Montgomery County Community College

Student Affairs

Board of Trustees Policy

Purpose

Montgomery County Community College (MCCC) welcomes qualified students with disabilities and endorses the principles of nondiscrimination and reasonable accommodation as described in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (504) and the Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act of 2009 (ADAA). The College's policies and procedures for serving and accommodating students with disabilities are designed to ensure equal opportunity to participate in its educational programs, services, and activities. This policy provides guidance to reasonably accommodate students with disabilities without compromising academic standards and requirements.

Policy

The College prohibits discrimination against a person on the basis of disability or who has a history or record of such impairment or is regarded as having such impairment as well as persons who are associated with a disabled person. Students are required to utilize this policy to request reasonable accommodations. Eligibility for Services and Accommodations.

To be eligible for services and reasonable accommodations, a student must meet the following criteria:

• Be a person with a disability as defined by 504/ADA

  A person with a disability is someone who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities (for example, walking, seeing, hearing, thinking, concentrating, and learning). A substantial limitation exists if the manner, duration, or condition under which the activity is performed is significantly limited compared to most people. With respect to post-secondary education, a qualified person with a disability is one who, with or without accommodation, meets the standards for admission to or participation in an educational program, service, or activity. (Adapted from Subpart E: The Impact of Section 504 on Postsecondary Education, Association of Higher Education and Disability.)

• Submit appropriate documentation of a disability that supports the need for services and accommodations (see documentation requirements) to:

  Director of Services for Students with Disabilities, Central Campus Disability Services Center, College Hall 131, (215) 641-6575 (215) 641-6574 TTY, (215) 619-7183 FAX; or

  Coordinator of Services for Students with Disabilities, West Campus Student Success Center (room 147), (610) 718-1853 Voice/TTY; (610) 718-1837 FAX.

• Contact the Director or Coordinator to request accommodations in a timely manner. Information about accessing services and accommodations will be included in all appropriate publications and communications to students and faculty, including the College’s catalog and web site, student and faculty handbooks, and admissions and welcome back letters. The College will make every effort to implement reasonable accommodations whenever they are requested. However, accommodations will not be implemented retroactively.

Determining Accommodations

Reasonable accommodations are provided on a case-by-case basis for otherwise qualified students who disclose a disability that causes significant functional limitations in a college setting. The accommodations may vary from class to class depending upon course content and format. The accommodations are intended to compensate for the effects of a disability and provide the student with an equal opportunity to participate. Accommodations are intended to be effective and reasonable; they do not guarantee success. The College is not required to make an accommodation that substantially alters essential elements of a course or program. The Director or Coordinator determines appropriate accommodations in conjunction with the student and other College professionals, as appropriate, based on the following considerations:

• Current substantial functional limitations caused by the condition in a college setting, as indicated by the documentation
• Student’s description of need
• Course and program requirements

Classroom accommodations may include the following: tape recorder or note-taker; assistive computer technology or adaptive equipment; sign language interpreters; alternative formats for print.

Testing accommodations may include the following: extended-time; distraction-reduced room; readers; scribes; computers and assistive technology; spell checkers; calculators when appropriate.

Course substitutions must be approved by the Division Dean.

A prior history of accommodations does not mean that the College will provide similar accommodations. Consideration of a student’s current functioning is essential in evaluating eligibility for accommodations.

Disability Documentation

Appropriate documentation is a written evaluation or report provided by a clinician in a specific profession or area of expertise who is considered qualified to make the diagnosis. The documentation must be current, and comprehensive. A diagnosis must be included. Accommodations must relate to the student's specific functional limitations within the academic setting. The documentation must conform to well-established practices in specific areas and fields.

In general, all documentation should be typed on letterhead stationary (physician’s prescription pad notes are not acceptable) and should include the following information:

• a clearly stated diagnosis of a disability and level of severity
• the procedures and methods used to make the diagnosis, including relevant test data supporting the diagnosis
• the student’s functional limitations in an academic environment
• a statement that the disability is a substantial limitation to a basic life process (such as hearing, seeing, speaking, learning, etc.)
• a rationale based on the evaluation process to support recommended accommodations
• the date, signature, printed name, title, and professional credentials of the evaluator

All students with disabilities have the responsibility to provide documentation at their own expense in order to be considered for accommodations. The College may request additional documentation if the information provided is incomplete to make a determination or if the documentation does not support the accommodation(s) requested. The request for accommodation and supporting documentation must be provided in a timely manner.

