Accommodation information for students

Academic accommodations for students registered with the DRC 

Academic accommodations help students with a disability or ongoing medical condition overcome barriers that may affect their academic endeavours.  

The Disability Resource Centre (DRC) determines a student’s eligibility for accommodations in accordance with the university’s Policy LR7. You can find more information about how accommodations are determined on our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page. 

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Accommodation letters

IMPORTANT: At the beginning of each term, students must send their Accommodation Letters for each course via the Student Portal.  

Sending an Accommodation Letter informs the instructor that the student is registered with the Disability Resource Centre. If Accommodation Letters are not sent, the student will not be able to book exams with the DRC and may not have access to classroom accommodations. 

How to send Accommodation Letters 

1. Log into the DRC Student Portal using your CWL credentials. 
2. Click “Review & Renew Accommodations” and select “Accommodations”. 
3. Click the blue “Request” button. 
4. Select your accommodations and your courses. You can use the “Check All” button. 
5. Indicate if your accommodations require any changes. 
6. Review the “Terms and Conditions” and press “Submit” to send your letters. 
7. Once your accommodation letters are “Sent”, you can proceed to make an exam booking.

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Exam bookings and accommodations

IMPORTANT: Booking exams is a student-initiated process. Students must use the DRC Student Portal to request accommodations for their exams by the deadline, for both in-person and online exams*

*Quizzes, tests, and midterm exams must be booked at least 7 days before the date of the exam.
*Final exams must be booked at least 7 days before the first day of the final exam period. 

Any questions about exams should be directed to drc.exams@ubc.ca. 

How to book an exam 

1. Log into the DRC Student Portal using your CWL credentials. 
2. Click “Schedule a test or exam”. 
3. IMPORTANT:  
   • For midterms click “schedule a test, mid-term, or quiz” tab at the top of the screen.
     
   • For final exams, click “Schedule a final exam” tab at the top of the screen.
     
4. Select your course in the drop-down box and Click “Next”. 
5. Book your in-class exams on the same date and time as the class.  Enter the regular duration of the exam.  click “Next”. 
6. Confirm instructor information.  Click “Next”. 
7. Choose accommodations that you want to access for this exam.  Click “Next”. 
8. Your test time appears under “Available dates & Times”.  Click “Next”. 
9. Confirm and complete.  Review the information and click “Finish”. 
10. Review the “My Upcoming Events” tab to view the status of your booked exams, and view the email confirmation. 
11. Further details about your exam (including location) will be sent by email one day in advance of the exam date. 

If you have made an error in your booking request, contact the Exam Team by email at drc.exams@ubc.ca 

Important exam information for students 

• Arrive at your exam writing location 15 minutes before the start time of your exam and bring your UBC student card for identification. 
• Non-disruptive and odorless food/refreshments in clear containers are permitted: NO peanuts or tree nuts. 
• No scented colognes, perfumes, or soaps may be worn while writing your exams. 
• You are only permitted to use material(s) authorized by your instructor (e.g. notes, books, calculators, formula sheets, etc. will not be allowed without explicit written authorization from the professor). 
• An invigilator will be present in the room at all times. 
• The Student Conduct During Examinations Policy applies to DRC-accommodated exams. Cheating is not tolerated and will be subject to the disciplinary processes outlined by UBC’s Student Conduct and Discipline Policy. 
• No student completing an exam shall be permitted to enter the examination room after the expiration of one half-hour from the scheduled starting time or to leave during the first half-hour of the examination.

Helpful resources

• Top Five Tips for Taking Canvas Quizzes – find out where and how to check your times in a Canvas Quiz. 
• Introduction to Respondus Lockdown Browser and Resources for Respondus Lockdown Browser 

What happens if exam accommodations are not met? 

All efforts are made to provide exam accommodations to students. However, there may be times when the accommodations and/or technology do not work out and result in a failure to provide accommodations.  

If you believe you have not received your accommodations for an exam that you booked, please email the details of the exam to your Accessibility Advisor, and drc.exams@ubc.ca, as soon as possible.

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Alternate format for course materials 

Alternate format materials provide access to academic materials for students with print disabilities. Eligibility for these materials is determined by your Accessibility Advisor based on your need. Examples of alternate format materials include Accessible PDFs, digital audio, electronic text, braille, or large print texts. 

How to request alternate format materials 

Students with an Alternate Format accommodation must submit an Alternate Format Request Form: 

1. Log into the DRC Student Portal using your CWL credentials.  
2. Click the “Online Forms” icon. 
3. In the “Online Forms” Module, complete the “Alternate Format Request” Form. You will be asked to provide detailed information about the course readings and upload jpeg or PDF copies of the receipt and other files. 
4. You will need to complete the form again for each item you need in an alternate format.  

Alternate format policies and expectations 

• Contact the DRC at least six weeks in advance of your course start date. 
• The student is responsible for providing all of the necessary information and materials.  
• The course syllabus is required so that the Alternate Format Services staff can produce materials in priority sequencing.  
• Alternate format procedures are guided by copyright requirements. 
• Incomplete requests will delay the production of the materials. 
• If you have any questions about this process, please contact your Accessibility Advisor.

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Captioning and interpreting for coursework 

If a student requires captioning, or ASL interpreting for courses or coursework, the student should submit a Captioning and Sign Language Interpreting Request Form: 

1. Log into the DRC Student Portal using your CWL credentials. 
2. Click the “Online Forms” icon. 
3. In the “Online Forms” Module, complete the “Captioning and Sign Language Interpreting Request” Form. 
4. You will need to complete the form for each course in which you require the accommodation

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