World Campus Accessibility Notification Emails
While the student's letter of accommodation is the official communication, email notifications are a courtesy that helps us prepare those accommodations in advance.
Types of Accommodations That Generate Email Notifications
Email notifications are sent only for accommodations that may take significant time to provide, such as when students
- are visually impaired or blind and need descriptions of all visual content;
- are hearing-impaired or deaf and need captions and transcripts, including live transcripts for synchronous events;
- are approved for captions without having impaired hearing;
- use magnification due to a visual impairment; or
- need split exams because they can't complete an exam in one sitting.
Notifications are not sent for the following:
- Materials accommodations—Students using assistive technology for the read-aloud function typically don't need changes to course content; instead, they need accessible textbooks and course readings. If a student is approved for the read-aloud accommodation, they submit a request through Student Disability Resources (SDR) to ask for materials in an alternate format. As of July 1, 2024, this work is being handled by SDR at University Park.
- Exam accommodations—No email will be sent if a student has an exam accommodation (except in the case of split exams). Instead, the student must present their accommodation letter to their instructor. If the instructor needs help setting up the accommodation, they can seek assistance from their design team.
- Considerations—Considerations are used when a student has a condition that affects them on some days more than others (such as anxiety or depression) or has some sort of temporary disability. These considerations—for things like extra time to complete assignments—require a conversation between the student, the disability specialist, and the instructor. If an instructor asks you about a consideration, please refer them to Disability Services.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What are the accessibility notification emails?
A: These emails serve as advance notice to enable design teams, instructors, and accessibility consultants to prepare accommodations that may take substantial time and/or resources to implement, such as captioning videos or splitting exams.
Q: Who sends these emails?
A: A team within Program Planning and Management creates these emails from carefully worded email templates and information they receive from SDR.
Q: When are the notification emails sent?
A: They are sent out 4 to 6 weeks before each semester and continue through the first two weeks of class to account for schedule changes. They are not sent during the semester because their purpose is to provide advance notice. Once the semester is underway, instructors will notify us of their students' accommodation needs.
Q: Are the email notifications the official notice about a student's accommodation(s)?
A: No. The student's letter of accommodation is the official document that details the student's approved accommodations. Students need to provide this letter to their instructors each semester if they want to receive accommodations. The emails are unique to World Campus and are meant to provide staff with the necessary time to make sure the course is ready.
Q: Why is World Campus the only campus that provides email notifications about accommodations?
A: This process began with the intention of giving faculty and staff more time to implement accommodations, given some of the unique aspects of online courses, such as heavy use of visual content like images and interactives that may need text alternatives, videos that need captions, and online exams that may need to be split into multiple parts.
Q: What should you do if you find out about a student's accommodations via their official letter and not via an email notification?
A: As mentioned above, certain accommodations don't cause a notification email to be generated. In addition, no email will be generated if a student is approved for an accommodation after the semester begins. This could happen because the student didn't request an accommodation until then or because they enrolled during the semester. The instructor should contact their design team if they need assistance. Work with the instructor to implement the accommodations outlined in the student's official letter.
Updated February 2025