Disability Services
Student Handbook
2009-2010
Student Handbook
2009-2010
Disability Services Student Handbook 2009-2010 |
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Welcome to Disability Services
Nipissing University welcomes students with disabilities to participate in an accessible, barrier-free learning environment. Our Disability Services staff will be pleased to discuss programs and support services available to make your university education a productive and rewarding experience.
During the past 2008-09 school year, Disability Services provided support to 379 (5% or 1 in 20*) Nipissing University students with permanent disabilities. We also provided support to an additional 39 students with temporary disabilities due to injury or illness.
* This percentage is based on total enrollment of 7481 students (3,781 full-time and 3700 part-time) enrolled in all campuses as of February 1, 2009.
Are you a Student with a Disability?
If you have been diagnosed with a disability, have a physical, medical or psychological condition which may impact your studies at university, and/or received support though an IEP (Individual Education Plan) in elementary or high school, you may qualify for support though Disability Services. However, unlike elementary or secondary school your access to accommodation is no longer determined by the Education Act but by the Ontario Human Rights Code. Therefore, the Disability Services office at Nipissing may require different or additional documentation of your disability than that which you used in high school.
Disability Services: Our Mandate
Disability Services is committed to providing academic, social, and physical access to the University for students with disabilities. Our staff can arrange for learning and/or testing accommodations (as required). In addition, our staff will assist faculty in meeting the in-class learning and accessibility needs of students with disabilities.
If students with disabilities have concerns about the demands of university life, especially academic demands, they can meet with their learning strategist and together they can work on strategies to help solve learning challenges or manage their work load. Our staff also works closely with Counselling, Academic Skills and Peer Tutoring programs to provide additional resources and expertise to students with disabilities.
We provide services to students for a broad spectrum of different disabilities; however, for simplicity of tracking, we classify disabilities under the following categories:
01 Acquired Brain Injury Nipissing graduate, Kristen O'Hare |
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If you have any questions about support for a specific disability, please contact our office.
Please click on the following links to find out more information about the services we provide to students with disabilities:
Click here to visit Nipissing's Disability Services Web Site.
As a student of Nipissing University and a person with a disability, you have an obligation to
just as every other Nipissing student.
You can be accommodated in these academic activities, but you cannot be exempt from them.
Realize, therefore, that as a student with a disability, you have a responsibility to
Confidentiality Terms and Agreement:
Your request for Services for Students with Disabilities is confidential. Although the Disabilities Services record remains the property of Nipissing University, any information that you share will not be disclosed to anyone outside the Counselling and Disability Services team* or their immediate supervisors, without your expressed permission. The following basic information about each new students is shared with the Counselling and Disability Services team:
*Counselling and Disability Services Team:
These staff, with the permission of the student, may co-ordinate their services to better serve your needs. You are encouraged to participate in the planning process. Learning Strategists meet on a regular basis with the Manager of Counselling and Disability Services to review student accommodation plans.
As a person with a disability…
You Have the Right to:
And with these Rights, You have the Responsibility to:
Academic Accommodation for Learning
Academic accommodation is a process by which you are provided conditions, services, and/or tools which help to compensate for the effects of your disability in your studying, classroom learning and/or testing and other evaluation.
These accommodations are based upon recommendations made by your health care professional in your disability documentation and are unique to you and specific to your disability-related needs.
As a person with a disability, you have a “right” to appropriate academic accommodation. Appropriate accommodation is fair and is meant to “level the playing field” and not give you an advantage over your peers.
New Students:
To arrange for your accommodations at Nipissing University, you must first meet with your learning strategist in the fall who will review your documentation with you and help establish what accommodation is most appropriate for you. It is strongly recommended that you meet with your learning strategist in the winter term also to update or make any changes needed to your accommodation plan.
Returning Students:
To arrange for accommodations when you are a returning student please fill out the Returning Student Form and return it to the Disability Services office. Make arrangements to meet with your Learning Strategist to revise your accommodations and ask any questions you may have.
Types of Accommodation:
Depending on your need, Disability Services can provide:
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Disabilities affect learners in many different ways. They can affect memory, concentration, organization, and many of the fundamental academic skills that other students may take for granted, skills such as reading, writing, spelling, calculating, and note taking.
Often accommodation, and/or medication, and/or adaptive technology can assist in making some of these academic tasks more manageable. However, sometimes what is required are better approaches to the tasks involved with learning.
Your Learning Strategist can help you deal with your academic challenges by helping you understand your disability and how it affects your learning. Your strategist may also do some further assessment with you such as learning styles or academic skills inventories to help you establish and understand your strengths and weaknesses.
