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The University of Tennessee

Office of Disability Services

Frequently Used Tools:




Accomodations

Testing

Extended test time: This accommodation provides students with additional time (50%-100%) to complete quizzes and exams. Students are not given an unlimited amount of time to complete tests.

Alternative testing environment: This accommodation allows students to test outside of the classroom, either with the professor in a distraction-reduced environment, or at the ODS Testing Center.

Note-taking Assistance

If approved for this accommodation, students will work with professors to locate an appropriate note-taker in their classes. ODS gives the student a “note-taker request card” that has information for both the professor and the future note-taker on it that will help to facilitate the process of obtaining a note-taker for the student with a disability.

See also: Notetaker Manual | Notetaker Timesheet

Tape Recorders

If approved for this accommodation, students may use their own tape recorder, or borrow one from ODS to record their lectures.

Books in Audio Format

If approved, students may request their textbooks in audio format from ODS. This process can be time-intensive, so it is requested that students request their books as early as possible prior to the beginning of the semester. Typically, students who utilize this accommodation will also need to borrow the appropriate equipment from ODS so that they may be able to effectively listen to the books in audio format.

Students are required to purchase the print copy of the textbook, and students must return the audio version of the book and any equipment that was borrowed to ODS at the end of the semester.

Assistive Technology

Depending on the student’s disability, he or she may be eligible to use assistive technology on quizzes, exams, and out-of-class assignments. The student first will complete an Assistive Technology evaluation with the ODS Student Support Services coordinator in order to determine what technology would be appropriate. ODS Does not provide copies of the software to the student, but will assist the student with learning how to use the software. Some of the software is also available in computer labs across the campus.

The following is a list of software that ODS has available to students:

  • Kurzwiel 3000: (software) reads scanned materials and imported files while improving reading comprehension, speed and fluency. It includes highlighting, writing and study skills to aide in composing writing assignments.
  • Inspiration 7.0: (software) an outlining tool designed for people who are visual learners. The software helps you create a picture of your ideas or concepts by using icons and clipart that then can be quickly prioritized and re-arranged. The visual diagram then can be converted into a standard outline.
  • Co Writer 4000: (software) improves sentence structure by predicting words that make sense in the context of a particular sentence. The software also has the capability to change the background and text color of the document meeting various visual needs by students with disabilities.
  • Write Outloud: (software) a word processing program with spell-check and a homonym checker also giving the user the capability to hear letters, words or sentences while they write. The software allows the user to change the pitch, intonation, speed and voice of the software.
  • Dragon Dictate: (software) speech to text software. It allows the user to dictate up to 160 words per minute while changing the speech into text in the windows based application.
  • Franklin Dictionary: (hardware) portable electronic dictionary and thesaurus that has over 100,000 words and 500,000 synonyms. It has a spell correction feature which allows a person to enter words by how they sound.
  • Read and Write Gold 7.0: (software) designed for students with a varying degree of reading and writing difficulties. It includes word prediction, screen reading, homonym support and 180,000-word dictionary with spell-check.

Other Accommodations

Priority registration: At times it is necessary for ODS to allow students the ability to register for classes at the earliest point in time during the registration process so that there is ample time to implement accommodations for the student. Typically students who utilize the following accommodations also are approved for priority registration:

  • interpreting or transcribing services
  • books in alternative format (audio, enlarged, Braille)
  • use a wheelchair or have a mobility related disability

***Not all students are eligible for priority registration; therefore students are encouraged to meet with their advisors early on in the semester so that they are able to enroll for classes promptly during their scheduled registration period.

The T-Access Van: Depending on the student’s disability, the T-Access is available to transport students across campus. The student must contact the T-Access office to request to be picked up each time they need to utilize the service. The T-Access does not establish an individual schedule for students to be taken to and from class.

In addition, students or faculty/staff who have registered with ODS due to a temporary disability that impairs his or her mobility may also utilize this service. Individuals must obtain a pass from ODS in order to utilize this service.