Reader Services Guidelines
The office of Disability Support Services (ODSS) offers a variety of accommodations to students with documented disabilities through its Reader Services Program.
Fred Wurtzel Coordinator
Email: wurtzf@lcc.edu
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)
- When meeting with an ODSS Counselor or Advisor, the ODSS Student (yellow registration) Form will be filled out and a copy will be given to the Reader Services Coordinator so Reader Services will be able to provide approved accommodations.
-
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:
- 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.
- If a student wants enlarged text or 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.
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 need 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 must 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 Support Services (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 Support Services counter.
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 Accommodations:
See Alternative Text Guidelines for complete guidelines on
how to request textbooks in an alternative format (electronic
text (etext), Braille, enlarged print, tactile graphics, audio
files.
NOTE: Each student receiving eText is expected to be familiar
with and able to independently use a computer and a screen
reader to listen to eText files.
Appointments with the Reader Services Coordinator are available upon request to all students who receive textbook accommodations. Students should call Fred Wetzel, Reader Services Coordinator -- (517) 483- 5263, or email -- wurtzf@lcc.edu he will attempt to answer all voice and email messages within 48 hours.
Appointments with Fred 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
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.
All questions, concerns, or complaints regarding Reader Services should be directed to an ODSS counselor or Advisor at 517-483-1924.
Disability Support Services
Gannon Bldg, Room 204
Phone: (517) 483-1924
Additional contact information »