Temporary medical conditions such as broken or sprained bones, infectious diseases, general surgery, non-complicated pregnancy, concussions or other common medical conditions are not regarded as disabilities. The degree of functional limitation, duration, and lasting effects of the above-mentioned conditions, typically, does not cause enough impairment to qualify an individual as having a disability under federal or state laws.
The University does recognize that temporary conditions and injuries can be problematic and may adversely affect a student’s ability to fully participate in academic activities. Please review the information below and follow the recommendations.
Suggested Assistance to Complete Course Requirements
- Notetaking
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- Use a laptop or computer to type notes if typing is an option.
- Use your smartphone, a tablet, digital recorder, or other software to record lectures with the instructor's permission.
- Ask a friend or another student in your class who would be willing to let you copy their notes.
- Ask your instructor or teaching assistant if the course notes already exist and whether they would be willing to give you a copy or let you make a copy. Instructors may suggest other possibilities.
- Writing Projects
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- Ask a friend or family member to write or type for you outside of class. If this is not possible, you may need to hire a writing service to assist you.
- You may also consider speech-to-text software programs that convert spoken words into text in a document. (e.g., Dragon NaturallySpeaking, Windows Speech Recognition, Mac Speech Dictate, etc.).
- Ask your instructor for additional time to complete papers.
- Determine in consultation with your instructor if a substitute for a written assignment is possible (e.g., oral or taped presentation, weighing other course requirements more heavily, etc.).
- Exams & Quizzes
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- Work with your instructor to make informal accommodations (e.g., using a computer, recording your answers to short-answer and/or essay questions, having someone in the department scribe the exam, using speech recognition).
- In place of a scantron form, mark answer selections directly on exam.
- Instead of handwriting an essay exam, use a laptop.
- Use a scribe to give oral answers to a written exam (provided by your professor/ teaching assistant).
- For lab related experiments or hands-on exams, orally describe what you would do, why you would do it, what you observe, etc.
- Request extended time to take an exam.
- Take breaks during the exam.
- Absences from Class
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Talk with your instructors about alternative ways to meet course requirements. Attendance may be essential for foreign language languages classes, laboratory classes, and other participatory classes where replicating the classroom experience outside of class may be impossible. You may have no option but to retake these classes another semester. Other classes may provide more flexibility. For example, professors may allow you to substitute a paper for participation in class discussions or may allow you to weigh other components of the class more heavily.
If additional assistance is needed or should a temporary condition have continued lasting effects, you are encouraged to Apply for Services through Disability Resources and Services.