Student accommodations

Here is how to review your exam booking: 

1. Go to your ACSD portal.
2. On the main page there is a box with the heading “Verify your accommodations” 
3. Click on the link in the box and follow the instructions on how to verify your accommodations. 
4. Click on "My calendar of ACSD appointments and exams" to review your exam bookings. 

If any of the information is missing or incorrect, email acsdexam@concordia.ca.

You can view your exam locations and schedule in your ACSD portal. Click on "My calendar of ACSD appointments and exams."

You have the option of writing with the ACSD or in your regular exam location. If you are writing in your regular location, please make sure you communicate your accommodation information clearly with your instructor so that it is properly implemented.

• Check the location of your exams in advance.
• Bring your student ID card.
• Arrive at the exam location 15 minutes before the start time.
• As an ACSD-registered student, you are permitted to bring water and snacks (without nuts) during the exam.
• If you need to use the washroom during your exam, you will be escorted by the invigilators.

Should you have any questions during the exam please let the invigilator know. We will do our best to contact your professor. 

During final exams, you may not leave before the first third of the examination has elapsed, and you may not enter an examination room after the first third of the examination has elapsed.

If you have extended time as an accommodation, your professors will adjust the time for your online exams on various platforms (e.g. Moodle, MyLab, etc.).

The ACSD has already sent letters of accommodation to your professors and will continue to send monthly reminders. Please follow-up with your professors directly to ensure that they adjust your test times.

• eConcordia tests: Extended time accommodations will be applied to your eConcordia tests automatically. If you have questions, please contact the eConcordia Helpdesk team helpdesk@econcordia.com.
• COLE exams: The ACSD will inform the COLE management team weekly to apply extended time accommodations.

If you have text-to-speech as a part of your ACSD accommodations, you can install the ChromeVox plugin to your Google Chrome browser.

ChromeVox operates using quick keys, so it is recommended you become familiar with the commands prior to your exams. 

Spell check availability is dependent on the platform and will not be commonly available. Please use ChromeVox to help pinpoint spelling errors.

If the take-home exam exceeds the expected completion time by 100% then additional time will not be applied. Please communicate with your professor if you have any additional questions about this. 

For example, if your professor assigns a take-home exam that is designed to be completed in 3 hours, and the entire class is given 24 hours to complete it, additional time would not necessarily be provided. The 24-hour window already encompasses the extra time.

According to Concordia’s exam guidelines, earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones that are not connected to a device are permitted in exams.

First, speak with your professor to see if you can find a solution.

If you are definitely unable to write final exams this semester, you have the option to defer the exam to next semester. Deferred exams will be scheduled the next time the course is offered.

It is imperative to follow the instructions provided by the Exams Office and fill out the form as soon as possible.

Should technical issues arise, please work with online support to resolve them before applying for a deferred exam.

Find the steps to report an exam conflict and request to write an alternate exam.

Remember to check the deadline to report the conflict so that arrangements can be made in advance.

• Extensions are requested occasionally, on a case-by-case basis. 
• You are encouraged to share your Letter of Accommodation (LOA) with your instructors and to inform them about your accommodation plan at the beginning of the term and when requesting an extension.  
• Extensions should be requested as soon as possible, before the due date. 
• You and your professors will agree on the length of the extension. Typically, it is between 1 and 5 days depending on your needs and on the course requirements and goals.
• Extensions need professor’s approval. A request may be denied if it is not in line with the course objectives or if it interferes with the academic integrity of the course.

If you need to request extensions on a regular basis, please contact your ACSD Advisor to explore other options.

If leniency on attendance is part of your accommodation plan, please communicate with your professors if you will be absent from class.

This accommodation is meant to be used exceptionally, when you are not able to attend class for reasons related to your disability condition. If you need to be absent for other reasons, this accommodation is not applicable. In that case you may use the short term absence form for a short-term medical accommodation without documentation like a medical note. If you have questions, you can contact your advisor.

For students with note-taking as an accommodation, a professional note-taker will create notes that provide a summary of course lectures.  

If you have note-taking as an accommodation, notes will provide:

• Points of reference to review, jog your memory and help you study
• A similar starting point as students taking their own notes. You may need to fill in gaps

Note-taking is not a complete transcript of your courses, and will not give you the same context you will get when you are in a lecture. Professional note-taking is not available if you do not attend class. 

If you have any questions about note-taking, please contact your ACSD advisor.

Students with audio recording as an accommodation should share their letter of accommodation with their instructors and ask them for permission to record their lectures.

Concordia has a policy regarding recording the audio and/or video of lectures. It is the student’s responsibility to know and follow this policy.

Read the policy on audio/video recording of lectures (PRVPA-2).

Please note, there is no guarantee we will receive a PDF from publishers.

Step 1
Obtain your booklist from The Book Stop, Concordia's online bookstore.

Step 2
Before buying your textbook, check to see if an accessible digital version is available from an online retailer.  If you cannot find your book in digital format, purchase the book from any retailer or from another person. Used books are eligible for conversion, as long as you have a receipt.

The Concordia bookstore sells digital files of many of its textbooks and coursepacks, but cannot guarantee that the files are accessible. We recommend that students who purchase their books from the Concordia bookstore buy the hard copies.

Step 3
Email emelie.lozier@concordia.ca with the following information: 

• Your name and Concordia student ID#
• Book title, author, edition
• A scan or photo of proof of purchase
• A scan or photo of the front and back covers of the book
• A scan or photo of the inside page of the book (page with ISBN number, publisher info, etc.)
  

You will be contacted by email when your files are ready. Please allow a minimum of 2 weeks for processing:

If you would like digital course-packs for all or some of your courses, you must first purchase the physical copy.

To make a request, email emelie.lozier@concordia.ca with the following information. 

• Your name and Concordia student ID #
• The course code and name of your professor
• A scan or photo of proof of purchase
• A scan or photo of the front and back covers of the book

Please allow a minimum of 2 weeks to process your request. You will be contacted by email when the files are ready.

Online, Thursday, November 10, 3  – 4:30 p.m.

It's almost end-of-term! Do you struggle to get essays under way? No need to do that alone. Let’s get together and find solutions.

In this workshop:

• Concordia Librarian Katharine Hall will demonstrate library searches on your topics;
• We’ll show you tricks, including writing templates to make your first draft so much easier;
• Let's talk about techniques to develop or revise your essay, wherever you are in the process;
• Let's look at technologies that make library articles accessible and immediately useful for your writing projects;
• Let's look at other great tools for writing and citation.

Online, Wednesday, November 16, 12 – 1:30 p.m.

You spend years getting a degree. Is there a job at the other side?

And how do you disclose disabilities and discuss accommodations with your employer?

At this workshop, meet with Career and Planning Services (CAPS) and a representative from TD-Canada Trust and two diversity/inclusion recruitment specialists to talk about what people with disabilities can do to take charge of their careers and work life.

You have questions about jobs and careers. Let’s get some answers from people who know.