Resources for students and instructors

Students: Access to assistive technology at home

We are all learning to adapt to new circumstances of studying at home, participating in virtual meetings, and participating in virtual classrooms. The following resources and assistive technologies have been temporarily been made free of charge and accessible for home use during this time.

JAWS, ZoomText and Fusion

Freedom Scientific has released special, free, short-term licenses of these three software packages for individuals with a personal email address in Canada or the United States.

WordQ

Quillsoft has an Extended Access Request form for a trial to use for remote work or online learning. Once you fill out the form, they'll email you with your trial information within 24 hours.

Kurzweil 3000

Kurzweil education is offering a free subscription for all at this time.

Team and video conferencing software

In a short amount of time, students, faculty and staff are having to learn new tools and technologies to manage with the transition to online learning. Below are a few tips regarding the accessibility features of a few of these technologies, to support the transition:

Accessibility features of WebEx

WebEx has recently launched some enhanced accessibility features for users. Open the items below to learn about enabling accessibility features.

Accessibility features of Microsoft Teams

Accessibility features of Zoom

All features
Closed captioning
Automatic transcripts
Keyboard accessibility – hot keys and keyboard shortcuts

Instructors: Accessibility during COVID-19

Exams

The SAS Exam Centre staff are available Monday-Friday 8:30am-4:30pm, by phone 204-474-6213 and email sasexams@umanitoba.ca (all campuses) and sasbc@umanitoba.ca (Bannatyne campus).

SAS staff are on call for urgent situations during evenings and weekends. Please email sasexams@umanitoba.ca and we will call you back. Please remember to send your phone number if you would like a call back.

We are in the process of contacting students and instructors about upcoming booked final exams to find out the exam format. The SAS Exam Centre staff can provide instructions about adding extended time accommodations to UMLearn tests. We are available through online, email or phone to assist in creating alternate format exams with instructors.

Classroom support staff (ASL-English Interpreters, Transcriptionists, Notetakers, Academic Attendants) are available to support students with alternate format coursework. Students should be able to contact their staff directly. For any challenges, please contact the Accessibility Coordinator directly. The student’s Accessibility Coordinator is found at the bottom of the letter of accommodation.

Accessibility Coordinators and the Assistive Technologist are available by phone, email, or online appointment, please contact an Accessibility Coordinator directly, the general office by phone 204-474-7423 or email student_accessibility@umanitoba.ca. The office is available for phone and email inquiries Monday-Friday between 8:30am - 4:30pm.

Each student we work with has specific accommodation plans available to instructors through the SAS scheduler. We encourage you to consult with us if you have any questions regarding accessibility accommodation requests.

Below are some helpful links to assist you in creating accessible course content:

We are in this together!

We are happy to help instructors during this challenging time. Please reach out to our office if you need assistance with a student’s accommodation(s). Be sure to continue watching the University of Manitoba’s website for direct information and our latest updates. We wish you a safe and healthy exam season and summer session!