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Disability
Services strives to provide access to educational opportunities for students
with disabilities. We collaborate with students, faculty, and staff of the
college community to create accessible and inclusive learning environments. Our
goal is to increase awareness and acceptance of individuals with disabilities
in support of CBC’s mission of providing "educational and life-enriching
opportunities" for all students.
How to Request
Accommodations for the First Time
Disability
is defined in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as a "physical or mental
impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities
of such individual; a record of such an impairment; or being regarded as having
such an impairment." Major life activities include, but are not limited to
"functions such as caring for one's self, performing manual tasks,
walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, working."
STEP 1. Complete the CBC Accommodation Request form (you must login with your CBC Office 365 credentials)
STEP 2. Provide documentation.
Students who wish to request accommodations should
submit documentation that: establishes a disability, details the current
functional impact of that disability, confirms the need for each accommodation
requested, establishes a direct link between the underlying disability and the
requested accommodation. The documentation must be issued by a medical or other
qualified, licensed professional, printed on letterhead, dates, signed and
include the professional's contact and licensing information. In addition to the current assessment, students are encouraged to submit any
past documentation or materials that establish a history of receiving
appropriate accommodations in a previous academic setting when available. Secondary
school accommodation plans such as IEPs or 504 Plans are helpful but do not
provide sufficient information to establish eligibility for the requested
accommodation at the college level.
STEP 3. Check your CBC email for a confirmation email which will include official notification of your approved accommodation(s).
Determining
reasonable and appropriate accommodations is based on documentation submitted
as well as a discussion with the student. The student and the Dean of
Student Services & Accessibility will determine
appropriate accommodations for courses. Documentation becomes part
of students' educational records and is protected under the Family Educational
Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
How to Request a Renewal of Accommodations
Step 1. Complete
the online CBC
Accommodations Renewal form.
Step 2. Check CBC email for your accommodation notice.
Notification of Approved Accommodation to Professors
The
Office of Disability Services emails the student and professors/instructors the
approved accommodations for each of their courses for each semester. It is the
student's responsibility to issue the accommodation notice to their professors.
We encourage students to inform instructors in the first week of the semester.
Students may choose to discuss their accommodations with their professors, but
are never required to disclose their diagnosis to anyone outside the Office of
Disability Services.
Guidelines/Tips for Submitting Documentation for Eligibility
A specific
diagnosis, including the level of severity and duration
The
specific findings in support of the diagnosis, such as relevant history, tests
administered, test results, and interpretation of test results
A description of the student's functional
limitations (symptoms) as they directly relate to the stated disabilities and
impact academic performance
Specific
recommendations for reasonable accommodations (such as note-takers, extended
testing time, adaptive technology, etc.) necessary for equal access in the
academic environment
Documentation on the professional's letterhead,
signed and dated, with contact information, such as address and telephone
number.
If
students with disabilities attempt a class without requesting accommodations,
they cannot, unless given special approval by the professor, ask to have
accommodations applied to previous coursework, exams, or quizzes.
To complete the accommodation form, you must log in
with your CBC Office365 (O365) account. If you need any assistance, please feel
free to contact us.
Services Animals
Under
the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), "service animal" means any
dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of
an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric,
intellectual, or other mental disability. Other species of animals, whether
wild or domestic, trained or untrained, do not service animals for the purposes
of this definition.
The work or tasks performed by a service animal must be directly related to the
individual's disability. Examples of work or tasks include, but are not limited
to, assisting individuals who are blind or have low vision with navigation and
other tasks, alerting individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing to the
presence of people or sounds, providing non-violent protection or rescue work,
pulling a wheelchair, assisting an individual during a seizure, alerting
individuals to the presence of allergens, retrieving items such as medicine or
the telephone, providing physical support and assistance with balance and
stability to individuals with mobility disabilities, and helping persons with
psychiatric and neurological disabilities by preventing or interrupting
impulsive or destructive behaviors.
The
crime deterrent effects of an animal's presence and the provision of emotional
support, well-being, comfort, or companionship do not constitute work or tasks
for the purposes of this definition. 28 C.F.R. 35.104 FAA
(LEGAL)
Trey Chapa
CTE Recruitment and Retention Specialist
etchapa@coastalbend.edu
(361) 354-2578
**students enrolled in a CTE program may qualify for assistance through Carl D. Perkins**
Resources
Below
is a variety of websites and technology that can assist individuals with
disabilities. We are not endorsing any product, and we are
merely sharing available resources. We encourage you to research all
options based on diagnosis and recommended accommodations.
Online Learning
Accessible
books:
Bookshare
VitalSource
Text-to-speech:
Natural Readers
Read&Write
Note taking
assistance:
Sonocent
Audio Notetaker
Screen readers for
blind or low vision:
JAWS
NVDA
ZoomText
Additional
Resources:
Autism Speaks - Postsecondary Education
National Center for Learning
Disabilities
National Deaf Center
Going to College with Diabetes
Texas Workforce Commission-
Vocational Rehabilitation for Youth & Students