Academic accommodations are legally-mandated modifications, adjustments, auxiliary aids, and/or services that give a student with a disability an equal opportunity to benefit from the educational process. It is useful to think of accommodations as adjustments to how things are normally done.
Academic accommodations may include:
- Changes to a classroom environment or task that permit a student with a disability to participate in the educational process
- Modifications to policies, practices, or procedures (e.g., reduced courseload, extended time to degree, etc.)
- Provision of accessible instructional materials and effective communication services
- Other adaptations or modifications that enable a student to enjoy the benefits and privileges of the university’s programs, services, and activities.
Students who may need an academic accommodation based on the impact of a disability must register with the Office of Accessible Education (OAE) and initiate their requests. Because accommodations are not retroactive, students should contact the OAE as soon as possible in order to ensure timely notice and coordination. Similarly, it is the student's responsibility to notify the OAE as early as possible in the event of any problems or unexpected barriers experienced in obtaining academic accommodations and services.
More About Academic Accommodations
Request Form and Agreement, Request Process: Stanford's ten-week quarter system means classes progress quickly. We work to assist you with the provision of alternatively formatted course materials in a timely manner. To that end, we ask that you manage your accommodation requests accordingly. Please make your alternate format requests early and thoroughly.
It is the student's responsibility to provide the OAE in a timely manner with class syllabi, reading schedules, and instructor contact information, etc. When practicable, our office seeks to supply each student with their preferred alternative format; however, time and production constraints may dictate how the course material is made accessible.
- Log into the student portal at OAE | CONNECT to make a request;
- Include a copy of all relevant course information (syllabus, course schedule, etc);
- Provide proof of purchase for the material requested.**
Production of alternative format can only begin when we have all of the required information.
** In accordance with California state law (CA Education Code 67302), the student needs to submit proof of purchase for the book(s) and/or course reader(s) the OAE has converted into an alternative format (i.e. receipts, electronic invoices, etc.). Material cannot be released to a student until the Accommodations Coordinator (or designate) has verified proof of purchase.
- Note: The course syllabus is critical so we can prioritize the production of your materials appropriately. (We often have to stagger production so that ALL of our students have some, that is, the most immediate, materials rather than SOME of our students having all of their materials.)
- If you have any questions, please email Robin Cole, Alternate Format Production Manager.
- It is the student's responsibility to notify us of any delays or problems as soon as possible!
If your disability affects your ability to finish assignments on time, assignment extensions can level the playing field. Find out how this support helps you manage your workload and thrive at college.
The OAE supports a variety of assistive computer technology applications throughout the University. These applications are intended to assist students in meeting their academic objectives and to support their learning needs.
- Read & Write: Text-to-speech reading tool
- SCRIBE: Online document conversion tool for creating accessible documents
In addition to these, Learning Technologies and Spaces offers a number of other applications on mainstream computer labs and residential computing clusters for access by students.
Training & Assessment: The Office of Accessible Education provides screenings on a variety of assistive technologies and software applications. Screenings provide an opportunity for students and the OAE staff to review and discuss various assistive technologies and software applications that may prove useful. Assistive technology screenings are also a chance to discuss any current or past challenges when using different technology solutions.
- These screenings are available on referral from a student’s Disability Adviser and are typically 45 mins in length.
- While the OAE is available to answer questions regarding assistive computer technologies, we are unable to provide technical assistance with the configuration or troubleshooting of general computer applications and operating systems. Students should contact their Residential Computing Consultant (RCC) for technical assistance regarding general computing issues.
Attendance flexibility helps students with chronic or episodic conditions stay on track academically by ensuring they aren’t unfairly penalized for disability-related absences. It’s part of the Office of Accessible Education’s suite of academic accommodations designed to support your learning.
Audio recording accommodations help level the academic playing field by giving students with documented needs a way to capture and review spoken lecture content for their own study use.
Students registered with the OAE may request captioning/transcription for any media content containing audio. This includes but is not limited to recorded lecture videos, YouTube links, podcasts, and films. After submitting your request on OAE | CONNECT, our office will reach out to your professor to obtain a copy of the media content. Once our office receives the media, the video will be sent to our captioners to fulfill the request. We ask that media be provided to the OAE at least 7 business days prior to the date it is needed.
- Foreign language content may take longer.
