Policy and Procedure Guidelines for Students with Disabilities

Policy and Procedure Guidelines for Students With Disabilities at Sinclair Community College

Sinclair Community College is committed to providing services and accommodations necessary to make its programs and activities accessible to all qualified students, regardless of a disabling condition.

Philosophy
Services coordinated through the Office of Disability Services (ODS) guarantee eligible students equal access to an education. The goal is to maximize the student’s educational potential while helping to develop and maintain the student's independence. The program philosophy is one that encourages self-advocacy. An important activity of the office is to inform students of services and adaptive equipment available to them on campus and in the community. Students are encouraged to independently access services to best meet their individual needs. Students are required to identify their needs and to register with ODS to be considered eligible for accommodations. All services are based on individual needs.

Purpose
The purpose of this publication is to inform eligible students with disabilities of your right to an accessible educational setting and to answer some anticipated questions about policies and procedures of ODS at Sinclair Community College.

Applying for Disability Services
Students with disabilities must apply for services by contacting ODS at (937) 512-5113 (V) or 512-3096 (TTY) or stopping by our office in 10-421 on Sinclair’s campus. Students will then be scheduled for an intake appointment with the Coordinator of Disability Services.

Compliance Responsibility
Responsibility for coordinating Sinclair's compliance for meeting student's needs under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) resides with the Coordinator of Disability Services.

Complaint/Grievance Procedures
Students with complaints regarding the college's compliance with particular provisions of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 or the American's with Disabilities Act have the right to file a grievance. If a student feels that their assigned disability counselor is not satisfactorily working with them to accommodate their needs or is dissatisfied with service of other Disability Services staff, the student should meet with the Coordinator of Disability Services to discuss their concerns. If the student feels that the issue has not been adequately addressed at this level, the student may meet with the Manager of Educational Support Services. The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) within the U.S. Department of Education (ED) protects the rights of students in educational programs or activities that receive financial assistance from ED. Under these laws, ED funded programs and activities must be operated in a manner that insures that people who meet the programs qualifications and eligibility requirements are given equal opportunity to participate, regardless of their race, color, national origin, sex, disability or age. If a student is not satisfied with the services provided by the college, and cannot resolve the issue using the internal process, the student may file a civil rights suit through the OCR, U.S. Department of Education.

Confidentiality
Disability-related information is treated as medical information and handled under the same strict rules of confidentiality as other medical information. This includes the comprehensive documentation from appropriate sources that persons with disabilities must provide to establish the existence of their disability and their need for accommodation. The general requirement that counselors keep information confidential does not apply when disclosure is required to prevent clear and imminent danger to the student or others or when legal requirements demand that confidential information be revealed.

Disability-related information is collected and maintained separate from the student's college record and is kept in secure files with access limited to disability services staff members. Records are maintained for a period of five years after student's last date of attendance. After five years of nonattendance at Sinclair, records will be destroyed in a confidential manner.

The information regarding student's disabilities is shared on a very limited basis and then only when there is a compelling reason for such disclosure. This may mean sharing with faculty only the information that a student has a documented disability and need for accommodation.

Specific statutory and regulatory language and confidentiality is most readily found in the Americans with Disabilities Act, Title I at 42 U.S.C. ss12112(d)(3) & (4); 29 C.F.R. ss1630. 14-1630.16, the EEOC's interpretive guidance and its technical assistance manual.

Documentation guidelines for verification of a disability-general
To ensure the provision of reasonable and appropriate services for students with disabilities at Sinclair, current and comprehensive documentation of their disability is required.

Eligibility for disability-related support services at Sinclair is determined after review of appropriate medical documentation substantiating the student's disability. Documentation should:

Be current, preferably within the last three years. The age of acceptable documentation is dependent upon the disabling condition, current status of the student and/or nature of specific request for accommodation.
Include verification of diagnosis and severity and longevity of the disabling condition from a qualified treating professional provided by the student.
Include functional limitations describing how the impairment significantly limits a major life activity in an educational setting.
Be provided to the Coordinator, Disability Services, Sinclair Community College, 444 West Third St., Dayton, OH 45402.

Documentation Guidelines for Verification of a Specific Learning Disability

The diagnosis of a learning disability is a psychoeducational diagnosis. Therefore, the Office of Disability Services at Sinclair Community College will accept diagnosis of learning disabilities, which are based on appropriate psychoeducational assessments. An appropriate psychoeducational battery consists of, at minimum: a general abilities assessment (such as the Wechsler Scales-Revised; the Woodcock-Johnson revised-Part I; Stanford-Binet: Fourth Edition) and an achievement measure (such as the Woodcock-Johnson revised Part 2; the WRAT-R). A qualified professional (such as a psychologist, school psychologist or educational specialist) must administer the assessment. Diagnoses, which do not contain educational measures, cannot be used for determining eligibility for services in this setting. A complete set of documentation guidelines for verification of a specific learning disability may be obtained by contacting the Coordinator of Disability Services and requesting a copy.

Policy on Accepting a Diagnosis of Attention Deficit Disorder (A.D.D.) or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (A.D.H.D.)

A diagnosis of Attention Deficit Disorder must come from one or more of the following appropriate professionals:

Family Physician (M.D. or D.O.)
Neurologist
Pediatrician
Psychologist
Psychiatrist

A complete set of documentation guidelines for verification of a diagnosis of Attention Deficit Disorder may be obtained by contacting the Coordinator of Disability Services and requesting a copy.

Eligibility for Disability Services

Qualified individuals with disabilities who produce required documentation of their disability and self-identify their need for accommodations are eligible for disability services.

A "qualified person with a disability" is someone with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, who, with or without accommodations can meet the essential requirements for participation in a program.

Rights and Duties of Eligible Students with Disabilities

You have the right to:

Appropriate accommodations after providing the Office of Disability Services (ODS) with appropriate documentation of your disability and determining appropriate accommodations with your Disability Services Counselor.
Confidentiality. Documentation of your disability is privately kept within the ODS and is not part of your academic record. Records and information about you are kept confidential unless you agree to release them in writing.
Advocacy support from ODS when you have made known your need for an approved accommodation to a faculty or staff and have not received it.
File a grievance if you feel that your right to an appropriate accommodation isn't being met. If you feel that your assigned counselor is not satisfactorily working with your to obtain accommodations, you may meet with the Coordinator of ODS to discuss your concerns. If you do not feel your issues have been adequately addressed at this level, you may meet with the Manager of Educational Support Services to discuss your concerns.
File a civil rights suit through the Office of Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education if you are not satisfied with the services provided you by the college. The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) within the Department of Education (ED) protects the rights of students in educational programs or activities that receive financial assistance from ED. Under these laws, ED funded programs and activities must be operated in such a manner that ensures that people who meet the programs' qualifications and eligibility requirements are given equal opportunity to participate, regardless of their race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age or disability.

It is your duty to:

Register with the Office of Disability Services (ODS) and provide documentation of your disability to be eligible for any accommodation from the college.
Contact your assigned Disability Services Counselor in a timely manner for assistance in identifying accommodations and supports and how to get them.
Inform your assigned counselor if you are uncertain of accommodations and services you need, or having difficulty getting what you have requested.
Contact your Disability Services Counselor so they can fill out a Self-Identification (Self-ID) form which is evidence of your eligibility for accommodations. When requesting classroom and/or testing accommodations from your instructors, a Self-ID form must be presented to each instructor for each class you are enrolled. It is best to make an appointment with your instructor to inform them of the accommodations you need.
Request classroom and testing accommodations in a timely manner from faculty (at least one week in advance).
Inform ODS if your name, address, or telephone number changes.

Services Available through ODS