The first step in arranging academic support and accommodations will be for a disability counsellor in Student Accessibility Services to review your medical and/ or psychological diagnostic assessment report. This is the beginning of an interactive process whereby you and a disability counsellor will discuss:

• Your learning style
• Your academic program of study
• The method of course delivery and the type of participation required of students (e.g. lecture, seminar, tutorial, practicum)
• The nature of your disability and its impact on the postsecondary learning process
• The recommended accommodations in the diagnostic assessment report

Determining which academic accommodations are appropriate is a shared responsibility among students, the disability counsellor, and the professor or course director in each course.  Although professors are not "disability experts", they are the authority in their field and in the course they teach; therefore, sometimes they may suggest a more appropriate, practical or creative accommodation that best suits the course and respects academic integrity.

The process of accommodation is very individualized. Students diagnosed with the same type of disability may have very different accommodation plans. The disability counsellor will consider the recommendations in the diagnostic report along with the other factors noted above. Depending on the circumstances, additional, or sometimes, fewer, accommodations may be recommended to your professors.

Provided that the recommended accommodations do not undermine the academic integrity of the course, they will be implemented as recommended.  The scheduling logistics of accommodated exams and tests will be handled by the Office of the University Registrar.  Additional information about the policies and procedures involved with accommodated tests and exams is available from Alternate Exam/Test Scheduling.