Using Accommodations

Requesting Accommodations and Sending Faculty Notification Emails

Requesting Additional Accommodations or Changes to Accommodations

Requesting Test Accommodations

Requesting a Volunteer Note Taker

Requesting Material in An Alternative Format

Requesting Interpreters or CART Services


Requesting Accommodations and Sending Faculty Notification Emails

  1. Log into the Student Accommodation Manager (SAM)
  2. Complete the authorization and any other E-form agreements related to your accommodations.
  3. Scroll down to the list of courses for which you are registered. Courses may take up to 48 hours to display in the system.
  4. Check the boxes in front of the courses for which you would like to request accommodations. Click Continue to Customize Your Accommodations.
  5. Select which accommodations you would like to request for each class and click Submit Your Accommodation Requests. Note: All testing accommodations (i.e., extra time, breaks, etc.) are included in Alternative Testing/Quizzes (Will be Itemized on Letter). As long as that box is checked, all of your testing accommodations will be sent. To review your approved testing accommodations, click the My Eligibility tab.
  6. A PDF version of each Faculty Notification email will be available to print after your email has been sent to your professor.  A copy of this letter can also be found in your SAM mailbox.
  7. Once you have sent your Faculty Notification email, you should follow up with each professor to discuss the specific details of implementing your accommodations in each course.
  8. If you add a course after sending your Faculty Notification emails, you must also request your Faculty Notification email to be sent if you want accommodations for the newly added course.

Requesting Additional Accommodations or Changes to Accommodations

To request changes to existing accommodations and services, please contact your Accommodation Coordinator or the DSS office at dssoffice@udel.edu or 302-831-4643.


Requesting Test Accommodations

Make sure you have sent your Faculty Notification Emails with Alternative Testing/Quizzes selected. Communicate with each instructor regarding your approved testing accommodations to determine how they will be implemented in each course. 

If you plan to take your exam at the DSS Test Accommodation Center (TAC), you must sign up online at least 5 business days in advance of your exam.

  1. Log in to the Student Accommodation Manager (SAM) and click on Alternative Testing in the gray box on the left. 
  2. Select which course you have the exam in from the drop down menu and click Schedule Exam.
  3. Complete the information about the time/date/accommodations needed for the exam and agree to the terms and conditions. List any explanations, reasons for changes, permissions from faculty, etc in the comments section of the exam request form. Be sure to check the boxes for special accommodations you may need as applicable (ie. Kurzweil, large print). Click Add Exam Request.
  4. Typically, you will take your exam at the same date and time as the rest of the class. You must obtain and provide permission from your instructor to take an exam at a date or time that differs from the scheduled exam time.

For TAC questions or help with navigating test requests via SAM,  please email dssproctor@udel.edu or call 302-831-8948.


Requesting a Volunteer Note Taker

  1. When sending your Faculty Notification Emails in SAM, select Notetaking Services from your approved accommodations for each class in which you will require a note taker.
  2. Once your request for a Faculty Notification Email has been approved (this may take up to 48 hours), you must confirm your request. On your SAM Dashboard, click Notetaking Services on the left. Click Confirm Now for each course that requires a note taker.
  3. When a note taker has been assigned, they will upload notes directly into SAM. You can access the notes by selecting Click to download available notes.

It is important to remember that peer note takers are volunteers. Although you request a note taker for a specific course, there is a chance that no one volunteers. If you require note taking assistance in a course that does not have a note taker assigned, contact your Accommodation Coordinator to discuss alternative note taking supports.

If you are eligible for this accommodation, when you select ‘Note-Taking Services’ on your Faculty Notification Email request, your professor is notified that you MAY need a note-taker. You will then be prompted in SAM to confirm that you really need the note-taker. Please be sure that you need a note-taker in the class before confirming.

DSS will send an email to your professor to make an announcement to recruit a note-taker for you. After a note-taker is identified, they will be instructed to upload their notes to SAM.


Requesting Material in An Alternative Format

  1. Follow the steps above for Requesting Faculty Notification emails.  Make sure you select Accessible Alternative Format for each class in which alternate format is needed.
  2. Log into SAM and navigate to My Accommodations and click on Alternative Formats.
  3. Under Additional Book or Reading Material enter your book request. Complete textbook information for each class in which alternate format is requested.  Textbook information can be found on the UD Bookstore website.
  4. Click Submit Request.  You must submit your proof of ownership to DSS (dss-altbook@udel.edu) before any alternate format material will be released.  Please provide your class syllabus with reading assignments as it will help provide your alternate format before the required reading due dates.
  5. Refer to the Alternate Format tab under My Accommodations in SAM to view the status of the books that are currently being processed.
  6. Check your UD email for messages from “dss-altbook” for instructions and updates.

If you need assistance with requesting alternate formats, please call the DSS office at 302-831-4643 or email:  dss-altbook@udel.edu.


Requesting Interpreters or CART Services

Students requesting ASL Interpreting or CART services for courses or campus-sponsored events should fill out the Request Form.