Learning Disability Documentation

A psycho-educational evaluation by a licensed psychologist or an Evaluation Report by a school district within three years of enrollment date at the College, which includes:

• a clearly stated diagnosis of a learning disability
• a statement that the learning disability is a substantial limitation to learning
• a description of strengths and weaknesses (functional limitations)
• all test and subtest scores (scaled, standard, and percentile) from a cognitive evaluation (WAIS-III, Woodcock-Johnson III) completed within three years of enrollment at the College
• all test and subtest scores (grade equivalent, standard and percentile) from recent reading (decoding and comprehension), math (computation and application), spelling, and written language achievement tests (Woodcock-Johnson III, WIAT, or other appropriately normed tests) completed within three years of enrollment at the College
• recommendations for accommodations appropriate for college students with learning disabilities, based on the student’s functional limitations in an academic environment

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD) Documentation

An evaluation by a psychiatrist, neurologist, licensed psychologist, or an Evaluation Report by a school district within three years of enrollment date at the College, which includes:

• a clearly stated diagnosis of ADD/ADHD and the last contact with the student
• a statement that the ADHD is a substantial limitation to learning
• a description of the symptoms which meet the criteria for the diagnosis, instruments/procedures used to make the diagnosis (including all scores from cognitive and academic tests if administered), and current medications, including dosages and frequencies
• recommendations for accommodations appropriate for college students with ADHD, based on the student’s functional limitations in an academic environment

Psychiatric, Neurologic, or Medical Disability Documentation

An evaluation by a medical doctor, psychiatrist, or licensed psychologist, within three years of enrollment date at the College that includes:

• a clearly stated diagnosis (DSM-IV diagnosis if applicable) and description of the disability
• a statement that the disability is a substantial limitation to learning or other basic life process
• the procedures and methods used to make the diagnosis, including relevant test data supporting the diagnosis
• the functional limitations in an academic environment as well as other settings
• relevant information regarding current treatment and medications
• recommendations for accommodations appropriate for college students based on student’s functional limitations

Mobility, Visual, and Hearing Impairments

Documentation may be required from a qualified professional, depending on the disability and accommodations requested. See general documentation requirements on previous above.

Disclosure and Confidentiality

Student disclosure of a disability is voluntary. All students with disabilities who seek an accommodation have the responsibility to identify themselves to the responsible College office. Identification may take place at admissions or at any time during the student's course of study. The College considers disability-related information as confidential material, and it will not become a part of a student’s academic record at the College. This information will be kept as confidential as practical while the accommodations are being considered and thereafter. Faculty should refrain from discussing a student's issues regarding disabilities and accommodations for them in the presence of other students, or to faculty or staff not directly involved in the accommodation process. This information will be released under the following conditions:

• if required by law
• with the student’s written consent
• on a need-to-know basis

Appealing Accommodations Decisions

If a student’s request for an accommodation is denied by the Director of Services for Students with Disabilities, the following appeal procedure should be followed:

1. Within five (5) business days of the denial, the student must submit an Accommodations Appeals Form to the Director of Equity and Diversity Initiatives, Office of Human Resources, College Hall 201, (215) 641-6544.
2. The Director of Equity and Diversity Initiatives will respond to the appeal within three (3) business days with a decision. If the Director is not available to respond in a timely manner, the Vice President for Student Affairs will make a decision on the student’s appeal within three (3) business days.

If a professor denies an accommodation that has been approved by the Director of Services for Students with Disabilities, the following appeal procedure should be followed:

1. The student should contact the Director or the Coordinator of Services for Students with Disabilities at West Campus within three (3) business days.
2. The Director or Coordinator will contact the professor within three (3) business days to arrange for the accommodation or to identify a reasonable alternative that provides equal access and the opportunity to succeed.
3. If the Director or Coordinator cannot resolve the dispute, the student must submit an Accommodations Appeal Form within five (5) business days to the Director of Equity and Diversity Initiatives, who will investigate the matter in accordance with the College’s Non-Discrimination Policies and respond with a decision within three (3) business days. If the Director of Equity and Diversity Initiatives is not available to respond in a timely manner, the Vice President for Student Affairs will make a decision on the student’s appeal within three (3) business days.

This policy is available in alternate format upon request.