Services for Students with Disabilities

Section 1:  Student Self-Advocacy in Requesting Accommodations

Students with documented disabilities are encouraged to meet with Edith Pye, of Academic Support, to develop accommodations to help them demonstrate their ability and to receive feedback on how to advocate for their needs with their instructors.  The accommodations that are granted must be reasonable and are based on documented need.  If required documentation has not been submitted as part of the Specialized Admissions Process (see Section 5 below), students must self-identify and present the documentation for review by Edy Pye prior to making an appointment to develop the course-specific Accommodations Worksheet.  It is the responsibility of the student to make an appointment each semester to develop the Accommodations Worksheet and to deliver it to their professors. Students wishing to utilize accommodations should request them within the first six weeks of each term.

Section 2:  Reasonable Accommodations for Students with Documented Learning Disabilities

Based on documentation, reasonable accommodations might include:

Priority Access Registration
Students who have submitted documentation of disabilities to Academic Support are allowed to register online prior to the open registration period. This accommodation process allows the student with a disability more flexibility in planning for his or her physical and learning needs.

Test Accommodations
The accommodation requested most at MCLA is to have extended time for taking tests in a separate location.  A test proctoring process is in place through Academic Support.

Notetakers
Peer notetakers are employed to take in-class notes, copy them in LSC and place them in labeled, course-specific folders.  Disclosure of the student(s) requesting notes for a class is always at the discretion of the individual.  Formal contacts are made through Academic Support.

Foreign Language Core Requirement Substitution
Students with documented language-based disabilities are advised to select an alternative course to fulfill their Tier I Language Arts requirement.  They choose from an approved listing of courses that foster an understanding and appreciation of cultures other than our own.

Access to Alternate Formats for Printed Text
Academic Support will assist students in obtaining digital accessible books.

Reasonable accommodations must not fundamentally alter the nature or expected outcomes for classes.  Bear in mind that reasonable at MCLA is the key; missing the majority of classes, especially in a course where participation is a part of the grade, is not considered reasonable; failing to meet with the professor to obtain the missed assignments and/or failure to turn them in within a collaboratively developed timeline is not reasonable.

Section 3 (a)  Additional Support Services Available to ALL Students

Students are provided access to any service, program or activity sponsored by the institution.  Two, widely used programs available through Academic Support are the Writing and Research Center and the Tutor Exchange Network.

Peer Writing Associates help students with aspects of the writing process:

• organizing and developing ideas
• composing a thesis statement
• identifying resources for grammar and punctuation
• assisting with citation formats

Peer Tutors help students with strategies for the learning process:

• giving oral explanations of the concepts ~ explaining the subject
• reviewing course terminology, tutees' class notes, quizzes and tests
• suggesting methods for organizing information, materials, and assignments
• applying effective study techniques

These services are available to all students and it is the responsibility of the individual to follow through with the posted processes to obtained scheduled time to work with a Writing Associate and/or Tutor Exchange Network Tutor. 

Section 4:  Differences in Services in High School vs. Services in College

The table below may be instructive in clarifying some of the differences between services in high school vs. services in college.  Some accommodations which students receive in high school may not be applicable in college. For example, coaching and organizational support are not services that are available at MCLA.

Please note that disability is defined as any physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities; having a record of such an impairment; or being regarded as having an impairment.

Section 5: Specialized Admission Process for Students with Learning Disabilities

Applicants to MCLA with a documented learning disability are not required to submit SAT/ACT scores. To waive the scores, however, students must submit the following:

Results of psychoeducational assessments conducted preferably in the past 3 years,

• Aptitude testing (signed by the testing professional) with all subtests and standard scores reported (could be WAIS, WISC, KTEA, WJ Cognitive, etc.)
• Achievement tests (WJ Achievement, WIAT, etc.)

  The most recent IEP and/or 504 Plan.

  • IEPs and/or 504 Plans serve to document the history of services rendered, but they are not sufficient sources of documentation in and of themselves.  All accommodations are determined by review of documentation.

  All documentation is held in confidence and is used only to holistically evaluate applicants. High School GPA, course difficulty, class rank and academic unit requirements are also considered for admission.

  Please note: Presenting documentation to the Office of Admission is not the same as requesting accommodations. To receive accommodations once enrolled, students must follow the process outlined above in the first paragraph.   Learning to manage one's own disability needs is critical to success in higher education.

  For additional information regarding services for Students with Disabilities or the accommodation process, please contact Edith Pye, Academic Support at 413-662-5318