How Accommodations are Determined

Accommodations in the educational setting refer to a planned variation to the method of curriculum delivery or assessment of the core content of a course or program to provide a student equal opportunity to meet the essential academic requirements. Academic accommodation for students with disabilities is a shared responsibility between all applicable parties.

During the welcome at the beginning of every course, it is good practice to mention that Accessible Learning Services exists for any student who has a disability or who suspects they may have a disability (learning disability, mental health, etc.) and may wish to access accommodations. 

The discussion of disabilities can be a sensitive subject for many students. If feasible, you can talk to the student about your concerns and, if the student is agreeable, refer the student to Accessible Learning Services. 

During the semester, if you notice that a student is struggling and may benefit from services or accommodations offered by Accessible Learning Services, you can refer the student to the New Student page on the Accessible Learning Services website or walk them to the Accessible Learning Services office on your campus to make the introduction.   
 

Students behave in ways that you may feel are disconcerting for a variety of reasons and may or may not have a disability. It is important for you to be familiar with the variety of college resources that are available on each campus: Public Safety and Security, Counselling, and Accessible Learning Services. The Office of Student Conduct and Support is also a useful resource in dealing with complex student issues. 

If you suspect that there are disability-related reasons for these behaviours, please contact the student’s accessibility consultant for guidance and support. Students can choose to use or not use their accommodations and will do so based on their needs. Accessibility consultants can suggest strategies and behaviours to a student, but it is not the accessibility consultant’s role to manage student behaviours. Students with accommodations must adhere to GBC’s Code of Non-Academic Student Behavour, like any other student. 

Accessible Learning Services recommends accommodations for a variety of academic settings, including testing and classroom accommodations. We also provide accommodations for work-integrated learning (WIL), in consultation with the program.  

Accommodations are specific supports, which reduce or eliminate disability-related barriers so that students can achieve their academic goals. Accommodations do not modify academic standards or change the core requirements of a program. 

For a more comprehensive list of accommodations and their definitions, please see the Academic Accommodations Glossary.

The student accommodation plan is prepared in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code and the George Brown College's Accessible Learning Policy.  

Accommodations are unique to the individual and are determined by the following: 

• student’s previous experience with accommodations  
• current functional impact of student’s disability and the barriers the student encounters in the academic setting
• nature of the program and course outcome requirements
• best practices in the field of accommodations and accessibility
• relevant documentation

This process results in an accommodation plan. Each semester, the accessibility consultant will send the accommodation plan to you via an email, which will provide you with a link to be able to access the accommodation plan online through STU-VIEW. 

During a student’s course of study, their accommodations may need to be reviewed or revised depending on the demands of specific courses, field placements and other factors. You will be notified via email if any changes are made to the accommodation plan of a student in your class. 

When you receive an accommodation plan for a student in your class, it is important not to ask the student what their disability is or to speak to a student about their accommodation plan in an open setting. It is recommended that you offer to meet privately with the student, or email the student directly and establish a means of providing accommodations in a timely manner that is satisfactory to you and the student. Faculty members can also greatly assist the student by asking what can be done in the course to facilitate learning and access to the class. It is important to remember that the information provided on an accommodation plan is private and confidential and should not be printed or saved to file. 

There is no deadline for students to register with Accessible Learning Services (ALS). ALS encourages students to register and activate their accommodation plan as soon as possible. 

If a student who qualifies as having a disability, makes a request to receive reasonable academic accommodations in a timely fashion, the college must comply. 

There could be any number of reasons why a student may choose to disclose their need for accommodation later in the semester. These may include some of the following reasons: 

• fear of being judged by professors and/or classmates
• fear that their diagnosis will be made public or published in their transcript 
• wanting the opportunity to try it on their own before asking for help 
• unaware of their right to accommodations in post-secondary
• misperception that accommodations would be automatically transferred from high school if they have a history of accommodations 
• a disability-related impact that prevents them from following through with the ALS registration process in a timely manner
• the student or professor has identified the student with a suspected disability and further assessment is required before a formal diagnosis can be made

Please see our Academic Accommodations Glossary page for detailed information regarding accommodations. If your question is still not answered, please contact the Accessibility Consultant. 

If you are unsure of how to submit your test to the Assessment Centre, please visit the Assessment Centre’s webpage for faculty. If you have concerns about a student’s listed test accommodations, please contact the accessibility consultant.  

