The Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC): Accessible Education for Students with Disabilities Policy (2018) recognizes that a student's need for academic accommodations may be identified at any point during the semester or year. An academic accommodation for either a permanent or temporary disability is considered retroactive when the request is made after the fact as the result of a barrier that prevented a student from communicating their need for accommodation.
Retroactive accommodations are academic accommodations requests submitted after a scheduled evaluation due to a sudden and significant change in a student's health. Requests should be submitted as early as possible after the student has been deemed well enough to resume academic activities.
Retroactive accommodations requests must be given meaningful consideration. Requests for retroactive accommodations are to be considered on a case-by-case basis.
In the spirit of shared responsibility, should a retroactive accommodation request occur, the student, faculty, and representative(s) from Accessible Learning Services (ALS) should act collaboratively to determine a solution. All parties are expected to act in good faith as they negotiate a reasonable outcome that satisfies essential learning requirements, preserves academic integrity, and addresses the student's need for accommodation. Each stakeholder has responsibilities in the retroactive accommodation process.
Process for Accessing Accommodations Retroactively
- Student provides documentation to ALS that indicates the functional impact of their disability and the length of time the impact was and/or will be present.
- Accessibility consultant communicates student's need for retroactive accommodation to faculty by email to determine appropriate arrangements and next steps.
- The faculty works with the student and the accessibility consultant to determine missed work and propose submission date(s). See an example of a proposed Work Completion Plan (page 87 of the ALS Guidelines and Processes Manual). The accessibility consultant is available to facilitate and/or support this process and can refer the student to a learning strategist for assistance with creating a Work Completion Plan.
- The student and accessibility consultant coordinate dates to complete missed tests/exams with faculty, including booking tests or exams with Assessment Centre as appropriate. The faculty provides tests or exams to the student virtually or to Assessment Centre, as required.
View the ALS Guidelines & Process Manual
Student Responsibilities
- Communicating their needs (to faculty or ALS) in a timely way,
- Providing documentation that indicates the functional impact of their disability as well as the timing and duration of the impact, and
- Participating actively in the retroactive accommodation process to find a solution.
Faculty responsibilities
- Determining if a learning outcome has been met and recognizing that a learning outcome can be met in more than one manner,
- Developing and evaluating the method of measure/evaluation/grading used to assess learning (in an alternate manner, if necessary), and
- Consulting with ALS and the student in the process.
Accessibility consultant responsibilities
- Ensuring that the request for retroactive accommodation is considered and meets the duty to accommodate;
- Receiving, reviewing, and interpreting relevant documentation from the student while ensuring confidentiality;
- Suggesting options for the student and the faculty to consider, not advocating for any one specific option, and ensuring that the student has an equalized opportunity to demonstrate mastery of course outcomes;
- Working collaboratively with the student and the faculty to determine the most appropriate way to address a retroactive accommodation request.
- Considering safety. Those academic accommodations may not be granted for coursework, placements, or evaluations involving performance or demonstration of practical skills where the application of an accommodation may cause safety concerns.
Strategies for Faculty
Faculty may wish to consider the use of the following strategies to support the student:
- Assess outstanding gaps in the student's demonstration of learning through missed assessment(s) or evaluation(s).
- Develop the method of measurement to determine if an outcome has been met (recognizing that an outcome can be met in more than one way). Consider alternate assessments or evaluations if deemed appropriate.
- Provide clear instructions to the student (both verbally and in written form), including new deadlines for the evaluation/assessment(s) necessary to complete the course.
- Connect with the accessibility consultant to implement the accommodation as needed.
Should stakeholders be unable to reach a consensus on what constitutes a "reasonable" accommodation, the Manager of ALS will contact the relevant faculty office, chair, and dean to discuss the student's request for retroactive accommodations to support a decision in a timely manner.
Example of a proposed Work Completion Plan (page 87 of the ALS Guidelines and Processes Manual).
Additional Support
Students and faculty can connect with ALS to discuss the implementation of this accommodation. Please contact the accessibility consultant listed in the student's accommodation plan.
ALS has prepared these guidelines in consultation with faculty members. We value your ongoing feedback! If you have any questions, concerns or suggestions regarding these guidelines, please contact the Senior Manager, Accessible Learning Services.
