Accommodations

Determining Reasonable Accommodations

A reasonable accommodation is a modification or adjustment to a course, program, service, or facility, which ensures that a qualified student with a disability is not excluded, segregated or otherwise treated differently. The modification or adjustment is not required if it would fundamentally alter the nature of the course, program, service, or facility or if it would result in an undue burden for the College. In addition, the College is obligated to make a reasonable accommodation only to the known limitations of an otherwise qualified student with a disability. To determine reasonable accommodations, Disability Services may seek information from appropriate college personnel regarding essential standards and requirements for courses, programs, services, or facilities. The Director of Disability Support makes final determination of reasonable accommodations.

Reasonable accommodations are determined by examining:

1. The barriers or limitations resulting from the interaction between the documented disability and the campus environment;
2. The possible accommodations that might remove the barriers;
3. Whether or not the student has access to the course, program, service, job, activity or facility without accommodations;
4. Whether the possible accommodations would fundamentally alter the nature of or effect the essential elements of the course, program, service, or facility;
5. Whether providing the accommodations would result in an undue burden for the College.

Examples of Services and Accommodations

• Extended time (1.5) for tests and exams
• Taking tests and exams in a distraction-reduced environment
• Reader for the test or exam
• Scribe for the test or exam
• Note-taking assistance (a classmate may take notes in a carbonless notebook provided by the Director of Disability Support )
• Use of computer and other assistive technology in class
• Use of calculator in class
• Use of tape recorder in class
• Interpreters
• Library/laboratory assistance
• Preferential course scheduling
• Accessible classrooms

Policies and Procedures for Obtaining Accommodations at Emmanuel College

Students who seek disability-related accommodations at Emmanuel College must follow an established procedure. The Director of Disability Support Services (DSS) is available to speak with current students, prospective applicants and families about the services offered by the college and the requirements for eligibility for those services. To obtain special disability-related accommodations, students must provide the DSS with adequate documentation of their disabilities and disclose their disability to the Director of Disability Support Services in person, in a timely manner.

The college encourages students to request the desired accomodations as early in the semester as possible. In the event the student chooses to delay registering with the Office of Disability Support Services, providing documentation and/or making a request for accomodations, the college will not provide retroactive accomodations, but will upon the student's request begin the procedure for approving and implementing future accomodations. Student who submit documentation should allow two weeks for a determination on the appropriateness of documentation submitted. Students should not expect a request for accomodations to be approved for an exam, assignment, presentation, or a project they have in the same week or subsequent two weeks.

Students are required to make an appointment with the DSS each semester in order to receive accommodations for their courses. If, based on the documentation submitted, the DSS concludes that a student is not eligible for accommodations or services, the student may submit additional documentation to supplement their request at any time. Regardless of the eligibility decision, the Director of Disability Support Services will provide guidance and referrals to on- and off-campus resources to support the individual student's academic needs.