Academic Accommodations for Online Courses

Obtaining Academic Accommodations for Online Courses

Online courses offer students the ability to complete courses that may be otherwise out of their reach due to distance and disability. Online courses offer flexibility for those working full time and those whose schedules do not permit day time course offerings. Students who are requesting academic accommodations for online courses must be registered with the Office of Learning Services and provide eligible documentation as noted in the documentation guidelines. For convenience, our Special Accommodation Request Form is available online for easy access and can be downloaded, completed and delivered during open office hours, mailed, e-mailed or faxed to our office. Online accommodations will be considered on an individual basis through collaboration with the student, faculty member and the Director of the Office of Learning Services. The student will receive a confirmation letter by mail when accommodations are confirmed. The faculty member will also receive a professor letter outlining the student's accommodations.

Things to Consider

Students should carefully consider their disability and its functional limitations prior to registering for an online course. For example, online courses may require excessive reading that could be problematic for those with reading fluency and reading comprehension disabilities. Students should consider reading software that can help manage required reading.

Students may need to review their organization and time-management skills to determine if they are able to keep up with the demands of an online course. This can be particularly difficult for individuals with attention deficit and executive function disorders who may be challenged by self-monitoring, time management and organization skills. Many of these students require consistent structure to perform at their best. An online course requires one to be self-disciplined, self-motivated and able to work independently to meet deadlines for submitting projects and assignments.

Students should have adequate computer skills and feel comfortable using technology. Additional technology such as screen readers, text-to-speech software, etc. may be necessary to help navigate an online course successfully. Students may want to consider using Kurzweil 3000 and contact the Office of Learning Services at Learning.Services@millersville.edu to be registered for an account.

When in doubt, contact the professor of the online course and the Office of Learning Services to discuss the accessibility of the course with your disability in mind.