Accessibility Guide

Accessibility: The degree to which a building or learning material provides access for people with differing physical or learning needs.

• Norquest examples of accessibility include ramps and automatic doors on campus, and the availability of speech-to-text software, or extended time, etc.    

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Accommodation:  An alteration of the environment, curriculum format, or delivery. This may include equipment, software, or teaching strategies that allow an individual with a disability to gain access to content and/or complete assigned tasks to their fullest ability.

• Norquest examples include permission for lecture recording, audio, extended time, etc.

 

Assessment:  The act of making a judgment or decision about something

• Norquest examples include a referral for a PsychEd assessment (to identify your strengths and needs) or an Accessibility Assessment with a member of the Accessibility Services team (to create your accommodation plan)

Consent: permission for something to happen or agreement to do something.

• A Norquest example is a Release of Information form when we refer you for a PsychEd assessment

Documentation: The documents, records, etc., that are used to prove something or make something official 

• A Norquest example is documentation of your need for accommodations, a community professional like a doctor provides that documentation

Exam Accommodation: Exam accommodations refer to an accommodation that applies to any sort of exam, test, or quiz. 

Invalid: Having no effect, or not based in fact

• A Norquest example is when you write your exam outside of the designated time frame and your instructor considers your exam invalid and you do not receive credit

Referral (Make a): Sending someone to another person or place for treatment, help, advice, etc.

• NorQuest examples include a teacher referring you to Accessibility Services or a navigator referring you for a Psych Ed assessment

Universal: Affecting, or done by all people; applicable to all cases 

• NorQuest examples include all students having access to counselling at the Centre for Growth and Harmony and tutoring or coaching from the Tutorial and Academic Coaching team. 

Universal Design for Learning: Remove any barriers to learning and give all students equal opportunities to succeed

• Norquest examples include time-and-a-half for exams and Read & Write software

Psychological Education Assessment (Psych Ed): A psychological test that looks at a person’s mental processes underlying their educational performance, cognitive abilities, memory, achievement tests, and measures of behavior.

• At NorQuest, we use the Psych Ed report to understand your learning needs and develop your accommodation plan

Definitions adapted from the Merriam-Webster Learner's Dictionary (2021)