Screenshot of ACSD portal: Verify your accommodations
1. Log-in to your ACSD portal.
2. Click the first link on the page, “Verify your accommodations here.”
Student accommodations
For ACSD-registered students, learn more about your unique accommodation plan. For information about registering with the ACSD, please visit how to register.
Your accommodation plan
As an ACSD-registered student, you will work with your advisor to develop a unique accommodation plan.
This plan is created through an in-depth discussion about your needs and the barriers you face in the academic environment, and by reviewing your documentation.
Your accommodation plan can be modified as you progress through your time at Concordia.
When you register with the ACSD, your personalized accommodation plan begins with meeting with your advisor.
You will work with your advisor to:
- Develop and update your unique accommodation plan
- Access additional resources at Concordia and in the community
- Practice advocating for yourself, including learning to talk to professors or other professionals about your needs as a student with a disability
Contact your advisor directly to book a meeting.
If you don't remember who your advisor is, please email acsdinfo@concordia.ca. Please allow us up to 48 hours to respond.
Need to see an advisor earlier? An ACSD advisor will be available to answer questions and provide advice at the Student Service Station, Wednesdays from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
What are accommodations?
- Academic accommodations are adaptations or measures that reduce or eliminate barriers to participation.
- All accommodations must be reasonable, taking into account your functional limitations, academic standards and course objectives, and time and resource constraints for all parties involved in coordinating the accommodation.
- Accommodations must not interfere with the university’s ability to assess the essential learning outcomes of the course or program and must adhere to all academic standards and the university’s academic integrity policies.
- Accommodations are not meant to provide you with an advantage, modify course material or learning objectives. While accommodations reduce barriers related to academic participation, they do not guarantee a level of achievement.
All students must verify and agree to their individual list of accommodations at the start of each semester.
Screenshot of ACSD portal: Verify your accommodations
1. Log-in to your ACSD portal.
2. Click the first link on the page, “Verify your accommodations here.”
Verify your accommodations page
3. Click on the “Accommodations" button
Select "Get letter"
4. Beside the course, click the "Get Letter" button. It will produce a PDF that you can attach to an email to professors, if needed.
At Concordia, a full-time course load is 12 credits in one term. However, in some situations, ACSD-registered students taking a minimum of 6 credits may request to be considered full-time for a specific purpose.
To be officially considered a full-time equivalent by the government of Quebec, a student must meet the criteria of having a Major Functional Disability (MFD) or a serious Episodic Disorder, as outlined by Aide Financiere Etudiants, and be registered in 6 credits or more.
In situations outside of government related matters, the ACSD may be able to provide a courtesy letter even if a student does not meet the formal requirement for having an MFD or a serious Episodic Disorder. These letters are provided on a needs-basis.
- To request a letter to be considered full-time equivalent (for i.e. Quebec Acceptance Certificate for Immigration, funding agency, banking, coop, or internships), please contact your ACSD advisor for more details.
- To request a letter to be considered full-time equivalent to obtain student OPUS card, please contact Birks Student Centre.
Please note that letters of support take up to 7 business days to process from the time we receive all your information.
Exam accommodations are reasonable changes to the testing conditions that allow you to demonstrate your academic ability and fulfill course requirements.
In-person exams
Your professors have been asked to provide information for your upcoming exams, including tests, quizzes and midterms.
Your exam information
It is your responsibility to verify your exam information on your ACSD portal at least 7 days ahead of your exams, and to advise the ACSD if any information is missing or incorrect.
Here is how to review your exam booking:
- Go to your ACSD portal.
- On the main page there is a box with the heading “Verify your accommodations”
- Click on the link in the box and follow the instructions on how to verify your accommodations.
- 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.
The same final exam regulations from the Exams Office apply to students writing their exams with the ACSD.
- 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.
In-person exam FAQ
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.
Online exams
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.
General exam FAQ
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.
Find details about implimenting specific classroom accommodations.
Please note, accommodations are determined through discussion with your advisor on an individual basis.
This is not an extensive list of accommodations, and certain accommodations may not be applicable to your situation. For more information, you can speak to your advisor.
If extensions are part of your accommodation plan:
- 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).
If you're facing a learning barrier when using printed or hard copy texts, digital textbook and course-pack conversion services are available to you.
To access these services, you must have a "print disability" which is recognized under Canadian Copyright Law. This can include visual, mobility, perceptual or cognitive disabilities that severely impede text recognition.
Contact your ACSD advisor who will review your file to ensure that you qualify for textbook and/or coursepack conversion services. Please allow for a minimum of two weeks to process requests. If your accommodations include other formats such as audio, additional processing time will be needed.
If you are physically able to manipulate textbooks and computers, you will receive training on how to convert your own materials.
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 shanika.taylorhaughton@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 shanika.taylorhaughton@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.
Virtual workshops are open to registered ACSD students. Look out for our email invites with the Zoom meeting information!
Student Service Stations
An ACSD Advisor will be available to answer questions and provide advice at the Student Service Station, Wednesdays from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Upcoming workshops
No upcoming events at this time.
There are many services at Concordia that offer support to all students and work closely with the ACSD to support students with disabilities.
- The Student Success Centre provides academic and career planning support to all students
- Health Services is Concordia's on-campus medical clinic
- There are a variety of mental health support services and resources available to Concordia students
- Learn the emergency proceedures. Concordia offers evacuation training for students with mobility or vision-related disabilities. Schedule a training session.
Related registration and ACSD information
How to register
Learn how to register with the ACSD, including eligibility, required documentation, and information for referring professionals.
Accessibility policies
Find Concordia’s policies relating to accessibility and the rights and responsibilities of the university community.
Contact us
Connect with the Access Centre for Students with Disabilities (ACSD) team — find our contact information here.