ACCOMMODATIONS/AUXILIARY AIDS/SERVICES

Reasonable Accommodation

Alternative Testing	Interpreting/Sign/Oral/RTC	Note Taking Support
Priority Registration	Alternative Text	Accessible Transportation

Other RDS Support

figure with cane signing hands figure in wheelchair

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS

The university is required to provide reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities once the need for such accommodations are made known by the student to appropriate personnel. Some accommodations are provided through auxiliary aids and services. Others may require modifications to academic procedures and practices. All accommodations must be related to disabilities defined as substantially limiting a major life activity.

Not all requests for accommodation may be determined to be reasonable and/or appropriate. Simply because a student received support at another institution or in elementary/secondary school does not guarantee he/she will receive it at Colorado State University (or any other higher education institution).

Whether a request for an accommodation is reasonable and/or appropriate is a decision that takes into account the individual need of a student, the resources available to the university, whether the accommodation is related to the limitation and whether it affects the essential elements of a course or major area of study.

The following services (as auxiliary aids and/or accommodations) provided by RDS are commonly utilized by students and are considered reasonable accommodations for the university: alternative testing; sign language/oral interpreting (including RTC); note-taking support; priority registration; alternative text; and local accessible transportation. This list is not all inclusive; other accommodations can be provided depending upon a student's particular situation and need.

ALTERNATIVE TESTING

Alternative Testing arrangements are made when a student's disability affects his/her performance on exams when taken in a regular classroom environment. Accommodations that may be needed include, but are not limited to: extra time; less distracting environment; provision of a reader/scribe; and use of a computer, including adaptive software and hardware.

All accommodations provided for testing-taking activities must be supported by the effects of a student's disability, either as stated in appropriate documentation and/or through approval of the RDS Counselor.

Arrangements for Alternative Testing are negotiated between the student, instructor and RDS staff. While instructors may implement specific accommodations, they do not alone determine what is or is not appropriate or reasonable for a student. A student must be verified through RDS before any testing accommodation is implemented if it is based on the presence of a disability and its affects on the student.

For more information regarding policies and procedures, please click on: Alternative Testing.

INTERPRETING
Sign Language, Oral and RTC

There are two staff interpreters in the RDS office. Both are qualified to interpret college level courses. One staff interpreter coordinates the Interpreting services for Deaf/hard of hearing students (Coordinator of Interpreting Services). RDS contracts with qualified interpreters from the surrounding community in order to fulfill the needs of students for this service. The other RDS staff interpreter acts as a mentor for these other interpreters who are employed part-time as determined by student need.

All RDS interpreters are graduates of a recognized Interpreter Training Program and/or otherwise have the skills necessary to interpret a college level curriculum. All interpreters are expected to abide by the Interpreters Code of Ethics while employed with the university. Oral or sign language interpreting services are provided, at no charge, to qualified Deaf/hard of hearing students for classes and other academic meetings or university sponsored programs.

For students who do not know sign language or cannot benefit from oral interpreting, real time captioning (RTC) may be an option. However, this accommodation is limited due to specific university and community resources and cannot be guaranteed.

Requests for interpreters for classes and academic meetings need to be made through the RDS Interpreting Services Coordinator in a timely manner in order to ensure assignments of interpreters can be made appropriately. University sponsored programs that are open to the general public are often interpreted. If not publicized as interpreted, a student may need to contact the sponsoring unit or contact the RDS Interpreting Services Coordinator to request an interpreter be present. It is the responsibility of the sponsoring university unit to arrange and pay for this service although RDS interpreters are often used for such purposes.

For non-university meetings or programs, a student may request an interpreter from Connections, Greeley, CO, (970) 352-8682. The student may be responsible for making arrangements, as well as for the cost, in some of these situations depending upon the purpose of the meeting (e.g., personal).

For more information regarding policies and procedures, please click on: Interpreting Services.

NOTE-TAKING SUPPORT

Students who are unable to take notes in a class due to their disabilities are eligible for Note-taking Support. One method of support is to use volunteer peer note takers, usually recruited from within each class as needed. Students are encouraged to select a note taker that best supplements their own note-taking style. Carbonless paper (NCR paper) will be provided, or copies of notes made, by RDS if a volunteer note taker agrees to the duties of a note taker according to RDS criteria.

There are basically two methods used to solicit and secure note takers: through student initiative or through the assistance of RDS.

Student initiative: A student may ask permission from an instructor to make an announcement in class for a volunteer or the student may have the instructor make the announcement. A student may also more discretely request help from students sitting near them in class.

RDS assistance: At the request of the student, RDS staff will go to a particular class to solicit volunteers as notetakers. When necessary, RDS staff will also work with a particular faculty member in identifying possible candidates within a class. A student's desire for anonymity within a class will be respected but is not guaranteed if essential to the process of obtaining notes.

For more information on the process of obtaining and using in-class note takers, contact the RDS Note Taking Support Coordinator.

If a student needs more support in note-taking than can be provided by a peer volunteer, other alternatives may include utilizing a paid student or a non-student note-taker/transcriber, depending upon availability of resources. These arrangements are made only through the recommendation of the RDS Counselor and/or Director.

For more information regarding policies and procedures, please click on: Notetaking Support Services.

PRIORITY REGISTRATION

The registration process begins the semester prior to the semester for which classes are selected. Access to the computer-based web system is assigned according to class rank (graduate students first, freshman last). Priority Registration allows students to access the system EARLIER than the time they would normally be assigned.

Earlier access gives a student the opportunity to arrange a schedule with sufficient time for RDS to put in place auxiliary aids/accommodations such as interpreting services or books in alternative formats. It also allows a student to select specific course times/course locations/instructors that may be necessary as an accommodation for specific needs. A student must be on the current university computer system in order to receive Priority Registration privileges. Therefore, this service is not available unless a student has been enrolled for the prior consecutive semester.

