The ATC is the Assistive Technology Center – we are a department dedicated to aiding FAS students with disabilities, through the use of various technologies. All of our clients are referred to us by the Accessible Education Office (AEO). We assist our clients with access to course materials, research materials. We also assist with access to classroom activities.

We work with faculty, students, and the AEO to determine the best way to meet each student’s needs. To make sure students have access to the materials and tools that they need, we use many techniques and technologies including scanning and optical character recognition to create PDF or text files to be used with zooming software or screen readers; transcribing texts and music into Braille; creating tactile graphics; and creating audio files. We also provide a variety of solutions for in-class accessibility.

The ATC offers demonstrations of voice recognition software, smartboard technologies, and any of the other accessible technologies that we use, by appointment.

For students who are registered with the AEO, we also can provide laptop computers for quizzes and exams.

We are here to ensure that students have access to course materials and are able to do their coursework. Whenever possible, we will work directly with students to provide all accommodations. Our goal is to provide technological assistance with the least impact possible on the process of teaching and learning.

The ATC provides digital texts in a number of formats, depending student needs and on  accommodations as determined by the AEO. The types of texts we are equipped to produce include PDF, various formats of etext, Braille and output for refreshable Braille displays, music Braille and tactile graphics.

We also provide demonstrations of accessibility software, and we can provide some assistance with classroom accessibility.

Delivery of materials will be either via web site or by pickup at our office in the Science Center.

To qualify for ATC accommodations, students must register with their Local Disability Coordinator.  The LDC reviews all medical documentation and determines which accommodations are appropriate.

A list of Harvard's Local Disability Coordinators can be found here: http://accessibility.harvard.edu/pages/local-disability-coordinatorsadministrators 

Students who require disability accommodations will present you with a letter in the first few weeks of class.  This letter is written by the Accessible Education Office and outlines what accommodations the student is entitled to. When you receive this letter, read it right away and share it with all other course staff involved with the student.

The ATC provides laptops with accessibility software (such as a zooming program or a screen reader) for students whose accommodation includes use of a laptop for quizzes, midterms, or exams.  If you are a member of course staff looking to reserve a laptop for a student in your class, please fill out our request form here: http://atc.fas.harvard.edu/laptop-loans.  We also provide exams in alternative formats such as electronic text or Braille for students who require them.

The ATC does not provide proctors or rooms for exams; please contact your department for these. We also do not provide readers (someone to read the exam to the student) or scribes (someone to write down the student's answers). For readers and scribes, please contact your department or the Accessible Education Office.

For final exams, all laptops and special equipment must be provided by the ATC.

For any further questions, please contact us at atc@fas.harvard.edu.

Please fill out our laptop request form here: http://atc.fas.harvard.edu/laptop-loans

Except for final exams, it is the course staff's choice whether a student may use their own laptop for quizzes and exams.

Please call or email the ATC to make an appointment for an individual, hands-on demonstration of dictation software in our Science Center office. Please let us know whether you are interested in a demonstration for Windows (Dragon NaturallySpeaking) or Mac OS X (Dragon Dictate).

Phone: 617-496-8800
Email: atc@fas.harvard.edu