During the student’s initial meeting with the accessibility consultant, we review with the student their responsibilities to notify professors and the Assessment Centre about test accommodation bookings seven calendar (five business) days in advance. If you receive a request for testing accommodations the day before a test, the ability to implement those test accommodations is based on whether the faculty and the Assessment Centre has received sufficient notice to do so. For example, during busy times of the year (midterms and finals), the Assessment Centre may not be able to guarantee an appointment if a booking is made with less than seven calendar days’ notice. Please refer to the Assessment Centre website for more detailed information on test booking procedures and timelines. 

Students who have a permanent or temporary disability, confirmed by documentation from a regulated health professional, or students who suspect they have a disability, are eligible to receive academic accommodations from Accessible Learning Services. 

Accessible Learning Services supports students with many types of disabilities, including (but not limited to): 

• Mental health concerns 
• Learning disabilities 
• Acquired brain injury 
• ADHD—attention deficit hyperactivity disorder 
• Blindness or low vision 
• Autism spectrum disorder 
• Deaf, deafened and hard of hearing 
• Medical or physical—such as mobility and neurological disabilities, epilepsy, diabetes 

Students can register by: 

• Completing the confidential registration form. This form can be also be found at an ALS office on your campus. 
• Collecting supporting documents from a regulated health professional. 
• Submitting the registration form and supporting documents either by email, fax, or in person to the ALS office.

The accommodations process is a shared responsibility between the college, student, faculty, and Accessible Learning Services. 

COLLEGE RESPONSIBILITIES 

George Brown College has a duty to accommodate students with disabilities as stated by the Ontario Human Rights Code. Once disability-related needs are known, the legal onus shifts to those with the duty to accommodate. Meeting the needs of persons with disabilities requires actions that respect the dignity of those persons. Human dignity encompasses individual self-respect and self-worth. Further, dignity recognizes the privacy, confidentiality, comfort, autonomy, individuality and self-esteem of persons with disabilities in regard to whether accommodations maximize integration and full participation. 

ACCESSIBLE LEARNING SERVICES RESPONSIBILITIES 

• Treat each student as an individual and with respect and dignity. 
• Maintain confidentiality of all information submitted to the office; release information with written consent of the student. 
• Maintain documentation of disability and any other written records pertaining to the disability. 
• Assist students in determining which academic accommodations are appropriate and explain how these accommodations will be provided. 
• Assist students in gaining equal access to all GBC services, classes and events. 
• Work with student to create an individualized Accommodation Plan that is sent out by ALS to their Professors on behalf of the student. 
• Provide advocacy and support to students when communicating with professors and determining accommodations. 
• Engage with faculty around identifying the essential requirements of courses and determine the most suitable method of accommodation based on the student’s needs. 

STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES 

• Register with Accessible Learning Services. Students are strongly encouraged to register with Accessible Learning Services as early as possible in order to avoid a delay in service. 
• To register, students must submit documentation from a licensed health professional that describes the expected permanence of the disability as well as the physical, cognitive and/or behavioural impacts on daily functioning. 
• Students must be able to competently perform the essential requirements of a course or program with reasonable accommodations. If a recommended accommodation may potentially modify these requirements, alternative accommodations should be explored in consultation with the student, academic division and accessibility consultant. 
• Students are not required to provide documentation of disability to college employees outside of Accessible Learning Services. 
• Students should meet with their accessibility consultant to prepare a Confidential Student Accommodation Plan. The accommodation plan will verify that the student is receiving supports and services from Accessible Learning Services. 
• A student should advise their accessibility consultant as soon as possible if a service disruption occurs or changes to their accommodations are necessary. To make changes to an accommodation plan, students must meet with their Accessibility Consultant either by phone, virtually or in person to discuss these changes. 

FACULTY RESPONSIBILITIES 

• Treat each student as an individual and with respect and dignity. 
• Maintain academic standards of the college. 
• Acknowledge and provide reasonable and appropriate accommodations in a fair and timely manner. 
• Maintain the confidentiality of the student by ensuring secure and confidential storage of student accommodation information and communication. 
• Ensure tests/exams are available in the Assessment Centre on time (when a student has arranged to take a test at the Assessment Centre). 
• Consult with the student and accessibility consultant if a recommended accommodation alters the essential requirements of a course or program. 
• Faculty should also engage with the student and accessibility consultant to determine alternate accommodations if a recommended accommodation is not appropriate. 

Yes, the college has a responsibility to consider retroactive accommodation requests. Please refer to the Retroactive Accommodation Guidelines.