How do college students get speech to text as an accommodation?

Through the college's disability services office. Students in college do not have an Individualized Education Program (IEP). The right comes from the federal disability laws, and the office decides with the student which accommodations fit each course. The usual result is an accommodation letter that lists speech to text, which the student gives to each instructor. Proctored exams need a separate check with the testing center.

Public and federally funded colleges must give the request weight

The rules depend on the type of college. A public college falls under ADA Title II. When a public entity decides which auxiliary aids and services are needed, it must give primary consideration to the requests of individuals with disabilities ¹. Speech to text can count as an auxiliary aid, so a student's request for it carries real weight with a public college.

A college that receives federal money falls under Section 504. It must make changes to its academic requirements where needed, so that they do not discriminate against a student with a disability ². The regulation covers more than speech to text, so the college chooses the change that fits the course. Private colleges that receive no federal money are covered by the ADA, which requires covered entities to provide auxiliary aids and services when needed to communicate effectively ³.

The number of students involved is not small. In 2019-20, about 21 percent of US undergraduates reported having a disability ⁴. Disability services offices handle many requests, which is one reason to start early.

The disability services office runs the request

The usual route is the same across most colleges. Register with disability services, provide documentation of your disability, and ask for an accommodation letter that lists speech to text. Be ready to explain what the tool is for and how it fits your courses.

Documentation rules differ by college, and each college publishes its own accommodations policy. Read that policy before you send the request, and ask the office how recent the paperwork must be. A high school IEP or 504 plan can help the office understand your history, but it may not be enough on its own.

Once the letter is issued, give it to each instructor, and ask how the accommodation will work in their course.

Proctored exams need a separate check

A letter that covers classwork does not automatically cover a proctored exam. Ask the testing center how the letter applies to the exam, and whether the speech recognition will run on the device you use. For a standardized test, the College Board says most students who use a writer or scribe on paper are approved for a writer/scribe or dictation on the digital test ⁵. A human scribe is much less common. The College Board says a student who cannot test with dictation may only rarely be approved for one ⁶.

Our question on standardized tests covers the ACT, the SAT and state tests in more detail.

What differs between colleges

The same request can get a different answer at two institutions. The college decides the details, and the law sets the duty to consider the request, not the outcome. If a college refuses, ask for the reasons in writing and check whether the decision can be appealed under the college's own procedure.

Before you buy anything, ask the office which tools the college already supports and whether it will pay for a specialist product. A tool named in the letter is not always one the college will fund or support, so get that answer in writing.

Steps to take this term

1. Find the disability services office. Check the college's accommodations policy for its documentation rules and its deadlines.
2. Send the request in writing. Name speech to text, the reason you need it, and the courses it covers.
3. Get the letter and share it. Give the letter to each instructor, and ask how the accommodation works for their course.
4. Check the exam route early. Ask the testing center how the letter applies to proctored exams, and test the set-up on the same device.
5. Keep the reasons on record. If the college declines, ask for the reasons in writing and the appeal route.

For the full picture, read our guide to speech to text for students with disabilities, part of our accessibility and health section. The school-side route is covered in our question on whether speech to text is an IEP or 504 accommodation. In the UK, the funding route is different, and our question on whether the Disabled Students' Allowance pays for dictation software explains it. For the term itself, see our entry on reasonable accommodation.

This is information, not legal advice. Your disability services office makes the decision for your course.