Learn More About CAL
CAL BASICS
- Welcomes discussion and questions from anyone who is interested in our services.
- Creates a safe, judgement-free and confidential environment to learn about accommodation support and eligibility at SFU.
- Ensures students with verified disabilities (physical, cognitive, mental) receive equitable and fair access to their academic experience.
- Is responsible for the implementation of SFU鈥檚 鈥楢ccess for Students with Disabilities Policy (GP 26)鈥�
- Determines if a student is legally entitled to reasonable modifications to policies and practices to ensure they are not being discriminated against on disability grounds.
- Assigns registered students with a Disability Access Advisor, their go-to resource and person to connect with at CAL.
To receive accommodation support from CAL, you need to be registered with us. Registration is a process that takes some time; understanding what we do and the steps to become registered can help you prepare for a smooth journey to support!
What We Do
Review documentation to verify and confirm presence of a formally diagnosed disability.
- Meet with students to listen to their experience and determine appropriate legally entitled accommodation(s), if any. Accommodations are only provided for the specific impairments of a student鈥檚 disability.
Liaise with instructors to ensure they implement legally entitled accommodations and to understand the academic purpose and essential skills of their course(s), and, when necessary, to discuss specific student circumstances. - Meet with students when they experience changes, flare-ups, additional or worsening impairments or if they are encountering accessibility challenges in their courses.
- Refer students to a range of on and off-campus supports and resources based on their unique needs.
- Support students through disability specific funding application processes.
- Provide exam accommodations for student's who are entitled to them through our exam centre.
- Provide, or arrange for, specialized equipment or services required to mitigate impairments.
- When possible, provide temporary accommodations for temporary injuries that impact mobility.
What We Don't Do
If we aren鈥檛 the right resource for you at this time, we will always point you towards the best campus support to address your concerns.
- We do not diagnosis or assess students for disabilities.
- We do not provide accommodations to students who self-identify as having a disability but do not have any diagnosis or documentation about their impairments.
- We do not provide academic concessions or compel instructors to provide academic concessions (see document on differences between accommodation and concession)
- We do not invigilate missed exams for reasons unrelated to disability.
- We do not provide accommodations for temporary illness.
- We do not always follow the accommodation recommendations of medical assessors (we have to consider them in the context of GP 26 and the post-secondary environment).
- We cannot provide 鈥榬etroactive鈥� accommodation or last-minute exam accommodation.
- We do not make decisions on, or influence, academic policy, including grades, or other institutional policies, unless modification is necessary based on disability.
- We rarely provide accommodation that would include significant class absence or exclusive virtual access to in-person courses.