HDS - Disability Services - Accommodations and Services

Disability Services

Accommodations and Services for Students With Disabilities

Accommodations and services are planned for students with documented disabilities on a case-by-case basis. The following are examples of the accommodations that may be coordinated when appropriate:

Services: note takers, transcribers, readers, or sign-language interpreters
Auxiliary Aids: assistive technology
Adjustments in Policies/Procedures: adjustments in assignment due dates and testing accommodations

Assistive Technology

The following assistive technology is available to support our students:

Voice Activated Software: We provide Dragon Naturally Speaking 5 or Via Voice Simply Dictation software programs that allow you to talk or "dictate" to the computer. These programs recognize what you say and send information to the computer as if you had typed text in manually.
Voice Recorder: The Sanyo standard cassette dictating product allows you to dictate or record while away from your computer.
Palm Pilot with Keyboard: We can provide a Palm Tungsten handheld device with keyboard for taking notes in class. The text can be downloaded onto your computer.

Policy and Procedures for Examination Accommodations

Students With Disabilities Taking Examinations

Depending upon the nature of the student's documented disability, the Divinity School will provide appropriate auxiliary aids and services, which may include note-taking and study aids, recorded, enlarged, or Braille materials, sign language interpreters, and alternative and make-up examination arrangements. Students who know that they will require accommodation for disability should present written documentation to the disability coordinator no later than the last day of classes fall or spring term. In other cases, students should contact the disability coordinator and the registrar promptly when the need for special accommodation is apparent. Accommodation cannot be provided until formal documentation is completed, and cannot be provided retroactively.

Make-Up Examinations for Students With Disabilities

Students with documented disabilities who are unable to take an examination at the scheduled time should contact both the registrar and the disability coordinator as soon as the need is apparent—and, in all cases, in advance of the exam itself—to discuss make-up examination accommodations and procedures. When make-up examinations are necessary as a result of a disability, the fee usually associated with the process will be waived.

Procedures for Cross-Registration for FAS Courses

A Divinity School student registered with Disability Services and eligible for accommodations may wish to cross-register for a class in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS). In this case, the student should contact the FAS Accessible Education Office (AEO) and identify herself as one eligible for reasonable accommodation. AEO can be contacted by calling 617.496.8707, or via email. For more information regarding FAS policies and resources, go to the AEO website.