of the test being a barrier. That will be accomplished differently in different situations:

ACCESSIBLE TESTS IN THE CLASSROOM

Increasingly, course instructors are designing tests that reduce the need for accommodations or are making arrangements for accommodations themselves. Some examples are:

• Designing tests for 30 minutes but allowing students 50 minutes to complete them.
• Giving tests online and using software to increase the time allowed for individual students.
• Assessing learning with take-home tests, papers, or projects.
• Arranging quiet space in a department or office for student testing.
• Providing technology, like a computer, for taking tests.

As a result of these instructional changes, you may find that accommodations you’ve used in the past aren’t necessary.

Occasionally, it will still be necessary to obtain an Accommodation Letter allowing for an extended time to complete the exam. Please speak to your Access Specialist to determine eligibility.

Do accommodations show up on a student’s transcript? Or anywhere else for that matter? Who else at the college knows about my disability?

Your Access Specialists are committed to ensuring that all information and communication pertaining to a student’s disability is maintained as confidential as required or permitted by law. The following guidelines about the treatment of such information have been adopted by Disability and Access. These guidelines incorporate relevant state and federal regulations.

• No one will have immediate access to student files in Disability and Access except the appropriate staff of Disability and Access. Any information regarding a disability is considered confidential and will be shared only with others within the college who have a legitimate educational need to know.
• Accommodation Letters addressed to the student’s faculty will not inform the instructor of the nature of the disability. The letter will only state that the student has met with an Access Specialist in Disability and Access and that we have determined the student is eligible for the accommodations listed.
• Students are encouraged to discuss details of their learning style/patterns/preferences with their instructors, but they are not required (nor should the instructor ask them) to discuss the disability itself.
• Personally-identifiable information relating to a student may not be disclosed to any third party, including a student’s parent except as authorized by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and other applicable federal and state laws.
• Any information in the student’s Disability and Access files relating to the student will not be released except in accordance with federal and state laws.
• A student’s file may be released pursuant to a court order or subpoena.
• If a student wishes to have information about the disability shared with others outside the College, the student must provide written authorization to their Access Specialist to release the information to a specific person or institution.
• A student may be given access to certain information in their Disability and Access file with reasonable notification.