Accessibility Services

In order to receive support and accommodation you must self-identify as a student with a disability to Accessibility Services, provide us with documentation regarding your functional limitations, and register with Accessibility Services.

To register, you must complete a registration form and book an appointment with Accessibility Services. Please contact us either by phone, email or TTY to make an appointment.
 

Accessibility Services

Parker Building, P-230

Tel: 675-1151 ext. 3324

Fax: 705-675-4807

Email : accessibilityservicesinfo@laurentian.ca 

TTY: 705-671-6617

You may want to contact Accessibility Services as soon as you have received your acceptance, sometime prior to school starting, or within the first week of school. After this initial contact you will be asked to meet with an Accessibility Advisor to further your accommodation process. This will ensure that you are properly registered for our services.
 

Accessibility Services

Parker Building, P-230

Tel: 675-1151 ext. 3324

Fax: 705-675-4807

Email : accessibilityservicesinfo@laurentian.ca 

TTY: 705-671-6617

To register with Accessibility Services, students must provide documentation confirming the presence of a disability or medical condition and stating whether this disability or condition is permanent or temporary. Please note that under the Ontario Human Rights Code, students are not required to disclose their diagnosis in order to access accommodations.

Students who need accommodations are asked to provide documentation from a registered health professional. This documentation must describe the student’s disability-related academic functional limitations in order to help Accessibility Services assess and establish the student’s accommodations.

Accessibility Services' Documentation Form

Print or download the PDF version of Accessibility Services' Documentation Form. This form must be filled out by a registered haelth professional and be returned to Accessibility Services as soon as possible.

Download Accessibility Services' Documentation Form

• Learning strategies
• Time-management and study skills
• Note-taking strategies
• Assistive technology & training
• A testing centre for students who require testing accommodations.
• Alternative learning materials

Yes.  Students in need of our services are encouraged to attend our FREE one-day transition program, Partners in Accessibility at Laurentian (PAL). The schedule and application form can be found here.

It is encouraged that students apply for OSAP even if they do not believe to be eligible, because they may qualify for the Bursary for Students with Disabilities (BSWD) and also to qualify for the Federal Opportunity Grant, based on disability related needs.

The Bursary for Students with disabilities may cover such disability related needs as tutoring, assistive software, technology equipment and computers. Please contact your Advisor for more details.

Welcome to Laurentian University’s Test Centre in Accessibility Services. Our primary purpose is to supervise and provide accommodations during evaluations for students with a disability. To access the Test Centre, students must be registered with the Accessibility Services and have been provided with a Letter of Academic Accommodation by their advisors.

1) I am a new student and don’t know how to register for services.

Please go to the Accessibility Services website for information on how to register for services.

2) I am a returning student and I have previously written my tests and exams in the Accessibility Services Testing Centre. Will it be the same process this year?

We are currently in the process of reviewing the procedures and adapting them based on the different delivery of courses, recommendations from Public Health Sudbury and District, and Laurentian University’s Office of the President.

The testing centre will be open for in person evaluations when requested by instructors as the main delivery of evaluations for accommodated students.  We ask that students review their course outlines at the beginning of the semester in order to respect the time tables set by instructors.

3) Do I need to register with Accessibility Services if I am only taking online and/or remote delivery courses and will not be on campus?

Yes.  Students requiring evaluation accommodations must register with their respective Accessibility Advisor at the beginning of every semester to confirm their new course codes, and for their Letters of Academic Accommodation (LOAA) to be sent to each instructor.  This will also ensure that students who have registered will receive email updates from the Exam Coordinator on deadlines to book final exams, and to communicate any needs to instructors if necessary.   Please send an email to accessibilityservicesinfo@laurentian.ca, or phone the front desk at 705-675-1151, ext. 3324 to book an in person,  phone call or virtual appointment as early as possible to ensure accommodations can be arranged in a timely manner.

4) Do I need to book my tests and exams through the Accessibility Services online booking portal?

Yes, all students requiring testing (evaluation) accommodations, please book all quizzes, tests, midterms and exams through the online booking portal; all bookings should be made at least 7 days in advance. The Accessibility Services office needs to be aware of all upcoming evaluations to ensure that each student’s accommodations are in place for each evaluation.

5) Where will I be writing my tests, quizzes, midterms and exams?

Depending on the type of evaluation (timed D2L evaluation, take-home exam, assignment, etc.), students are responsible for selecting an environment in which they will not be disrupted, in their home, or an alternative suitable space. If students reside with other people, they are encouraged to inform their cohabitants prior to the evaluation to avoid being disturbed, and select a comfortable space for the duration of the evaluation. Students distracted by background noise (ex: construction, dogs barking, etc.), are encouraged to use earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones.

