Extensions on assignments are one of the most common disability and non-disability related accommodation requests. For learners with disabilities, extensions provide flexibility to manage their condition and academics. 

Below are three vignettes that demonstrate why flexibility with assignments are needed. 

• The learner has a chronic medical condition and an assignment due in a few days. They have started the assignment and feel they will be able to submit it on time. The learner experiences an unpredictable flareup of their condition aggravated by personal stressors. They are having difficulty working on the assignment for extended periods of time. The learner needs to spend time to manage the flare up and contacts their professor to request an extension. 

• The learner has a condition impacting processing speed and written expression. As a result, each assignment takes twice as long to complete. They have two assignments due on the same day. They rely heavily on campus support such as the Writing Centre and Tutoring. While working on one assignment, the learner gets stuck and reaches out for support. They contact their faculty, visit the Writing Centre and book a tutoring appointment. This has taken additional time, but they are now back on track and have submitted the assignment on time. However, they are behind completing the other assignment due on the same day. An extension for this assignment is requested. 

• The learner is experiencing housing insecurity. They are feeling overwhelmed and are struggling with sleep. This is impacting concentration, memory and executive functioning. The lack of sleep and precarious housing makes it difficult for the learner to manage their mental health symptoms. It is difficult to keep on track with time management with such disrupted sleep. They realize they have an assignment due tomorrow and need extra time. 

Visit our ALS Information for Faculty website to learn more about accommodating students with disabilities. 

Please email us at accessible-learning@humber.ca with suggestions for key accessibility-related topics that you would like us to address through the Communiqué.