Frequently Asked Questions - Faculty

What is AIM?

AIM stands for Accessible Information Management, and it is the platform that DSP utilizes to store student records and to facilitate the provision of accommodations. While AIM is integrated with the campus’s SIS and CalCentral systems, the platform both allows for student medical information to be retained separately from student academic records, and it also allows for facilitating the accommodation process. Every semester, students need to request their Letters of Accommodation and approved services via AIM, and instructors need to review students’ Letters of Accommodation and submit...

I have a timely question. What is the quickest way to connect with DSP staff?

Begin by consulting the student’s Letter of Accommodation (LOA).

DSP is comprised of multiple units, each with its own Supervisor and staff. If you have a question about a specific accommodation, you may find that the LOA provides an email address to directly contact the unit that processes that accommodation. In addition, each LOA concludes with the name and email of the student’s assigned Disability Specialist, who may also be of assistance.

If you have questions or concerns about the logistics of implementing students' proctoring,...

A student in my class says they are not receiving notes. What should I do?

Instruct the student to contact dspnotes@berkeley.edu, and we will follow up with the student.

My student needs an alternative format of my exam. What do I do?

If you are a faculty member or GSI who needs to convert an exam into an alternative format, please send an email to dspamc@berkeley.edu in which you share with us the following information:

Student name

Student ID

Class name

Professor name

CCN

Exam date

In your email, you can share with us your...

A student in my class receives alternative media. What do I do?

If you know that a student is registered with the Disabled Students' Program, please feel free to contact the Alternative Media Unit of DSP for help.

It is best practice to create an accessible version of your course before you are notified that a student has an accommodation. See the "Questions about Inclusive Instructional Practices" section of this FAQ for information about how to do this.

How can I check if the documents that I am using in my class are accessible to students who are blind or who use assistive technology?

Use the accessibility checker for the format of your document.

Google Docs: Use the GrackleDocs Add-on

PDF Documents: Adobe Acrobat Pro Accessibility Checker and the Make Accessible Action Wizard

MS Word Documents: ...

How can I create accessible materials for my class?

OCR Scanners

Before you scan a document for use in your class, first check if the document is already available electronically through one of the Library’s subscriptions. If the book is in the public domain, you can also check for electronic copies at Project Gutenberg

If you cannot locate an electronic version of a text and...

How can I prepare my classes so that they are accessible to students who use alternative media (braille, large print, e-Text)?

Adopt your textbooks and prepare your course reader based on the students' Accommodations. (Click to learn more)

If you are using a print shop for a course reader, retain a digital copy of the course reader files. DSP may need to request the digital version of your course reader for conversion purposes.

Create accessible versions of class...

Technology Accommodations: A student’s Letter of Accommodation states that they need to use a laptop during class, and I do not allow personal technology, including laptops, in my classroom. Can I ask the student not to use their laptop in my class?

Some students use assistive technology on a laptop or tablet to assist them with note taking, while others require screen-reading technology on their laptops or tablets to engage with course materials, including their textbooks, during class. If a disabled student has an accommodation for the use of a laptop or tablet in class for disability-related reasons, the instructor should allow the student to use their technology

When students are using a laptop or tablet as an approved disability accommodation, they should not be required...

Make-up Exams: Is it okay for me to give the student a grade of Incomplete and ask them to take the final exam with next semester’s class?

The day of my final exam, a student in my class had a disability-related absence. The student now wants me to provide them with a make-up exam, which their accommodation letter allows for. Is it okay for me to give the student a grade of Incomplete and ask them to take the final exam with next semester’s class?

If the student is in good standing in your class at the time of the missed final, you can offer the student the option of an incomplete grade to allow them to take a make-up exam when they are well enough to do so. However, you cannot require a student to wait a full semester to take the final exam with another class if the student requests to take the exam earlier. In most cases, if a student has missed an exam due to a flare in the impact of their disability, the student will be able to take the exam within days of the flare subsiding. If this is the case, it would not provide...