Standard Reasonable Accommodations identified through the Needs Assessment process by the Disability Service are accommodations that alleviate a substantial disadvantage for students with disabilities and/or significant ongoing illnesses.
It is expected that the standard Reasonable Accommodations stated in the LENS report will be put in place. In cases where an RA cannot be applied and a specific rationale is provided the non-standard decision route will apply.
Below are examples of standard teaching and learning reasonable accommodations. Please note, this is not an exhaustive list.
Where possible, students with reduced fine motor skills; processing speed difficulties; or disabilities that can cause pain, fatigue, or reduced mobility, should be given additional time to develop alternative techniques or to practice specific practical skills.
It is not reasonable to expect everyone to work at the same speed. For any student with reduced fine motor skills, processing speed difficulties, or a disability that can cause pain, fatigue, or reduced mobility, working at the average speed may be too fast.
Most teaching and learning spaces in Trinity are accessible but there are some buildings that are not accessible or are only partially accessible. If a student has an accessibility issue the DS will communicate this in the LENS report and ask that the School ensure that all teaching venues are accessible. Schools can view the accessibility of College buildings within Trinity by clicking this link to the university map website.
All students are entitled to have full access to the buildings that they are learning within.
Students with disabilities may be permitted to record lectures and tutorials if as part of the Needs Assessment it is deemed a reasonable adjustment by the Disability Service. Students are advised that all recordings remain the property of the University and are for personal use only. As in the case of provision of lecture notes, the student will sign a Permission to Record form with the Trinity Disability Service that states that the recordings made are for their own personal use and will not be shared. Where a recording of a lecture is not permitted, it will be necessary for the lecturer to provide a suitable alternative (i.e. a transcript of the lecture). This is in the Trinity College Calendar as per extract below:
Recording of Lectures – College Calendar Part II General RegulationsStudents with disabilities may be permitted to record lectures if it is deemed a Reasonable Accommodation by the Disability Service. Students will be advised that all recordings remain the property of College and are for personal use only. See also DATA PROTECTION (section VIII) and COPYRIGHT (section IX) of the University Calendar.
If a student is unable to take accurate notes in a lecture on account of their disability, students may request that they record the lecture on a Dictaphone. This request only applies to lectures and may not be seen to apply to tutorials or classes of a practical nature (e.g. laboratory work).
Subject librarians should receive reading lists from lecturers well in advance of the beginning of the course/module. Annotated reading lists and texts that need to be provided in an alternative format for students with sensory/print disabilities should be provided in advance.
If reading lists are prioritized indicating core texts, or annotated, giving a brief outline of the text, this will assist students with disabilities to pace their workload and ensure that core material is covered. Individual lecture handouts that include suggested reading that differs from the course reading list can be provided in advance of the beginning of the module.
The College Accessible information policy recommends that printed material be provided in a sans serif font, like Arial, and a font of size 12pt. Some students with significant visual impairments require a larger font size to make their texts readable. A request for enlarged handouts will specify the size of the font.
Some students with significant visual impairments must be accommodated with a larger font size to make their texts readable. Usually, a request for enlarged handouts and/or exam papers will specify a size 14 font. For further details, click here.
Repeating questions will allow students time to reflect on what the question means and give them time to come up with their own answers. This helps students with a hearing impairment and those with processing difficulties and is a useful inclusive teaching strategy that will assist all students, not just those with a disability.
The Disability Service, as part of the Needs Assessment process, can help students prepare for professional placement/internships. They can also provide advice to placement staff on disability-related issues. The Disability Service works closely with students and placement staff to provide guidance on the following:
Lecturers should consider the accessibility of field trip locations. By providing full details of field trips in advance, students can make sure field trips are accessible and organise travel arrangements.
Lecturers should use a microphone to assist those with hearing difficulties if requested and included in the LENS report.
The Needs Assessment process explores all appropriate solutions to assist with note-taking difficulties and students are expected to engage with the Reasonable Accommodations that are identified through this process. Technology solutions are explored in the first instance. It is the student’s responsibility to complete the training that is provided and to become proficient in the use of that technology. A note taker may be provided in the absence of a technological solution and/or where the student is unable to handwrite or type notes due to the impact of a disability.
In certain cases having a note-taker in lectures allows the student to absorb the lecture as it occurs, listening to the lecturer, reading the slides, and understanding the lesson without having to engage in the process of note-taking at the same time. This can result in a better understanding and better quality of notes after the lecture.
Permission to eat or drink should be given to the student if so required by his / her disability, such as physical illnesses. For example, lecturers should be aware that diabetics may require food at specific times.
Lecturers should allow the student to use a laptop or computer to take notes or use assistive technology software during class. The students have a responsibility to use the AT solely for this purpose in class.
To provide the student with a piece of software or equipment that will allow the student to overcome the disadvantage that the disability imposes.
Lecturers should allow the student to take rest breaks if stated in the LENS. This may involve taking a short break between classes. The lecturer should note that a student with such a disability may sit close to the exit to allow for this, or maybe absent for certain periods of the teaching session.
Lecturers should allow ISL interpreters in all teaching, learning, and assessment sessions. This will provide deaf students who use ISL interpretation as their means of communication with the appropriate tools to function in their course.
To provide deaf students who use ISL interpretation as their means of communication with the appropriate tools to function in College.
Even with the provision of additional support in examinations/assessments, students who are Deaf or hard of hearing, or who present with a Specific Learning Difficulty, may not demonstrate their full potential in an examination. The University’s Council approved a policy with guidelines on marking the work of students with dyslexia and students who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing as part of the University Guidelines for students and staff on the modification of examination and assessment arrangements for students with disabilities. Specific marking guidelines provide examiners with a framework for marking the scripts of such candidates.
Some students with visual impairments may require course material in alternative formats such as Braille, large print, or electronic format. In order to comply with the Disability Act 2005 (Provision of accessible information), it is important that Schools ensure that reading lists are available in advance to ensure that books can be sourced from publishers in an appropriate format. Schools also have an anticipatory duty under the legislation to ensure that they consider the needs of students with disabilities when preparing course material. Further advice on alternative formats can be obtained from the Trinity Inclusive Curriculum guidelines of accessible information or by speaking to a Disability Service staff member.
