Special Access
Special access allows you provide alternative content or time limits to individual users or groups
of users to accommodate special needs. For example, you can use special access to
accommodate individuals who need additional time writing a quiz because of a physical or
learning disability or you can use special access to set up a restricted dropbox folder for
individuals who under-performed on or missed an assignment.
The following tools allow time-restrictions to be set on content and, therefore, use special
access to allow alternative time limits:

Dropbox

Quizzes

Surveys
There are two types of special access:

Restrict access to a quiz, survey or dropbox folder to specific users

Assign an alternative time restrictions on a quiz, survey or dropbox folder for specific
users
Special Access in a Quiz
Use the Special Access feature to override the availability and timing settings of a quiz for
specific users. Special access is set up in the Restrictions tab of a quiz.
1.
Click on the Quizzes tab of your Navbar.
2.
Select the quiz you would like to set Special Access up for.
3.
Click on the Restrictions tab.
4.
Select how you would like to set up Advanced Availability (“Allow selected user special
access” or “Allow only users with special access”). Click the Add Users to Special
Access button to add special access permissions.
5.
Check the boxes beside any of the special access types, and fill in the appropriate fields.
Special access can include a unique start and end date, time limit, grace period, and
submission requirements. For example, if you want to provide an extended grace period to
users that have special access, check Assign special grace period and fill in the
applicable time limit (in minutes) in the Grace Period text box.
6.
Check the boxes beside the users you want to assign special access to. In addition to
individual users, you can view users by group or section, depending on how you wish to
grant special access.
7.
Click Add Selected.
Examples:

Increase the quiz time limit for special-needs users.

Allow individual users, or groups of users (e.g., lab sections), to have different start and
end dates.

Create a restricted quiz for users who need a make-up quiz.
Special Access in a Dropbox Folder
Special access permissions allow you to set different availability dates and times for specific
users. For example, you could extend the deadline for users who require remedial help or who
are submitting work beyond the original scope of the assignment. You can also add special
access after a folder’s end date has passed for users who have a legitimate excuse for missing
the deadline or for users you want to submit additional material, such as planning notes or a
bibliography.
1.
Go to the Dropbox tab on your course Navbar and click the Edit icon for the Dropbox
that you would like to adjust permissions for. Click the Restrictions tab.
Or, if you are building the Dropbox from scratch, simply click on the Restrictions tab.
2.
On the Restrictions tab, select either:
o
Allow users with special access to submit assignments outside the normal
availabaility dates for this folder, or
o
Only allow users with special access to see this folder
3.
Click the Add Users to Special Access button.
4.
Select the Date Availability you want for the special access users.
5.
Use the View By and Search options to locate the users you want to give special
access to.
6.
Select the boxes beside the appropriate users’ names in the grid.
7.
Click Save Special Access.
Once you have added special access permissions for users they are listed in the Special
Access section. You can edit or delete users’ special access by clicking the
Edit or
Delete icons beside their names.
Special Access in a Survey
Use the Special Access feature to override the availability settings of a survey for specific
individuals, or to restrict a survey only to identified users.
The steps to override the availability settings are the same as for a quiz (see above).
If you want to limit access to prevent other users from accessing the survey, select Allow only
users with special access to see this survey.
Accessible Course Design
What You Can Do
As a course designer you hold a pivotal role in ensuring that Learning Environment is accessible
to all users, regardless of their learning needs. It is your content that students must access,
assess, and respond to. We strongly encourage you to follow accessibility best practices to
ensure you meet the learning needs of all your students. For more information, see the
Accessibility Help document.