Accommodations and Services

Disability Accommodations communicates a student’s approved accommodations via letters that are requested and delivered by the student to their instructors. The letters include all of the classroom accommodations that are approved for an individual student. In order for students registered with DA to have access to accommodations, students must:

1. Request accommodations via the Disability Accommodation Application.
2. Discuss accommodations with each instructor. DA recommends that students meet with instructors during office hours or by private appointment to discuss any necessary accommodations or essential elements of the course.
3. Please note: After receiving an accommodations letter, instructors have up to five business days to provide the approved accommodations. This is to allow time for any administrative planning that may need to occur. Thus, students should request, pick up and deliver accommodation letters well in advance of class exams.
4. These letters contain confidential material and should be handled and filed accordingly.

These Accommodations are provided by the professors. These may be utilized in the classroom, Academic Success Center testing area, or another space provided and approved by the professor.

Students with disabilities may request that an instructor make course materials displayed on overhead projectors or PowerPoint slides available for review. Instructors are not required to create new materials. Instead, instructors might post the materials using Blackboard software, make copies of the materials and distribute these copies to students or allow a student to review the PowerPoint slides during office hours. Students will work with the instructor(s) to determine an appropriate timeframe for viewing materials.

Instructors must secure a notetaker or provide photocopies of daily lecture notes to students with an accommodation letter for class notes.

Students with disabilities may request permission to record class lectures and discussions. Recording class materials in audio format is allowed when students provide notification of the accommodation to the instructor. Students must provide their own recording device and may discuss with the instructor the best placement of the recording device. DA can serve as a resource for questions regarding the recording accommodation.

Students with disabilities may be more prone to missing class due to medication concerns, chronic illness, transportation issues, mobility difficulties or other disability-related circumstances. The DA coordinators will meet with students to discuss the potential implications of missing class (i.e. missed notes, greater difficulty in understanding the material); flexibility does not mean that attendance policies do not apply.

The instructor and the student determine the specifics of a flexible attendance policy. If the student or instructor wishes, the DA coordinator can serve as an additional resource to discuss this form and/or options related to accommodation issues.

For some students with disabilities, sitting for long periods of time and/or remaining in the same position for the duration of a class period can exacerbate symptoms of the disability. Similarly, some students may need to leave class for brief periods to attend to medications or other medical needs. DA encourages these students to move around or leave class in the least disruptive manner possible. Students should discuss seating arrangements and the timing of breaks with their instructors.

Students with disabilities may request an instructor’s assistance in obtaining appropriate classroom seating. While reasons for accessible seating vary widely, common disability-related requests include seating near the front of the room, seating near the board or overhead projector, seating near an interpreter or microphone, seating near (or away) from windows, seating near the door and seating on the entry-level of a multi-level classroom. DA staff can assist with any modifications to classroom furniture, that are necessary due to an accessible seating request.

Students who, because of a disability, have difficulty taking notes by hand may request permission to use a laptop in class. Laptops allow for greater speed in taking notes and thus may allow a student to keep pace with others in the class.

It is the responsibility of the instructor to provide reasonable accommodations as stated in the student's letter provided by the DA Office.

If the instructor is unable to provide accommodations, Academic Advising & Student Success houses a testing center that may assist with providing a quiet, distraction-free setting and extended time for test-taking on a first-come, first-served basis during operating hours (9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday-Friday)

To schedule an appointment, please email testing@txwes.edu. 

Students with disabilities may require additional time for taking exams and completing work in class. Unless efficiency or speed is the essential skill that is being assessed, students may be allowed additional time for all exams.

Based on the documentation submitted to DA, extended time is typically approved in increments of either one and one half or double the allotted time. The extended time accommodation does not apply to exams without time limits (for example, take-home exams). Extended time ensures that a student’s performance is reflective of his/her mastery of material rather than the speed at which a student performs.

Students with disabilities may be approved for and request a separate “reduced distraction” testing space. This space may be a conference room, an unused classroom or instructor’s office. This accommodation is not a guarantee of a “distraction free” testing space, but rather a quieter space where students have fewer distractions from fellow test-takers and are thus better able to maintain focus.

It is the responsibility of the instructor to provide reasonable accommodations as stated in the student's letter provided by the DA Office.

If the instructor is unable to provide accommodations, Academic Advising & Student Success houses a testing center that may assist with providing a quiet, distraction-free setting and extended time for test-taking on a first-come, first-served basis during operating hours (9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday-Friday).

To schedule an appointment, please email testing@txwes.edu. 

This accommodation allows students to use a calculator as long as the calculator is unable to perform the functions that are being tested. This accommodation typically allows for the use of a four-function calculator so that students who understand the concepts will not be penalized for errors in basic calculations. Instructors will approve the calculator to be used by the student.

Some students with disabilities will be approved for and request a computer for essay exams. Using a computer allows these students the opportunity to avoid physical fatigue and/or to provide legible, better-organized answers to essays. Students making such a request may use a computer in the Academic Success Center or a personal computer that is pre-approved by the instructor.  Computers in the ASC office allow for word processing and assistive technology programs without Internet access. Computers are first come, first-served and by appointment only.

This accommodation allows students to use a dictionary or spell check device during exams so that they will not be penalized for basic spelling and grammar errors when they are otherwise able to provide accurate responses to the questions be asked.

Some students with disabilities may require having exam questions read to them. Often, DA employs a variety of computer software programs that can “read” the exam aloud to a student.

This policy may also be viewed in the Texas Wesleyan University online catalog.

What to expect

Before exam

Students who are claiming a math disability are required to take a mathematics placement examination. Those not qualified to enroll in either intermediate or college algebra should enroll in MAT 0300 Beginning Algebra, and complete the requirements of that course.

For more information about obtaining a math disability, contact Lessie Haney.

You will also need to fill out the Disability Accommodations Application.

After exam

If the director establishes that a bona fide mathematics disability exists, a recommendation will be forwarded to the dean of the School of Arts & Sciences to substitute logic (Philosophy 2301) for that requirement. The math disability accommodation satisfies only the General Education requirement, i.e. PHI 2301 for MAT 1302. Accommodation is not extended to courses that require MAT 1302 as a prerequisite. In the event that additional diagnosed disabilities preclude taking logic, another course will be substituted in consultation with the Dean and the Director.

If the director establishes that a bona fide mathematics disability does not exist, the student must comply with the university’s standard mathematics policy.