- If the original media content is in a format that is not conducive to captioning (ex: a podcast that has no way of displaying text over a screen), the OAE will provide students with a written transcript of the content.
- Captioning media content is related to closed captions. If you are looking for information on live captioning of content within your courses, please visit our webpage about Live Captioning and ASL Interpreting.
Students should contact the OAE as soon as possible as timely notice is needed to coordinate accommodations. Similarly, it is the student's responsibility to notify the OAE as early as possible of any problems experienced in obtaining academic accommodations and services.
- For Instructors: Instructors who have questions about captioning media content can find answers to frequently asked questions, as well as step-by-step guides to incorporating captions within their course videos at OAE | Captioning in the Classroom.
- Additional resources and guidance can be found at Captions and Audio Descriptions (Office of Digital Accessibility).
If traditional participation formats present challenges due to a disability, class participation accommodations provide adjusted or alternative approaches so you can engage fully academically.
When a student with a disability faces barriers to independently carrying out manual or visual tasks, the OAE can approve any one, or multiple, of the following accommodations. Assistant is a general term to describe someone hired by OAE to perform tasks on behalf of the student with a disability (e.g., providing verbal descriptions of images, retrieve supplies or equipment, etc.). These are the most common types of assistants and their specific roles
- Laboratory Assistant: A laboratory assistant performs tasks to aid students with the physical mechanics and dexterity requirements of lab procedures (e.g., lifting, pouring, etc) that a student may need support in completing. A lab assistant only performs tasks directed by the student; they do not explain or interpret lab assignments/questions and the result of their support should not influence or guide a student in any way.
- Exam Reader: An exam reader reads aloud any text, exactly as it is written, to the student with a disability. An exam reader will not alter any content, provide interpretation, or engage in a discussion with the student.
- Exam Scribe: An exam scribe transcribes (by hand or typing) a student’s spoken words in real time. An exam scribe will not deviate from what the student dictates, nor influence the student’s response in any way.
- Visual Descriptionist: A visual descriptionist verbally describes images, media, or activities taking place in realtime.
Once a student has been approved for an accommodation, it is the student’s responsibility to submit a request through OAE | CONNECT as soon as possible, since timely notice is needed so we can coordinate this accommodation. Please feel free to contact the Office of Accessible Education if you have any questions.
Get the support you need to succeed on your terms. Through a collaborative process, you can access exam accommodations that help minimize the impact of disability-related challenges and give you equal opportunity to demonstrate your learning.
Never miss a beat in class—our live captioning and sign language interpreting services bring spoken words to you in text or sign, so you can follow along with confidence and clarity. Available for courses, discussions, and more.
For students with disabilities preventing note-taking, OAE will select volunteer notetakers enrolled in the same courses. Notes, typed or handwritten, are uploaded to a Box folder. Notetakers receive a stipend at quarter's end.
- Notetaking Request Forms: Log in to the student portal at OAE | CONNECT to submit a request. Students should contact the OAE as soon as possible to coordinate accommodations. Similarly, it is the student's responsibility to notify the OAE as early as possible of any problems experienced in obtaining academic accommodations and services.
- Notetaking User Agreement: All users of Notetaking Accommodations must read and agree to these conditions. Submission of requests signifies agreement. As a user, I agree that:
- I will submit my request through OAE | CONNECT as soon as possible.
- I will ensure that the information I include on the request form is accurate and complete, thereby both speeding up and simplifying the process of identifying a notetaker.
- I will inform the Accommodations Coordinator of any changes in my schedule within 24 hours if they will impact an existing academic accommodations request. These changes include adding or dropping classes, or modifications in enrollment status, such as a leave of absence.
- If I am requesting notes for discussion sections, I will submit the appropriate follow-up request with my official section number when it is assigned.
- I will inform the Accommodations Coordinator of any action that I take to receive notes, including arrangements made with the professor, the teaching assistant, or another student in the class.
- I will inform the Accommodations Coordinator of any problems with receiving notes as soon as possible (e.g., notes are missing or illegible).
- I understand that if I do not immediately inform the Accommodations Coordinator of problems with class notes, schedule changes, or other issues, the coordinator may not resolve the situation in time (e.g., by midterm or finals).
Life happens — and so does disability-related fatigue, treatments, and other challenges. If a full course load feels overwhelming, you may qualify to take a lighter schedule with approval from the Office of Accessible Education. See how reduced coursework can help you.