ACCESSIBILITY SERVICES

First, be sure that any testing related to your disability has been updated to meet PCCC guidelines. All documentation must be current within three (3) years.

No. PCCC provides basic accommodations to students with acceptable documentation on a case-by-case basis. The basic accommodations follow recommended guidelines under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.

Students with disabilities must meet the same academic standards as non-disabled students.  Psychiatric treatment and medical services are not provided, nor is personal attendant care.

No, PCCC does not have a Special Education Program for students with disabilities. All classes and support services are mainstreamed. Colleges with specialized programs usually require a separate application and have specific eligibility criteria for acceptance. PCCC accepts and serves all students with disabilities who have been accepted by the Admissions office and who submit appropriate documentation to ODS.

Yes. Students seeking accommodations or services on the basis of a temporary disability must provide documentation verifying the nature of the condition, stating the expected duration of the condition, and describing the accommodation deemed necessary. The assessment or verification of disability must reflect the student’s current level of disability.

No. PCCC does not provide transportation for students. Public transportation is available to the campus from designated areas. For information, contact NJ Transit, and services for disabled persons in your county.

Yes. Documentation of a disability must be from a qualified professional and must indicate specific recommendations related to what accommodations or academic adjustments are appropriate, based on acceptable assessment procedures. A student with a mobility impairment may not require any academic accommodations, but may need other special considerations. Please see Documentation Guidelines for the requirements.

Accommodations are services that are individually based on each student’s disability and functional limitations. You must come to the ODS office to request services, even if taking online classes. Services are not put in place automatically.  Services should be requested in a timely manner.

Students with a Learning Disability typically receive extended time on tests, mid-terms and finals. Other accommodations may include the use of an audio recorder, assistive note-taking, or other assistive technology (AT).

Yes, support services are offered in an inclusive educational environment.

AT is housed in A202A, the library, and other labs and classrooms. The Adaptive Technology includes JAWS, Zoomtex, Kurzweil, Co-writer, Inspiration, Braille keyboard, head tracking mouse, digital talking book player, and Livescribe Smartpens.

Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic (RFB&D) http://www.rfbd.org/ Individual Membership is currently FREE. Certification is required; you will find certification options within the online registration process.

Bookshare http://www.bookshare.org/ Bookshare® is free for all U.S. students with qualifying disabilities.

NJ Commission for the Blind & Visually Impaired
http://www.state.nj.us/humanservices/cbvi/home/index.html

National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped

For adaptive technology at home contact the:
Adaptive Technology Center
College of New Jersey
609-771-2610
http://adaptivetech.tcnj.edu/

Most often, questions arise when a student uses a tape recorder. An instructor may not forbid a student’s use of an aid if that prohibition limits the student’s participation in the school program. The Section 504 regulation states:

A recipient may not impose upon handicapped students other rules, such as the prohibition of tape recorders in classrooms … that have the effect of limiting the participation of handicapped students in the recipient’s education program or activity. In order to allow a student with a disability the use of an effective aid and, at the same time, protect the instructor, the institution may require the student to sign an agreement so as not to infringe on a potential copyright or to limit freedom of speech.

From the OCR reading room publication on auxiliary aids located at http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/auxaids.html

According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a qualified individual with a disability is, “an individual with a disability who, with or without reasonable modification to rules, policies, or practices, the removal of architectural, communication, or transportation barriers, or the provision of auxiliary aids and services, meets the essential eligibility requirements for the receipt of services or the participation in programs or activities provided by a public entity.”