Using Your Accommodations

You should activate your accommodations

• Immediately after your first meeting with your Accessible Learning consultant, and
• At the beginning of each term.

To activate your accommodations:

1. Log in to Accessible Learning Online using your Laurier username and password.
2. Review My E-Form Agreements and complete any agreements required for your accommodations.
3. Under the Accommodations heading in the left-hand navigation pane, select List Requests.
4. Make sure the correct term is displayed. Click Add Requests.
5. Select each course for which you need to activate your accommodations. Click Continue to Next Step.
6. Select the accommodations you need for each course. Click Submit Request.
7. Your status will now appear either Approved or Pending.

To change an existing request:

1. Navigate to the List Requests page (see #3 above). 
2. Make sure the correct term is displayed.
3. Select View All Requests.
4. Select Modify Request for the relevant course. Make the required changed. Click Submit Request.

Accessible Learning encourages students to carefully consider the course content and format when selecting accommodations for each course. For example, you do not need to activate exam accommodations in courses that do not have exams. 

How to Activate Your Accommodations - Video

After you activate your accommodations, Accessible Learning will email each of your instructors to:

• confirm your registration with our office,
• summarize your accommodations, and
• have them to log onto Accessible Learning Online for more information.

Start of Each Term

Students should book their exams with Accessible Learning at the start of each term. Booking early ensures that you, Accessible Learning, and your instructors have time to arrange the many details of accommodated exams.

Midterms

All in-class midterms, tests, quizzes, and exams must be booked at least 10 full business days* before the exam date.

Finals

Students must book their final exams before the posted Final Exam Booking Deadline.

Booking requests received after the posted deadline and 3 business days or less before the date of the exam will not be approved. Accessible Learning will consider all other requests on a case-by-case basis, but approval is not guaranteed.

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*Business days include Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The following do not count towards full business days:

• The day you submitted the request.
• The day of the exam.
• Evenings and weekends.

Example: Your exam is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024, at 9 a.m. You must submit your request on or before Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, for Accessible Learning to approve your request and arrange your accommodations.

To book your accommodated exam: 

1. Log in to Accessible Learning Online using your Laurier username and password.
2. Under the Accommodations heading in the left-hand navigation, click Alternative Testing.
3. Select your course from the dropdown menu.
4. Click Schedule an Exam.
5. Complete the Exam Detail section.
6. Click Add Exam Request.

Once you submit an exam request, it will be listed as "processing" up to three business days before the exam date. At that time, the status will switch to "approved" and you will be able to see your exam writing location. If you do not see the date of your exam listed in the date drop-down menu, email Accessible Learning exams at alexams@wlu.ca.

How to Book Your Exam Accommodations - Video

At any time after you have booked your exam, you can check and confirm the details you submitted:

1. Log in to Accessible Learning Online using your Laurier username and password.
2. Under the Accommodations heading in the left-hand navigation, select Alternative Testing. 
3. Review the Upcoming Exam Request(s) for the Current Term section.

Exam Location

You can view this information approximately 72 hours before the time of your scheduled exam. 

Note: You must check these details within 24 hours before your exam. Your exam end time will not be adjusted if you arrive late for your exam. See our Exam Protocols for more information.

Visit Accessible Learning Exam Spaces for building locations and basic descriptions to our exam rooms.

Missed Exam Fee

If you do not attend or do not cancel a booked accommodated exam at least 48 hours before the start of the exam, a $50 Missed Accommodated Exam fee will be applied to your Laurier student account. Please cancel any accommodated exams you do not plan to attend at least 48 hours before the start of the exam.

Modify Exam Requests

You may need to modify your exam booking if:

• Your instructor changed the date and/or time of the exam.
• You need to change or update the accommodations you requested.
• You need to make other changes.

1. Log in to Accessible Learning Online using your Laurier username and password.
2. Under the Accommodations heading in the left-hand navigation, select Alternative Testing.
3. Review Upcoming Exams Scheduled.
4. Click View for the exam you need to modify.
5. Complete the Exam Detail section.
6. Click Add Exam Request.

Cancel Exam Requests

You may need to cancel your exam booking if:

• Your instructor cancelled the exam
• You no longer want or need to write your exam with Accessible Learning

To cancel your request:

1. Log into Accessible Learning Online using your Laurier username and password.
2. Under the Accommodations heading in the left-hand navigation, select Alternative Testing.
3. Review Upcoming Exams Scheduled.
4. Click View for the exam you need to cancel.
5. In Upcoming Exams, select the exam you need to cancel.
6. Scroll down to Form Submission. Click Cancel Exam Request.

Will your exam be written fully online?  If so, you do not need to book this exam with Accessible Learning.

You need to book online exams with Accessible Learning only if:

• you are required to write the online exam in person, on campus.
• your instructor is using a lockdown browser and your exam accommodations include assistive technology (i.e., reading or dictation software).

Extra Time & MyLearningSpace

Either your instructor or Online Learning will enter your extra time in MyLearningSpace (MyLS) and it should appear the day before your exam.

To check your extra time:

1. Select Quizzes in the Course Navigation Bar.
2. Select the desired exam from the list.
3. The time allowed indicates how much time you have to write once the exam starts.

