Supporting Students with Disabilities
Disability Service within the Student Wellness & Accessibility Department (SWAD) works to make sure its programs, services, and activities are accessible to all students with disabilities, in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). Disability Services works with faculty and staff of the college to provide equal access to the college’s educational programs, services, and courses on a case-by-case basis.
Services are available to students who have disabilities including, but not limited to, blindness, visual impairment, deafness, hearing impairment, learning disabilities, physical disabilities, medical conditions, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD), head and spinal cord injuries, and psychological disabilities.
Accommodation Requests
It is the student’s responsibility to self-disclose as a student with a disability and to request accommodations through Disability Services. A student’s initial request for accommodations should preferably occur prior to the beginning of a semester but can be requested at any time. Accommodations are not retroactive (they are in not in effect for a date in the past).
The request for accommodations is an interactive process that occurs between the student and the Student Wellness & Accessibility Department Manager. There are three steps to the process:
- Complete the Disability Services Intake Form and attach documentation of your disability (See Documentation Guidelines below).
- SWAD Manager will review submitted information and contact the student to request additional documentation if needed or to schedule a disability services initial interview.
- The student will then complete a disability services initial interview with the SWAD Manager. The interview is an opportunity to discuss the student’s history, barriers, and how those barriers impact school, and potential accommodations to eliminate those barriers. The SWAD Manager will either approve or deny accommodations. If approved, SWAD Manager will review specific accommodations, explain policies and procedures, discuss responsibilities of the student, and review the Faculty Notification Process, which is to be completed by student each semester.