The strategist may then either work with you personally to develop new learning strategies or refer you to one of our Academic Skills Coordinators, Counsellors, Peer Tutors or Mentors for some specific skills development.
The Learning Strategist or resource team members can help you develop skills and strategies to assist you with:
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Procedures for Test & Examination Accommodations
Before you can qualify for testing accommodation, you must meet with your learning strategist to arrange for accommodations appropriate to your disability-related need.
Your “need” is determined based on the recommendations provided in your disability documentation.
Your level of accommodation for any course must balance your “need” with the course expectations without jeopardizing the academic integrity of the testing process or giving you unfair advantage over your classmates.
Important Notes:
Reasonable notice to request accommodation for tests and mid-terms is at least 7 days (5 school days) in advance of each scheduled test or midterm.
Disability Services cannot guarantee that accommodations for tests and exams can be put in place if reasonable notice is not given, or if you have not complied with the following identified dates for final exams.
Final dates for examination requests are:
Faculty of Arts & Science and
Faculty of Applied and Professional Studies
including Concurrent & Physical & Health Education
November 2, 2009 for December Final Examinations
March 19, 2010 for April Final Examinations
Faculty of Education - Consecutive Program
November 27, 2009 for December Final Examinations
April 9, 2010 for April Final Examinations
**Should you miss these dates, you will be charged a Late Fee of $40.00 per final exam.
Test/Exam Booking procedures:
You must self-identify to your professor before we contact that professor to make specific accommodations for your testing in that course.
You can book your tests and exams at any time, day or night, using the On-line Exam Request form at
www.nipissingu.ca/disabiltyservices
If you book on-line, you will receive confirmation of your request from the Disability Services staff within 48 hours of your on-line request. If you do not receive confirmation within 48 hours (except over weekends, when your response will come on Monday), it is your responsibility to contact the office and follow up with staff.
Alternately, you can deliver your accommodation request to the Disability Services office in person or by email.
Learning Strategists
Daralynn D’Angelo or Mike Walker will be your primary resource person for your disability-related academic support and accommodations. In addition to reviewing your documentation and arranging for your academic accommodations, your strategist may work with you to develop specific learning strategies appropriate to your learning style and learning strengths. Your strategist may also help you liaise with your professors should you have any unique accommodation needs.
We encourage you to identify your needs to your learning strategist early and to contact us with any questions. Also, it is important that you contact us at the first sign of academic difficulty as it is much easier to plan for your success than to try to recover from an unsuccessful test, course, or semester.
Reception and Examination Support
Although Daralynn or Mike may be your primary support, Valerie Evans, Secretary of Disability Services, will invariably be your first contact with us. In addition to supporting the learning strategists and booking your appointments with them, Valerie coordinates all of your testing accommodations. Valerie keeps us all organized so please make sure you get your accommodation requests to her early and accurately.
Adaptive Technology Technician
Mark Giddens is our ATT at Nipissing. Mark’s primary role is to install and maintain the adaptive technology used by students with disabilities; however, we rely on him for much more: Mark may train you on your adaptive technology and help you debug problems with your technology if something goes wrong. In addition, he may advise you on appropriate technology purchases and help you get quotes. Mark also organizes your alternate format reading and testing materials, typically scanning and preparing more than 150 textbooks a year.
Note Sharers
Volunteer note sharing is another accommodation provided for students who cannot see, hear or record their lectures due to their disability. Volunteer note sharers are typically classmates who have agreed to share their notes with you through the use of carbonless (NCR) note paper, photocopying or email.
Testing Rooms
Testing accommodations are one of the fundamental supports required by many students with disabilities. We provide a range of testing supports and environments tailored to your specific disability-related needs. Tests and exams are proctored by Disability Services staff and we provide access to professors during your testing periods. (Due to the high demand for testing space during mid-terms and final exams, we reserve and equip classrooms with required supports for handwriting or the use of technology.)
Study Carrels
The library has three closed study carrels reserved for the use of students with disabilities. Two are equipped with computers and adaptive technology which will allow you access to your accommodation during study periods or library research. (To book a study carrel, you must reserve a room and time and sign-in at the Circulation Desk. When you sign-in, Library staff will provide you with a key to your carrel. Because access to these carrels is limited to Nipissing students with disabilities, you must meet with your learning strategist and request that you be added to the list of study carrel users.)
The Bursary for Students with Disabilities (BSWD)
The BSWD is the primary tool for OSAP eligible students to finance their disability-related educational expenses. Since students in post-secondary education are responsible to finance many of their personal disability-related learning expenses, the BSWD may be used to pay for some needs such as extensive tutoring or note taking services, adaptive technology, or updated psycho-educational assessments. Check with your learning strategist to see if you are eligible for the BSWD.