If your extra time accommodation does not appear in MyLS, email:

• your instructor
• examquestions@wlu.ca
• alexams@wlu.ca

Remember:  The timer for online exams does not stop and restart for breaks.

Extra Time & Another Platform

If your instructor is not using MyLS, contact them directly for information about how your extra time will be handled in another platform. 

You can submit final exam requests to Accessible Learning once the university publishes the final exam dates. 

You are required to adhere to Accessible Learning's final exam deadlines. Accessible Learning does not guarantee accommodations will be arranged for any exam booking requests after the deadlines.

Deferred Exams

A deferred exam refers to any exam (final, midterm, test, or quiz) for which a student has received approval from an instructor or a petition committee to write on a date different from the originally scheduled exam.

Deferred Final Exams

Refer to Deferred Exams for information about conditions, application process, and faculty-specific forms and links.

Students approved to write a deferred final exam for which they want to use their exam accommodations must submit the Accessible Learning Deferred Final Exam Form.

We require up to 10 days' notice before the deferred exam date to make accommodation arrangements. Requests submitted with less than 10 days' notice will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

New Final Exam Date

For final exam deferral requests submitted with sufficient notice, Accessible Learning will reschedule the deferred final exam for the date specified by the instructor or petition committee where possible. Accessible Learning reserves the right to reschedule a deferred final exam to the next available exam time slot to meet provisions in the student's accommodation plan and/or available resources.

Students who cannot write a scheduled in-class (online or in-person) midterm, test, or quiz because of illness or a disability-related absence must check their course syllabus and speak with their instructor about deferral options.

Rescheduling Accommodated Midterms, Tests, or Quizzes

Accessible Learning will reschedule accommodated midterms, tests, or quizzes with (a) written confirmation of the instructor's approval and (b) sufficient notice.

If your instructor permits you to defer your midterm, test, or quiz to a later date:

1. Email alexams@wlu.ca with the subject line: "Midterm/Test/Quiz Reschedule Request".
2. Forward or attach a copy of the instructor's email approving your deferral request.
3. List which of your approved exam accommodations you wish to use for the deferred midterm, test, or quiz.

Accessible Learning will email you directly confirming the accommodations arrangements for your deferred midterm, test, or quiz.

Accessible Learning will reschedule the deferred midterm, test, or quiz to the date specified by the instructor where possible. Accessible Learning reserves the right to reschedule deferred midterms, tests, or quizzes to the next available time slot based on the student's accommodation plan and available resources.

Students may request a change in time between their exams (midterms, quizzes, tests, and finals) for the following reasons:

1. Their current exam schedule does not reflect their approved academic accommodations related to timing (e.g., 24 hours between the start of exams).
2. The start and end times of two exams including extra time either (a) overlap or (b) leave less than 30 minutes between the end of one exam and the start of another.

To request a change in time between exams, students must:

1. Book all exams with the original times and dates in Accessible Learning Online on or before posted deadlines.
2. Submit the Request - Change in Time Between Exams Request Form.
3. Check their Exam Status in Accessible Learning Online.

Deadline: Students must book their original exams and submit a request for a change in time between exams at least 10 business days before the date of the first exam.

Textbook Receipts

You must: (a) purchase a physical or electronic copy of the textbook and (b) upload copies of your receipt(s) in Accessible Learning Online before Accessible Learning will release any alternate format materials.

Receipts must include the book title and amount paid.

Laurier Bookstore

Purchasing your texbooks from the Laurier Bookstore enables Accessible Learning to obtain physical copies directly from the Bookstore for manual scanning, if necessary. Students must bring books purchased elsewhere to Accessible Learning for scanning.

Request Alternative Format Textbooks and Course Packs

1. Log in to Accessible Learning Online.
2. Choose Provide Textbooks in Alternative Format when selecting your accommodations for your course(s).
3. Under the Accommodations heading in the left-hand navigation, select Alternative Formats.
4. For the textbooks/course packs you require for your courses, click Select.

Once received, the transcriptionists will start coordinating your request and will email you about next steps.

Monitor your Laurier email for messages from etext@wlu.ca and check the status of your request by logging onto Accessible Learning Online.

To request note taking support:

1. Activate your accommodations. 
2. Select Notetaking in the "Select Accommodations for Your Class" step.

Activating your note taking accommodation will signal Accessible Learning to connect with your instructor about recruiting volunteer notetaker(s) for this course. Volunteer notetaker support is available only for students for whom Glean (see Notetaking tab) does not meet their notetaking notes and in courses where lecture content is not otherwise provided to students. Support is subject to the successful recruitment of a volunteer.

Cancel Note taker Request

1. Log in to Accessible Learning Online using your Laurier username and password.
2. Under Accommodations heading in the left-hand navigation, click List Requests.
3. Ensure the current term is displayed.
4. Click View All Requests.
5. Click Modify Requests for the course in which you want to cancel a volunteer notetaker request.
6. Uncheck Notetaking Services.
7. Click Update Request.

Volunteer note takers upload notes for you in Accessible Learning Online. Follow these steps to access your notes:

1. Log in to Accessible Learning Online using your Laurier username and password.
2. Under the Accommodations heading in the left-hand navigation, select Notetaking Services.
3. Select the Available Note(s) for Download button.