For courses that are being delivered on campus, if an evaluation is taking place during class hours, students with accommodations must book their evaluations through the Accessibility Services’ online portal in order to reserve your place.  Please contact the Exam Coordinator (via email accessibilityexams@laurentian.ca or by phone at 705-675-1151, ext. 3309) if you have any questions or are in need of assistance.  All bookings must be done at least 7 days in advance in order to guarantee your spot in the testing centre.

6) Am I permitted food and/or drink during my timed evaluation?

Students are permitted to bring a drink to their seat at the start of their evaluation, which is subject for approval by the invigilator.  Any food is to be consumed prior to the start of the evaluation.  Unless specified in the student's accommodations, all requests for food and/or drink throughout an evaluation will need to be approved by the Exam Coordinator.

7) How will I get my extra time accommodations for tests, exams or other timed evaluations?

Course instructors will be responsible for adding extra time to timed D2L evaluations, whether it is a synchronous proctored evaluation, or an evaluation that needs to be uploaded to the D2L dropbox. The Accessibility Services Exam Coordinator will communicate with course instructors one week prior to the evaluation date to ensure that the extra time has been added.

For evaluations taking place on campus, if the student chooses to write in the testing centre, the Exam Coordinator will ensure that the additional time for each student is communicated with the invigilators.

8) If my Instructor is giving us 24 hours or more to complete an evaluation, do I still get my extra time accommodation?

Instructors are being encouraged to implement  Universal Design Learning principles. Students given a larger window of time (ex. one week) to complete an assignment that will normally require a set number of hours (e.g. 3 hrs) are to complete it on their own time and submit it by a deadline set by the instructor. Students who normally require extra time should budget extra time in the set window if time to devote to this activity and do not necessarily need a larger window of time. Students who believe they would still require this accommodation are asked to contact their Accessibility Advisor for assistance prior to the evaluation date.

9) What do I do if my instructor has opted to proctor my exam through Zoom and is not able to supervise me during my extra time accommodation?

Please contact the Exam Coordinator by email: accessibilityexams@laurentian.ca at least 7 days in advance.  Each request will be considered case by case.

10) If my Instructor will be supervising me, do I still need to book my evaluation on Accessibility Services’ online portal?

1. If the student does not require evaluation accommodations for a particular course, they do not need to book it in Accessibility Services’ online portal. 

2. If the student requires evaluation accommodations, then the evaluation booking through the portal is required. Accessibility Services need to be aware of every evaluation for which students require accommodations.

11) What will happen if there is a technical issue with the internet and I get disconnected from the synchronous evaluation?

Every student needs to ensure that they have a strong internet connection prior to any remote evaluation. If students are being proctored by Accessibility Services when the connection is disrupted, they are asked to please phone the Accessibility Services’ Exam Coordinator immediately at 705-675-1151, ext. 3309 so that the course instructor may be informed. Each incident will be handled case by case.

Outside of office hours (Monday through Friday, 9:00 am to 4:30 pm), students must communicate directly with their course instructor, either by email once the connection is reinstated, or by phone if the instructor has provided a number to call.

12) I require a scribe for my evaluations. How will this be handled?

A scribe will be assigned to students by the Accessibility Services Exam Coordinator. 

13) I need assistive technology for all evaluations. How will this work?

Students are encouraged to communicate with their Accessibility Advisor for all needs requiring assistive technology or special software. The Accessibility Advisors will work with Accessibility Services' Exam Coordinator to facilitate this accommodation on a case by case basis.

Service Animals & Emotional Support Animals (ESA) 

Students that require a service animal or ESA as a disability related accommodation must register with Accessibility Services. 

Students that are planning to live in residence are encouraged to register with Accessibility Services as soon as possible to complete the accommodation process and to apply for residence by July 1st for the fall semester, by November 1st for the winter semester, and by March 1st for the spring semester. Those that fail to meet the deadline will be evaluated on a case by case basis. If you fail to meet these deadlines it may cause further delays in the request process.

Students are not permitted to bring animals on campus or in residence prior to completing the accommodation process and receiving approval for the accommodation with Accessibility Services and Laurentian University Residence. Please note only 1 animal is permitted within each apartment (MSR, East, West, SSR) and only 1 animal is permitted in each bedroom (UC). 

If a student has an approved accommodation for an ESA in residence the following steps are required within the process: documentation outlining the disability related functional limitations requiring an ESA, ensuring the animal has received proper training, confirming city animal registration where applicable, vaccination/vet records, and the ability to identify an alternative caregiver for the animal. A Student Agreement is completed with the Accessibility Services Office and Residence regarding expectations within residence.