Faculty

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...

When should I drop off exams to the DSP Proctoring office?

Exams must be delivered to us in one of the following ways:

Email the exam in an attachment to proctoring@berkeley.edu no later than 4:30 PM one (1) business day prior to the date of the exam. Please include the Department and course number in the subject line. Upload exams through your Faculty Portal no later than 4:30 PM one (1) business day prior to the date of the exam. Hand-delivered in person at the Proctoring Center no later than 4:30 pm one (1) business day before the date...

A peer note taker has reached out to me and asked for permission to use their laptop. I do not allow students to use technology in class. What should I do?

Some students have specific accommodations from DSP to receive typewritten notes from a student note taker in their class. If this is the case, the note taker should be allowed to use their laptop in the classroom after they have identified themselves to you.

A student in my class told me that they have an accommodation to receive notes. Am I required to find the student a note taker?

No action is required on your part. DSP’s Note-Taking Services office will coordinate recruitment of notetakers and delivery of notes to the student. In certain cases, DSP may contact you directly for assistance in recruiting a note taker.

As I’m planning my class, is there anything I can do to make my class more accessible so students require fewer accommodations to participate in my class?

We’re so glad you asked! The more accessible your class is for students with disabilities, the fewer accommodations students will require to participate in your class. As an additional benefit, when your class is more accessible for students with disabilities, it will be more accessible for students without disabilities, too!

The paradigm of Universal Design recognizes that disability is just one facet of an individual’s identity and that disability is neither negative nor an inherent barrier to access. Universal Design asks us to consider for...

Will DSP Proctoring notify me of my student's DSP proctoring details?

When a student's exam is approved you will receive an email thread notifying you of your students' scheduled exams, including all relevant details. You will receive a separate email for each student in one email thread.

Who is responsible for ensuring accessibility standards are met in online courses? What resources and training are available for faculty?

Faculty are responsible for making their own websites accessible and providing accommodations for students with disabilities in an online course. There are many campus resources to assist faculty with this.

Resources for building accessible websites can be found here: https://webaccess.berkeley.edu/home

Resources for online instruction: ...

There’s been a lot of discussion about online access recently. Can you explain the difference between the accessibility standard for websites and accommodations for online classes?

UC Berkeley is required to ensure that anything posted in public forums (for example, University websites or YouTube Channels) is fully accessible to persons with disabilities and can be accessed using assistive technology ( i.e. screen readers) and also includes video captions. Any information that is posted in your official university capacity that is visible to any member of the public must meet this accessibility standard.

Online courses or websites that are only accessible to registered students must provide accommodations as described in...

Audio Recording: A student’s accommodation letter states that they are approved to use an audio recording device during my class, but I do not permit students to record my lectures. What should I do?

According to UC policy and disability law, students with disabilities must be permitted to audio-record when doing so is approved as a disability accommodation.

UC Policy PACAOS 140, "Guidelines Applying to Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability" page 8 specifically states:

Any prohibition against the use of tape recorders or braillers in classrooms, or dog guides and service dogs in campus...

Make-up Exams: Can I refuse a disability-related request for a make-up exam and instead drop the exam and add the points to a future exam (sometimes known as clobber policies)?

Faculty may offer this as an option to students. However, if the student has a disability-related need for a make-up exam (the student's assigned Disability Specialist can verify if needed), then the student has a right to take a make-up exam.

You can choose to administer the same exam to the student as the exam the class has already taken. Some instructors ask students to sign an academic integrity agreement verifying that the student has not accessed the already-administered exam or discussed it with others...