SAS Message Regarding COVID-19

Is Student Accessibility Services open?

  • Student Accessibility Services (SAS) is open 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.
  • SAS is no longer holding in person meetings but can communicate with students via phone or virtual meetings. In person meetings will resume in August, however, we will continue to offer virtual meetings as a preferred alternative.
  • Face coverings will be required in the SAS office. If you wish to schedule an in-person meeting, please schedule via Accommodate or contact the office at accessibility@iastate.edu or 515-294-7220.
  • SAS is currently scheduling virtual meetings for all incoming students and students new to our services. This summer, SAS wants to connect with incoming students to ensure that their accommodations are ready to go in August. 

Is the Exam Accommodations Center open?

  • The Exam Accommodations Center (EAC) remains open by appointment only Monday thru Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

 

Student Information

 

What are protocols for students with disabilities during this time?

SAS will remain open following the above hours of operation.  There will, however, be temporary procedures implemented to limit exposure to illness:

  • Phone appointments and virtual meetings are available to students
  • Hand sanitizer, tissues, and disinfecting wipes are available in every office and at the front desk
  • Avoid contact with infected persons by staying 6 feet away or more
  • Avoid touching your face, mouth or eyes
  • Electronic submission of paper documents, forms, and requests instead of paper as much as possible
  • Unscented disinfecting wipes will be used to clean the Exam Accommodations Center after each exam in the room.
  • Unscented disinfecting wipes will be used in the SAS and EAC offices for doorknobs, keyboards, and edge of desks every hour

Students at Increased Risk for Severe Illness:

What if I experience access barriers to my online course?

We understand that online courses may not automatically include all the access needs for every student, though the SAS is working with campus partners and the administration to ensure Canvas accessibility for online courses.  If you experience barriers to accessing your online classes, please reach out to SAS immediately (e-mail accessibility@iastate.edu or call 515-294-7220).  Here are some additional resources:

  • Screen overlays are useful to limit visual fatigue and onset of headache/migraine
  • Take frequent breaks from the computer to reduce eye strain and fatigue
  • If you find the amount of text on the screen overwhelming, use this free app to break up the text to make it easier to read.
  • If you need a free screen reader for support with a visual impairment, try Non-Visual Desktop Assistant to assist in navigating your courses
  • If you use Kurzweil text-to-speech to read exams, you may download the web browser extension for Chrome or Firefox to read Canvas-based exams

For more suggestions or additional support, e-mail accessibility@iastate.edu or call 515-294-7220

 

Faculty Information

 

How do faculty provide Remote Access?

How can I set-up reasonable accommodations in Canvas?

  • As an instructor, you may be asked to provide reasonable academic accommodations for a student in your course who has a documented disability on file with Student Accessibility Services (SAS). After a thorough documentation review and a meeting with the student, SAS staff will determine and list reasonable accommodations on the Notification Letter (NL).
  • The Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching's (CELT) Setting Up Accommodations in Canvas page provides guidance on how to set up reasonable accommodations in Canvas, this includes but is not limited to:
    • Provide additional time
    • Allow a student to take a quiz/exam on an earlier or later date
    • Create secure quizzes for private or low distraction spaces
    • Prepare different formats (paper and online) of the same quiz
    • Create accessible files, pages, or other content
    • Set up different due dates/times for individual students on the same activity
    • Add Interpreters, Captionists, or other designated individuals to the Canvas course (to allow service providers access to course content necessary to assist students)

How do I make my online course accessible?

If you are moving your course online and need assistance or tools to make your Canvas course accessible please consult:

Who may I contact for additional assistance?

  • If you need assistance with Canvas, please contact the CELT staff via e-mail celt-help@iastate.edu or call 515-294-5357.
  • If you have additional questions about the Notification Letter, contact accessibility@iastate.edu or call 515-294-7220.