ACCESSIBILITY SERVICES

Student Fact Sheet

Mission:
“Passaic County Community College Office of Accessibility Services is committed to providing accommodation services to students with physical, emotional and/or cognitive disabilities and adhering to compliance with federal laws, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 and ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA) of 2008

Vision:
OAS inspires and empowers PCCC students to engage in their educational journey and persistence to success.

Goal:
Promote and support student self-advocacy for the purpose of obtaining accessibility to the programs and services offered at PCCC.

• ADA stands for Americans with Disabilities Act. The ADA is a federal civil rights law designed to provide equal opportunity for people with disabilities. The ADA protects individuals with disabilities from discrimination.
• The ADA defines “disabled” as any individual with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities; and who has a record of such an impairment; and is regarded as having such an impairment.
• “Reasonable and appropriate” accommodations for students with disabilities are alterations in the academic environment that permit qualified persons with a disability equal access to education opportunities.
• Accommodations are deemed reasonable and appropriate unless:
  • Request for accommodations alter the very nature or framework of a class/curriculum
  • Request for accommodations incurs a financial burden/hardship of the college
• Students are responsible for disclosing their disabilities with the Office of Accessibility Services at PCCC.
• Students are responsible for furnishing appropriate medical documentation to the Office of Accessibility Services in accordance with PCCC policies and procedures. Professors/staff do not have the right to view student documentation.
• If a student presents documentation to professors/staff, the Office of Accessibility Services requests that said professor/staff delegate the student to OAS. Confidentiality is increasingly important to uphold.
• Once a student is approved for accommodations, OAS will issue a formal Letter of Accommodations (LOA) to the student. Students will be responsible for disseminating their Letter of Accommodations (LOA) to their assigned professors/instructors every semester.
• The professor/instructor will discuss the accommodations with the students and make suitable arrangements for the accommodations as deemed appropriate.
• Accommodations can be approved at any time throughout the semester.
• Accommodations are not retroactive to the start of the semester.
• The Office of Accessibility Services strongly recommends that any communications regarding accommodations with a student be facilitated is a private setting (before/after class, office hours) Do not discuss students’ accommodations/disabilities during class time or in the hallway, etc.
• The Office of Accessibility Services requests that professors/staff do not send students to OAS to request accommodative support unless the student discloses their needs first.

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