Happy Fall, SDS Students!

The Office of Student Disability Services (SDS) would like to welcome you and highlight some important reminders for working with our office to ensure you have the access you need to be successful.

NEW: Please note that the wording for some of our accommodations may have changed, based on feedback from you and faculty, in order to provide clarification and other resources.

1. Semester Requests:
   If you have not done so, please submit your request for your accommodation letters to be sent to your faculty members now. How? https://sds.umbc.edu/accommodate-semester-request/
   
   If you wish to use your approved SDS accommodations in your current courses, you need to have submitted a “Semester Request” for the Fall 2024 semester in the Accommodate online student portal on the SDS website. Log in, review and select your accommodations and courses, and click Submit.
   
   If you have added/changed a course since you first submitted your Semester Request, please submit a new Semester Request. **NOTE: Your faculty will not get your letters and you will not be able to schedule in-person tests through Accommodate (or at USG) without a Semester Request submitted to SDS for Fall 2024.**
   
   
2. Accommodated testing:
   The deadline for scheduling in-person proctored testing on the Main Campus is 96 hours prior to the test date/time (4-5 days advance notice)!
   
   You should schedule ALL of your (in-person) main campus tests in the Accommodate portal at the beginning of the semester, so that you never miss a deadline.
   
   SDS testing hours:
   9 AM - 4 PM, Monday, Thursday, and Friday.
   9 AM - 6 PM, Tuesday and Wednesday.
   
   a. If you are taking online or hybrid courses, you will likely take the tests online. You will NOT schedule these tests in SDS. Instructors can provide extended time in the platform they use (if a test is timed). Remind your instructor(s) that you have testing accommodations before each test.
   
   b. For in-person tests for courses on the UMBC-Shady Grove Campus (USG), you will need to follow the procedures of the Macklin Center for Leadership & Communication (MCLC) DSS office - see  https://shadygrove.umd.edu/student-affairs/leadership-communication/dss.
   
   
3. Notetaking assistance:
   If you are approved for notetaking assistance as an accommodation, SDS recommends using assistive technology for notetaking support. We are transitioning from Glean web-based notetaking software to Otter.ai software, with the full transition to occur by January 2025.  More details will be coming soon.
   
   Students report significant benefits from the software’s audio recording and transcription features.  Check out Otter.ai on the web at https://otter.ai.
   
   If you are experiencing a disability-related barrier that prevents you from taking your own notes, please send an email to SDSnotetaking@umbc.edu to discuss solutions.
    
   Notetaking support information is on the SDS website: https://sds.umbc.edu/note-taking-assistance/ and https://sds.umbc.edu/assistive-technology/notetaking-support/
   
   
4. SDS office hours:
   Staff are available Monday through Friday during regular office hours, 8:30-4:30 PM. Appointments are available in person, via Webex, and by phone. Please schedule appointments online using the Accommodate portal or contact the front office for assistance at disability@umbc.edu or (410) 455-2459.
   
   Please contact SDS if you experience disability-related challenges in your courses as soon as possible. We are here to assist you in navigating what may be unfamiliar procedures to ensure that your accommodations are implemented when needed. Staff are available to review accommodations and assist in finding solutions if any new challenges arise.
   
   
5. MyUMBC group: 
   Please follow our group page, where we list events, reminders, changes, or updates related to disability services.
   Click on the link at https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/sss.
   Click the "follow" button, and under the "Notifications" button, please be sure to click "All Updates" to receive all of our posts.
   And check your UMBC email regularly to avoid missing anything we want to share.
   
   
6. Helpful Resource Links:
   
   Academic Success Center (Main Campus): academic advocacy, tutoring, academic support, success meetings: https://academicsuccess.umbc.edu/
   
   Retriever Integrated Health (RIH) for Counseling & Health Services: https://health.umbc.edu/
   
   We look forward to working with you and wish everyone a wonderful semester.
   Go, Retrievers!

The Student Disability Services (SDS) staff
Office of Accessibility & Disability Services
Email: disAbility@umbc.edu  
Phone: 410-455-2459  
Website: https://sds.umbc.edu/