Reader Services Guidelines
Office of Disability Support Services/Reader Services
204 GB LCC Support Services
The office of Disability Support Services (ODSS) offers a variety of accommodations to students with documented disabilities through its Reader Services Program
Reader Services Coordinator, Fred Wurtzel
Office Phone: (517-) 483-5263
Reader Services Office Phone:
Work room :(517) 483-1225
- General Guidelines
- Documentation of a student's disability is required before any
services can be arranged through the Office of Disability Support
Services (ODSS).
- Each semester, the student needs to review and arrange all
disability accommodations with an ODSS Counselor or Advisor as early
as possible. (HINT: As soon as the new schedule
books are available, the student should call (517) 483-1904 and
schedule an appointment with an ODSS Counselor or Advisor - visit
www.lcc.edu for registration dates)
- The ODSS advisor/counselor will give the student an Alternate
Textbook Request form if the student is eligible to receive an
alternate text format.
- After registering for classes:
a) If a student wants eText, he/she must fill out and turn in the Alternate Textbook form and an attached copy of the store receipt for all textbooks for which alternate formats are being requested.
b) If a student wants Brailed text, he/she must complete and turn in the Alternate Textbook form and turn in a copy of all textbooks to be enlarged or Brailed.
**Arrangements for textbooks to be Brailed must begin at least 10 weeks prior to need.
- Documentation of a student's disability is required before any
services can be arranged through the Office of Disability Support
Services (ODSS).
- Test Accommodations:
1) Steps to take when working with a Reader (or scribe) for a
quiz/test/exam:
a) The student is responsible for informing the instructor(s) when
a test accommodation -- reader, scribe, extended time, quiet
room -- is necessary.
REMINDER: The student is to provide instructors with an ODSS Instructor Memo form and should discuss testing accommodations with each instructor during the first week of class.
b) Prior to the scheduled test appointment, the student needs to
ask the instructor to have the test delivered to the Assessment
Center before the test is to be taken. In addition, the student is
also responsible for reminding the instructor that he/she will
take the test in the Assessment Center and will not be in class
when the test is given.
c) To schedule a reader or scribe, the student m call
Reader Services, (517) 483-1225, at least 5 days
before the quiz/test/exam.
d) Once that call has been made, Reader Services will schedule
time for the test in an Assessment Center Quiet Room if the
student will be on the Main Campus. Students who will be
taking tests at LCC learning locations will need to arrange
appointment with that location (i.e., West or East Campus,
Livingston Center, etc)
e) If taking the test at MAIN CAMPUS: On the day of the
quiz/test/exam, the student should go to Counseling and
Advising Center (204 GB) and check in at the front desk for
the assigned reader/scribe. The Reader must go with the
student to the Assessment Center so all Reader Services
appointments are checked in at the Counseling/Advising
Center.
f) If taking the test at one of LCC's other learning locations:
On the day of the quiz/test/exam, the student should go to that
learning location and check in at the Assessment Center or
office where the test is to be given. The Reader will meet the
student at that location.
g) Readers will only wait 15 minutes past the appointment time.
After 15 minutes, the Reader may not be available to assist
with testing accommodations, and the appointment will need
to be rescheduled for a later date.
h) If the Reader is still available when the student arrives for the
appointment after the 15-minute grace period, the student
will only have the originally allotted period of time to
complete the test.
i) The student who misses 2 consecutive testing appointments
without calling Reader Services, (517) 483-1225, or the
student who misses 4 testing appointments over the course
of a semester will have this accommodation suspended until
he/she meets with the Reader Services Coordinator to
discuss this concern.
j) Readers may only read the test as it is written and, when
scribing, may only write down the student's words as spoken
to the scribe. Readers may NOT do ANY of the following:
explain, re-word, or assist with choosing answers on a test;
tutor or teach any class materials; do personal tasks or
errands; act as a go-between with the student and the
instructor.
2) Steps to take to use a Quiet Room with NO Reader (or scribe):
a) Students must call the Assessment Center site where the test
will be taken at least 5 days before the appointment date to
schedule a Quiet Room.
LCC Main campus (Downtown Lansing): (517) 267-5500
LCC West Campus (Delta Township): (517) 267-5510
LCC East Campus (East Lansing): (517) 483-1860
LCC Livingston Center Campus (Howell): (517) 545-3522
LCC Clinton Center Campus (St. Johns): (989) 224-2017
b) The student is responsible for informing the instructor(s) when
a test accommodation -- extended time, quiet room -- is
necessary.
REMINDER: Students are to provide instructors with an ODSS Instructor Memo form and should discuss testing accommodations with each instructor during the first week of class. A copy of the ODSS Instructor Memo also needs to be given to the Assessment Center where the student plans to take the test(s) when the student makes quiet room reservations each semester.
c) During the class period before each test, the student must
remind the instructor that he/she will take the test in the
Assessment Center and will not be in class when the test is
given. At that time, the student should ask the instructor to have
the test delivered to the Assessment Center of choice before
the test is to be taken.Alternate Textbook Accomodations:
See Alternative Text Guidelines for complete guidelines on how to request textbooks in an alternative format (electronic text (etext), Braille, tactile graphics, audio files.
Appointments with the Reader Services Coordinator are available upon request to all students who receive textbook accommodations. Students should call Reader Services Coordinator at (517)483-5263 or email wurtzf@lcc.edu All voice and email messages will be answered within 48 hours, when possible.
Appointments with Reader Services Coordinator may include general questions about assistive technology, an overview of how to best communicate with Reader Services, how to use etext, what screen readers are available on campus and how to access them, or individual assessment of which alternate text format will best accommodate a student's print disability.
Scanned text is saved in rich text format (RTF), .doc, or searchable .pdf
format before it is emailed to the student. The files may be zipped prior to
being emailed. Zipped files will require an unzip software like WinZip.
Students who are unfamiliar with unzipping files should call Reader Services
or the Help Desk for information on how to 'unzip' files.
Students may opt to bring in a flash drive or memory stick to upload
eText files directly. They should call Reader Services to make arrangements
to do so: call (517) 483-1225.
Graphics and charts are usually not included as part of the e-text
production. Students will find their purchased hardcopy textbook helpful to
read and view all graphics and charts.
The student is responsible for notifying Reader Services if a class is
dropped/added/changed, or if reading assignments change throughout the
semester.
D. In-Class Assistance:
a) The student must discuss in-class assistance with his/her ODSS
Advisor or Counselor prior to each semester. Accommodation
determinations are based on documentation and individualized
needs assessment so only students eligible for in-class assistance
may receive this accommodation.
b) The student must provide the course information (course title, time,
and location) to ODSS at least two weeks prior to the start of the semester.
c) If the request is received after the start of the semester, the in-class
assistance will begin when an Assistant becomes available.
Requests are processed on a first-come/first-served basis.
d) In-class Assistants will only wait 15 minutes past the beginning of class
for the student to arrive. After 15 minutes, the In-Class
Assistant will leave and go on to his/her next service task.
Students who miss 2 consecutive class appointments without
calling, or students who miss 4 appointments over the course of a
semester will have this accommodations suspended until s/he
meets with the Reader Services Coordinator to discuss this
concern.
e) Readers acting as In-Class Assistants may NOT do ANY of the
following: explain, re-word, or assist with assignments; take notes
on behalf of a student; tutor or teach any class materials; do
personal tasks or errands; act as a go-between with the student
and the instructor.
Disability Support Services
Gannon Bldg, Room 204
Phone: (517) 483-1924
Additional contact information »