Adaptive Technology
We have many tools which students with disabilities might access to assist in their learning. Upon approval from your learning strategist, computers, keyboards, spell checkers, tape recorders, FM systems and other technology may be borrowed on a limited time basis. Training with these tools and software programs is provided by the learning strategist or the adaptive technology technician. A loan fee for these accommodations may apply.
Student Development & Services Resources
Academic Skills
Nipissing students with disabilities are privileged to benefit from the extraordinary knowledge, skill and care provided by our Academic Skills Coordinators: Georgia Lyons (writing) and Emily Tian (maths & sciences). Your learning strategists rely on the Academic Skills Coordinators to provide you with subject-specific learning and study strategies. To book an appointment with an Academic Skills Coordinator, please call ext. 4362 or stop by Student Affairs A201. Click here to visit Nipissing's Academic Skills web pages.
Peer Tutoring
The Academic Skills Coordinators also oversee Nipissing’s Peer Tutoring Program. This service is available for students who would like a private tutor for a particular course, and we have qualified tutors for most courses that Nipissing offers. You may complete an application for the assistance of a peer tutor online with the application found at the bottom of the Application for Peer Tutor page or by stopping into the Office of Student Development and Services, A201. A non-refundable fee of $25.00 is charged for each 5-hour peer tutor contract. Qualified students with disabilities requiring extensive tutoring may apply for a BSWD to help cover the cost of this service. Click here to visit Nipissing's Peer Tutoring web pages.
Writing Drop-In Centre
Georgia Irwin also coordinates the Writing Drop in Centre. This is a free service available to all Nipissing students on a first come first served basis. Experienced, trained, upper-year students, who have demonstrated advanced knowledge and ability in the aspects of academic writing across many disciplines, work in the Writing Drop-in Centre. Hours of operation are posted outside the Office of Student Development and Services during the fall and winter semesters.
Personal and Career Counselling
Our counselors are an important part of our Disability Services support team. From helping you to adjust to university life, to dealing with personal loss or disappointment, to coping with exam anxiety or depression, to offering alternate career exploration activities, our counsellors offer free and confidential services which can make a significant difference to your quality of life and learning while you are at Nipissing. To book an appointment please call ext. 4362. Click one of the following links to learn more about Nipissing's Personal Counselling and Career Counselling.
Campus Health Centre
The Campus Health Centre offers a variety of medical services including medical assessment and treatment, walk-in clinic, and health education and promotion. To make an appointment call (705) 474-7600 ext. 5261. The Campus Health Centre is located in room C211.
Rebound Sports Medicine & Therapy Centre
Rebound provides preventative and rehabilitative therapy services including Physiotherapy, Custom Orthotics, Massage Therapy, Acupuncture, and Workplace Injury Treatment and Prevention. To make an appointment call (705) 474-7600 ext. 4561. Rebound is located in the R.J. Surtees Athletic Centre.
Medical After-Hours Clinics
Algonquin Walk-In Clinic
Monday - Friday: 6 pm to 9 pm
1950 Algonquin Avenue, Suite 303
Phone: (705) 476-7233
North Bay Medical Walk-In Clinic
Monday - Friday: 5 pm to 9 pm,
Weekends & Holidays 10 am to 5 pm
2029 Cassells (Next to Shoppers Drug Mart)
Phone: (705) 476-1413
Northgate Walk-In Clinic
Monday - Friday: 5pm to 8pm
Northgate Square, Suite 201 -beside Tim Horton’s
Phone: (705) 495 -2685
Crisis Intervention
Crisis Centre: (705) 474-1031
Crisis Intervention Program: (705) 495-8198 OR (705) 495-8148
Pharmacies
North Bay Guardian Pharmacy
1950 Algonquin Avenue, North Bay
Phone: (705) 472-5500
Zellers Pharmacy
1899 Algonquin Avenue, North Bay
Phone: (705) 472-0950
Wal-Mart Pharmacy
1500 Fisher Street, North Bay (in the mall)
Phone: (705) 472-4877
Coming Soon: Shoppers Drug Mart on McKeown
Nipissing now has a Campus Shop web site through which textbooks and other supplies can be ordered. With this new service, students are able to choose to pick-up their ordered materials, or they can have them delivered to their residence in North Bay.
To order your books, go to the following link:
From the homepage, when you click on “Textbooks” it will bring you to another page that will allow you to select your program, term, division, and course code, and it will find the required books for your course.
For general information or to make an appointment to meet with a learning strategist, please contact Valerie Evans, Secretary of Disability Services at 705-474-3450, ext. 4331 or email her at valeriee@nipissingu.ca
The Disability Services Team
Dan Pletzer |
Mike Walker |
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