Accommodations

An accommodation is anything "reasonable" that must be done to provide disabled students with equal access to the programs and services of the College. Students must request any accommodations and prove that their disability requires those accommodations. If a student does not request an accommodation, the College is not required to provide it. Reasonable accommodations are support services which allow a student to have equal access to the educational process without altering fundamental requirements or without endangering the health and safety of other individuals.

Each student and his/her AAC counselor will discuss the appropriate accommodations. The counselor will help set up the accommodations and will make sure the student receives them. Not all students receive the same accommodations nor do all students with the same disability receive the same accommodations.

Depending on disability and how it affects a student, possible accommodations include, but are not limited to, extra time on tests, recording lectures, sign language interpreters, and priority registration. Some examples of requests for accommodations that will not be permitted include, but are not limited to, personal attendant care, off-campus transportation, altering the requirements of any class to make the class easier, and different grading standards for students with disabilities.

All accommodations must be related to the student's disability and the related educational limitations. If a request for an accommodation is not related to the student's educational limitation, it can be denied. In this case, it may be necessary for the student to provide additional and/or different verification to substantiate the need for a new/different accommodation. It is the student's responsibility to provide this verification. If there is disagreement disagree about an accommodation, refer to the "Academic Accommodations Policy" in the AAC Student Handbook.

Instructors are not allowed to decide anything about a student's accommodations. Instructors must provide the accommodations. There is a procedure that students follow if an instructor denies an accommodation (see "Academic Accommodations Policy" in the AAC Student Handbook). Although it is not required, it is advisable for students to discuss their accommodations with their instructors. This will help the instructors better understand the student's needs and how they can help satisfy those needs.