Access for Students with Disabilities

Support Services provides and coordinates services to students in order to accommodate their disabilities and to promote equal educational opportunities.

How to Access Services

Students with disabilities who want services are responsible for contacting Support Services to request services.

• To begin the process, schedule an appointment with Support Services.
• Before receiving accommodations, students are responsible for identifying themselves and making their needs known.
• Students needing accommodations should have documentation of their disability sent to the Support Services office.

Requests for services can be initiated any time during the year; however, reasonable time must be allowed to arrange for services.

Accommodations cannot be retroactive. They begin after documentation is received.

Self-disclosure about disability is a private matter. This is required only if student plans to request reasonable accommodations or if a danger exists to "self or others."

Eligibility for Services

To be eligible for disability related services, students must have a documented disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Under the ADA and Section 504, a person has a disability if he or she has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities (walking, standing, seeing, speaking, hearing, sitting, breathing, learning, or taking care of oneself), has a record of such an impairment, or is regarded as having an impairment.

Documentation of Disability

Documentation of a student's disability should be sent to the Support Services office before the first day of the semester. Documentation may include an IEP (Individual Education Plan), Evaluation Report, Psychological Report, and/or other documentation as needed. Students are responsible for any costs in obtaining documentation. If the initial documentation is incomplete or insufficient, Support Services has the right to require additional documentation. Any cost of obtaining additional documentation is also the student's responsibility.

Students who suspect a disability or learning difficulty but have no record of such will be referred to outside agencies for diagnostic testing. Any testing costs are the student's responsibility.

Academic Accommodations

Accommodations are based on the individual disability and the academic environment. Some common academic accommodations may include:

• Accessible classroom/location/furniture
• Testing accommodations
• Assistive computer technology
• Assistive listening devices
• Alternative print formats: large print, digital texts, Braille
• Note taking
• Interpreters for students who are hearing impaired/deaf

ADA does not require colleges to provide personal assistants, individual personal tutors, or personal assistive technology. Support Services may refer students to agencies which may be able to provide these services.

Requesting an Interpreter

Students who are deaf or hearing impaired may request a sign language interpreter from Support Services. Requests for interpreters should be made at least six weeks prior to registration, if possible.