Priority Registration is valid only during the pre-registration periods for each following semester (October for spring semester, April for fall semester). Students who use interpreting services or require alterative text formats will automatically be placed on Priority Registration status. Students with mobility limitations or who have may have other needs directly related to their specific disability will also be given automatic Priority Registration status. Other students must request the service through the RDS Counselor or Director. The request must be substantiated as a need due to a student's disability. Once given Priority Registration, students will receive the service until they have graduated and/or left the university.

A list of students eligible for Priority Registration status is submitted to the Registrar approximately one month into a particular semester for the following semester registration period. Therefore, students who miss this deadline as a new request may not be given the status until the following semester.

Students who drop out for a semester and then return MUST re-register with RDS, and/or request this accommodation from the RDS Counselor and/or Director once they are reenrolled, to be reinstated for Priority Registration.

Students who have difficulty using the computer system for registration due to their limitations should contact RDS as early as possible for registration assistance.

ALTERNATIVE TEXT

Students who are unable to read, or have difficulty with, printed material may benefit from Alternative Text services which primarily provides textbooks and other print materials in an alternative format. The specific formats are: auditory (on tape), e-text (for use of computer text-reading), and Braille. Students who have visual limitations or have specific learning disabilities (e.g., dyslexia) in particular have found this accommodation useful, if not essential. For students with learning disabilities, an auditory compensation method and input can often enhance comprehension.

Many textbooks have been recorded on 4-track cassette tapes by Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic (RFBD), a non-profit service organization that provides educational and professional books on audio cassette. It is highly recommended that students apply to RFBD as a source for taped textbooks for student use as well as future professional needs. Applications can be obtained directly from Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic, 10 Roszel Road, Princeton, NJ, 08540, (800) 221-4792. Verification of the visual, perceptual, or other physical disability by an appropriate professional is required along with a $50.00 application fee and a $25.00 annual fee to include the cost of the first year's subscription (total $75.00). The annual subscription fee to continue RFBD service is $25.00.

Because the tapes from RFBD are recorded differently than regular cassette tapes, a 4-track cassette player is required. These players are available free (on loan) from the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped in Denver, CO (1-800-332-5852). Verification of the visual, perceptual, or other physical disability by an appropriate professional is required with the application for service.

Applications for a player and for RFBD are also available in the RDS office. Contact the RDS Coordinator of Alternative Text Services for more information.

In addition to assistance in receiving books already recorded, RDS provides an in-house service to provide taped printed material to students, especially for course/class specific handouts and other information. The Alternative Text service provides read-aloud material on cassette tapes through volunteer readers. Unlike books taped by RFBD, RDS volunteers are not professionally trained and the books are taped on regular cassette tapes which can be listened to on an ordinary cassette player as well as on a 4-track player.

Books read on tape by RDS volunteers will normally follow the syllabus of reading assignments unless otherwise indicated by the student. Students who choose to utilize RDS taping services are requested to "contribute" ten (10) high quality cassette tapes (one time only). RDS will provide any additional tapes that may be needed (unless special requests are made by a student).

E-Text is basically text that is on a disk to be read either visually and/or with the support of speech reading adaptive computer software/hardware. Specific books are scanned and then copied to a disk. Students are expected to buy the book which will be used by RDS for scanning purposes. The book is usually unbound for scanning and then re-bound and given back to the student. This same process is also used for translating print material into Braille.

All books on in alternative format should be ordered the semester preceding the semester for which they are needed. On average, a four to six weeks lead time is necessary to process these requests effectively.

For more information regarding policies and procedures, please click on: Alternative Text Services.

ACCESSIBLE TRANSPORTATION

An accessible bus (with lift) is available to assist with transportation to and from campus for students with mobility limitations or other transportation limitations who live off campus. All rides must be within the Fort Collins area and are limited (usually to first class and from last class of the day). Rides are arranged as close to the times requested as possible.

First priority are given to rides associated with academic obligations for students with permanent mobility limitations or other restrictive disabilities. Other rides may be negotiated with RDS depending upon the availability of drivers. Students who experience temporary mobility limitations may also be eligible for this service.

Requests for Accessible Transportation services for a semester is required at least one week prior to the beginning of classes. Three to five days notice is required in order to accommodate other requests.

Because this service is meant to be a supplement to the public transportation system for campus activities only, students are also encouraged to utilize Dial-A-Ride as well as other alternatives for their transportation needs. Contact the RDS Accessible Transportation Coordinator for more information.

For more information regarding policies and procedures, please click on: Accessible Transportation.

OTHER RDS SUPPORT

As an advocacy office, RDS represents and promotes students with disabilities both individually and as a group, on and off campus. General advocacy activities are aimed at sensitizing and changing the environment so that it meets the needs of all students with disabilities. Individual advocacy efforts on behalf of students are provided on a case-by-case request and/or need.

In addition, RDS also acts as an informational resource to the university and local communities, providing current and relevant information about disability. Awareness programs and presentations as well as a lending library are available for use by any member of the CSU campus community.

Most importantly, RDS acts as a "home-base" for students with disabilities, as determined by the student. Through individual assessment of needs, students have the opportunity to receive counseling and advice from staff that are familiar with the effects of specific disabilities in an academic environment. Each student will be regarded first as a student and then as a student with a disability. Students will find RDS supportive of them as individuals with an expectation that students with disabilities are capable and responsible members of the CSU community.

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Resources for Disabled Students
100 General Services
Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523 USA (970) 491-6385

	RESOURCES FOR DISABLED STUDENTS
RDS is part of the Division of Student Affairs	100 General Services, Fort Collins, CO 80523-8002 (970) 491-6385 (V/TDD), (970) 491-3457 (Fax)