Requesting Accommodations
The PNW Accessibility Center empowers college-ready students with documented disabilities to participate fully in PNW by providing equal access and opportunity.
If you need to apply for accommodations in your PNW courses apply for services by clicking the button below. If you only need accommodations in housing complete the housing application instead. If you need both complete both applications.
If you need to apply for accommodations in while living in PNW housing, apply for services by clicking the button below. If you only need accommodations in courses in PNW, complete the academic application instead. If you need accommodations in both, complete both applications.
Steps to Accessibility
Students are required to complete the following steps to receive accommodations at the PNW Accessibility Center:
Apply for Accommodations
Student applies online and submits documentation through AIM portal.
- Fill out the Request for Accommodations Form online.
- Provide documentation of diagnosis.
Schedule Intake Meeting
- Student calls the PNW Accessibility Center office at 219-989-2455 to schedule meeting.
- Student attends intake meeting.
- The PNW Accessibility Center engages student in interactive process to create an Access Plan.
Student Activates Accommodations
Student logs in to AIM portal.
- Signs E- Form Agreements.
- Customize accommodations.
Click “SUBMIT ACCOMMODATION REQUEST”
Have questions? Call (219) 989-2455 to set up a meeting at the PNW Accessibility Center.
An Access Plan explains what PNW needs to do differently to provide equal access and equal opportunity for a student’s PNW experience.
For example an Access Plan:
- Explains what an instructor needs to do differently to provide equal access and equal opportunity to their class for a given student.
- Explains what a staff member of University Housing needs to do differently to provide equal access and equal opportunity to a student living in housing.
An accommodation is misnomer. It is actually an academic adjustment to/ within the academic environment that serves to remove barriers and allow students with disabilities an equal opportunity to participate in the educational experience without lowering the academic standards.
Accommodations may include but not limited to:
- Testing accommodations
- Distracted limited environment
- Extended time on exams/quizzes
- Copy of class notes
- Alternative format of text
- Conversion of textbooks to audio format (MP3)
- Conversion of textbooks to Kurzweil 3000 (reading software)
- Textbooks in e-text (PDF)
- Assistive technology {link to guide}
- Dragon Naturally Speaking
- Kurzweil 3000
- Livescribe SmartPens
- Fusion (JAWS/ZoomText Combination)
- JAWS
- ZoomText
- Laptop loans with Assistive Technology
- The PNW Accessibility Center will review the documents and information provided during the initial meeting in order to determine if the requested accommodation is reasonable. An accommodation is deemed unreasonable when it substantially alters a course or program.
- The PNW Accessibility Center will determine if the requested accommodation is appropriate to remove the barriers in an academic environment.
- The experiences conveyed by the student during the initial meeting with an Access Coordinator is also substantial in determining appropriate and reasonable accommodations.
- If necessary, additional documentation may be requested from qualified medical personnel.
Did you know that many professional licensure exams (NCLEX, Praxis, etc …) and grad school entrance exams (LSAT, GRE, etc …) allow you to use your accommodations? Each testing organization has its own set of requirements for allowing accommodations, and the PNW Accessibility Center will be happy to help you put these in place after you find out what info your particular testing body needs. YOU WILL NEED TO START THIS PROCESS WITH THE PNW ACCESSIBILITY CENTER AT A MINIMUM OF ONE YEAR BEFORE YOUR EXAM. This will give the PNW Accessibility Center enough time to help you get your accommodations in place before the exam.