1. Some accommodations require documentation in the form of professional assessments. What form of documentation is required for students to obtain accommodation at your institution, and from what licensed professionals would you accept this documentation?
At Queen’s, accommodation planning is based on the documentation and information provided by the student during an initial interview. Documentation must come from a registered health care professional experienced in the field of the student’s disability. It should include a diagnostic statement and a description of functional limitations, in particular those that have an impact on performance in a university environment.
All documentation must be on the practitioner’s official letterhead, indicating name of practitioner, professional credentials, address, phone number, date and signature. Qualified practitioners include: Physician, Psychiatrist, Psychologist, Audiologist, Chiropractor, Occupational Therapist, Physiotherapist, and Speech-Language Pathologist
For further information on documentation requirements, please visit:
2. Do you provide note-takers or record lectures for students who require supplemental notes for disability-related reasons?
Yes, Queen’s provides note-takers with no extra fees. We also allow students to record lectures with the permission of the instructor. Some classes are digitally recorded or captured on video.
3. Do you give students extensions of deadlines for submission of assignments for disability-related reasons?
Yes. Queen’s provides a letter of accommodation which a student can present to a professor. The student then negotiates an extension with the professor for that particular assignment, assuming documentation supports extensions as an accommodation.
4. Are any of the following services provided to students during examinations for disability-related reasons?
Computers
Additional time
Reader or audio recording of examination questions
Scribe or dictation
Stop clock for stretch/rest breaks
Access to washrooms
Water, food, medication or testing equipment in the exam room
Assistive technology
Extra notebooks/coloured paper
Braille or large print examination materials
Separate room
Altered examination schedule
Altered course material
Queen’s provides all of the above without additional fees, based on documentation of a disability. For “stop clock”, we give the student a prescribed amount of extra time and they manage pacing and scheduling breaks themselves – there is no actual stopping of the clock until the end.
Yes, with no extra fees. Queen’s arranges ASL interpreters through the Canadian Hearing Society or with qualified, private, free-lance interpreters without cost to the student. There is a specific fund from the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities that reimburses the institution, based on a proportion of costs incurred.
6. Do you lend or rent assistive listening devices (e.g. FM systems) to students for disability-related reasons?
Yes, with no extra fees. Assistive listening devices may be leant by Health, Counselling & Disability Services at Queen’s.
7. Do students have the option to take fewer courses for disability-related reasons?
Yes. At Queen’s, students are advised to speak with their Faculty regarding their disability and any necessary accommodations. Faculty members are advised to look at the Instructor’s Handbook for useful information with regards to accommodating students with disabilities
8. Do students have access to tutors for disability-related reasons?
Yes. At Queen’s, the student pays fees for this service, but there may be bursary money available to assist. Students can also receive support through the Learning Strategies Development Program
9. Does your office provide support persons and service animals (e.g. personal care attendants, interpreters, guide dogs) for disability-related reasons to accompany and support them in relevant locations, such as classrooms, labs, etc.?
No. At Queen’s, students arrange and pay for support people and service animals on their own. Students bring them, and we welcome them. Please visit Queen’s policies:
10. Do students have access to Residences (dormitories) with the following services for disability-related reasons?
Priority for single residence rooms
Wheelchair-accessible washrooms
Wheelchair-accessible kitchens
Wide doors (>810 mm)
Elevators
Power door openers
First floor room
Accessible parking
Accessible dining facilities
At Queen’s, this is done through the Residence service, with some advocacy from Health, Counselling and Disability Services as required. All of the above are available to Queen’s students who have properly documented disabilities.
11. Do you have wheelchair-accessible classrooms?
Yes. At Queen’s, there are some wheelchair-accessible classrooms available, but not all are accessible. We have a system to change lecture locations if required. For information on various classrooms, visit this link: http://www.queensu.ca/pps/access/building.html
12. Do you have computers available on campus (e.g. in the libraries or computer laboratories) equipped with assistive technology such as screen-reading software, magnifying hardware, speakers, etc.?
Yes. At Queen’s, there is an Adaptive Technology Centre located in the Stauffer Library (main library on campus), which offers nine computers, a wide range of adaptive technology and specialized software for students with a disability who are registered with the Disability Services Office. The Adaptive Technology Lab contains equipment and software that enable students with disabilities to research, read, write and study more effectively.
There is no additional fee for the use of this by students with disabilities.
13. Are your website resources accessible to students with various disabilities?
Yes, with no extra fees. Most websites are accessible at Queen’s, although some components (such as closed captioning) are missing. We are constantly reviewing this.
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