University Admission for Students With Disabilities

A range of accommodation services and measures are available from the moment a student with a disability enters university to facilitate their transition from college.

Students can benefit from various forms of accommodation as soon as they are declared as having a disability.

A counsellor supporting students with disabilities can also steer them toward services and tools other than accommodations, depending on their needs.

Below is a partial list of accommodation measures that may be offered. Each measure to meet the student’s specific needs is selected in conjunction with a university stakeholder.

Examples of accommodations associated with examinations and schoolwork

• Additional time granted for exams and/or for handing in schoolwork
• Loan of certain tools (e.g. FM system, smartpen)
• Examinations in a room apart from that of the rest of the class
• Loan of a computer with specialized software and/or a noise-cancelling headset
• Use of alternate means of communication for certain evaluations
• The option to go to the washroom more often than other students, or to leave the room to manage their emotions

Examples of accommodation relating to a student’s presence in class or in a practicum

• Assistance with note-taking
• Loan of certain tools
• Physical support
• Permission to record lecture courses
• Presence of an interpreter and/or a guide dog
• Alternate media: documents transcribed in Braille, text conversion to audio
• An adjusted or flexible schedule (possibility of being considered in full‑time studies with only six course credits

Accommodation measures offered in practicums

It is possible to obtain support during a practicum. The most common accommodation measures in this case are:

• Flexible schedules
• Additional time granted to submit practicum report
• Technical or personal support
• Adapted technologies
• Physical reorganization of the practicum environment

Apart from official accommodations, some services and tools can facilitate integration into the practicum environment. For example, Université Laval offers a workshop designed to facilitate integration into the practicum environment and the workplace  (in French only). For additional information, students are advised to consult the counsellor in charge of support for students with disabilities.

Students with disabilities can benefit from accommodation measures at university. The partial list that follows is taken from a report on university students with emerging disabilities  (in French only). It provides situations and conditions in which students can obtain accommodations to facilitate their academic success.

Hearing impairment: A hearing impairment is diagnosed when the better ear is evaluated at having a hearing threshold of 25 decibels or less. A hearing loss of 70 decibels or more is considered a severe impairment.

Motor impairment: A motor impairment is diagnosed when a loss, malformation or other anomaly in the skeletal, muscular or neurological system adversely affects the body’s motor ability. This impairment must be permanent and cause major and persistent limitations.

Examples of conditions considered as motor impairments:

• Paralysis affecting one or more members
• A severe degenerative illness (e.g. multiple sclerosis, illness resulting from a cerebrovascular accident)
• Arthritis

Organic impairment: An organic impairment is a disorder or anomaly involving an internal organ. This impairment must be permanent and cause major and persistent limitations.

Examples of conditions considered organic impairments:

• Fibromyalgia
• Renal impairment
• Crohn’s disease
• Cystic fibrosis
• Diabetes

Visual impairment: A visual impairment is diagnosed when, even after vision correction using ophthalmic lenses, the student is unable to read or write, or to get around in an unfamiliar environment.

Learning difficulties: A learning difficulty is diagnosed when, as a result of neurobiological factors or an injury, the student’s learning process is impaired by a brain dysfunction. The dysfunction causes information to be processed differently, resulting in certain learning difficulties for the student.

These difficulties may affect one or more of the following:

• Writing
• Reading
• Spelling
• Calculation
• Reasoning
• Capacity for organization
• Memory

Speech or language disorders: Speech or language disorders place major and persistent limitations on oral expression. These involve, among other things, pronunciation, speech, word use and sentence construction or the capacity to understand oral language.

Examples of eligible speech or language disorders:

• Phonation disorders
• Fluency disorders
• Pragmatic language impairment (also known as social communication disorder)

Mental health disorders: A mental health disorder is diagnosed after evaluation by a specialist of a student who feels they need specific accommodations for study due to the disorder.

Examples of eligible mental health disorders:

• Schizophrenia
• Depression
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder
• Generalized anxiety disorder
• Bipolar disorder

Attention deficit disorder with or without hyperactivity (ADHD or ADD) Neurological in origin, ADHD or ADD are expressed as symptoms that cause significant disruptions in the social or work life of the person affected.

Frequent symptoms of ADHD or ADD:

• Attention disorder
• Memory disorder
• Concentration disorder
• Anxiety
• Impulsiveness
• Hyperactivity

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD): ASD presents in the form of complex neurodevelopmental disorders. People with ASD have difficulty communicating and relating to others. Their areas of interest may be limited, often stereotypical and repetitive.

Deciding to disclose a disability is a personal choice. Université Laval has produced a guide to help students decide whether or not to disclose a disability  (in French only).

A range of services may be offered to students who have not received an official diagnosis but who nonetheless present social maladjustments or learning difficulties. To learn more about these services, students are advised to contact the student community help centre at their educational institution.

Since procedures differ from one university to the next, it is important that students contact the institution they are attending. Students can also go to the Help and Resources at University section to learn about the services and tools developed to help students make the transition to university studies.

The website of the Association québécoise interuniversitaire des conseillers aux étudiants en situation de handicap (AQICESH)  makes it possible for students to quickly find a counsellor who provides support for students with disabilities in their educational institution.

Most universities group together their services for students with disabilities. These services are usually found at a “student help centre,” and called “student life services” or simply “student services.” They include not only services for students with disabilities but also the psychological services available for the entire student population and, sometimes, services related to careers and employment.

Usually, students must contact the educational institution’s support services for students with disabilities in order to make an appointment with a counsellor. Students are advised to contact these services as soon as possible after registering for their courses. This can even sometimes be done during the spring in preparation for the Fall term.

Some universities ask that the student’s medical file be sent to them at the time the appointment is made, while other universities ask that the student bring the file to their first meeting with the counsellor.

Various other documents may be required, depending on the disability:

• A recent audiogram (for a hearing impairment)
• A medical certificate attesting to the impairment or disorder
• A copy of the card issued by the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (for a visual impairment)
• A recent detailed evaluation report that specifies the nature of the impairment or disorder as well as its actual impact on the student’s studies
• A neuropsychological evaluation report attesting to the impairment or disorder
• A medical report issued by a doctor or psychiatrist
• Individualized college education plan

Most universities appoint a counsellor to guide students throughout their time in university. It is possible, therefore, to remain in contact with the same resource person throughout the student’s time in university.

In the case of reasonable concerns associated with their application for accommodations, students can contact their counsellor to find out the possible regulatory options. For more information on this topic, students can refer to the “Rights and responsibilities” section of the web page dealing with the transition from secondary school to college.