Student Life & Services

ADA TRANSITION SERVICES

ABOUT US

The Office of ADA Transition Services at SCCC provides accommodations for students with disabilities as outlined by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. SCCC is committed to promoting self advocacy for students with disabilities. We accomplish this by providing a positive learning environment for all students. Students may stop in the Office of ADA Transition Services, Elston 222, to pick up a Student Manual and the appropriate materials needed to register for academic accommodations Monday - Friday 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

REGISTERING WITH ADA TRANSITION SERVICES:

Upon admission into the college, students requesting academic accommodations will need to contact the Office of ADA Transition Services to schedule an interview. Prior to the interview, current documentation of the student’s disability should be sent to the Office of ADA Transition Services for review.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (504) provide that individuals with disabilities are protected from discrimination and may be entitled to reasonable accommodations. To establish that an individual meets the requirements under the law, documentation must confirm that a specific disability exists and that the functional limitations caused by the disorder significantly limit one or more major life activity. A diagnosis of a disorder in and of itself does not automatically qualify an individual for accommodations. In order to be considered for accommodations, the evaluation of documentation must clearly show and support the following:

DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENTS

• must be conducted by a licensed or certified professional with appropriate training and credentials related to the area of disability (e.g. therapist, psychologist, etc)
• measure student aptitude, achievement, and information processing
• evaluate the student's disability and the impact the disability will have on the student's academic performance
• must be current (often defined as no more than three years old)
• should include recommendations for specific accommodations with accompanying rationale
• name, title, and professional credentials of the evaluator should be clearly stated in the documentation; all reports should be on letterhead, typed, dated, signed, and otherwise legible

Please note: A school plan such as an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or a 504 Plan is insufficient documentation in and of itself but can be included as part of a more comprehensive evaluative report.

The information from the documentation will help the Office of ADA Transition Services in determining the academic accommodations that the student is entitled to receive. All information that is given to the Office of ADA Transition Services is confidential unless the student authorizes its release.

AVAILABLE SERVICES

SCCC offers a wide variety of services designed to assist students:

• NSR Placement Test accommodations
• Assistance with academic accommodations
• Faculty Notification Letters
• Testing accommodations
• Distraction reduced location
• Extended time
• A test reader or scribe
• Use of adaptive computer software and equipment
• Note takers
• Books in alternate format
• ASL Interpreters
• On campus adaptive computer software and equipment
• Optilec Viewer - Magnifies items on a screen for users who have visual impairments.
• Kurzweil 3000 - Helps people with reading or learning difficulties increase reading, speech and comprehension.
• JAWS - Reads information on the computer screen using synthesized speech.
• Window-Eyes Pro - Reads information on the computer screen using synthesized speech.
• Dragon Naturally Speaking - A software program that allows users to dictate and navigate on the computer using their voice.
• Daisy Readers for text from RFB&D
• Talking Calculators
• Assistance with local service providers such as NYS Vocational Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID), Commission for the Blind and Visually Handicapped (CBVH) and NYS Readers Aid Program
• Assistance and referrals to SCCC's academic and student support services
• Voice and TDD communications: contact NYS Relay Service, 1-800-421-1220, and give College phone number 381-1344/1345
• The ADA Transition Services Advisory Committee

Alternative Text Resources

Students requesting alt-format materials must submit a Request for Alt-Format Materials Form 30 days or more in advance of the start of the semester. The college will attempt to fill alt-format requests as soon as possible.

Faculty Notification Letters

1. Students who are new to SCCC and have not registered with the Office of ADA Transition Services need to schedule an appointment to meet with the Coordinator of ADA Transition Services.
2. Students must finalize their schedule as soon as possible.
3. Students must call 518-381-1344 or stop into Elston Hall, room 222 to speak with the Office of ADA Transition Services Executive Secretary to request Faculty Notification Letters.
4. After a formal request, students may pick up letters from the office of ADA Transition Services.
5. It is the student’s responsibility to meet with professors to hand deliver the Faculty Notification Letters and discuss specific arrangements for their classroom accommodations.

SCCC CAMPUS RESOURCES

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Local Agencies/Advocacy Services

FACULTY AND STAFF

• Maintain the College’s Academic standards.
• Make themselves available to students to discuss accommodations, clarify information and make academic recommendations.
• Work with the Office of ADA Transition Services to refer/recruit note takers.
• Reasonably accommodate a student’s disability-related need for access to course information.
• Maintain appropriate confidentiality of student records concerning their disability.
• Make a good faith effort to place book orders in a timely manner and to provide the student and/or the Office of ADA Transition Services with a syllabus to allow for books to be recorded or reproduced in alternate format.

• Provide appropriate documentation of the disability to the Office of ADA Transition Services.
• Request and distribute Faculty Notification Letters to instructors at the beginning of each semester and discuss with their instructor the accommodations listed in the letter.
• Promptly contact instructors and/or Coordinator for ADA Transition Services with questions and/or concerns.

Faculty members are encouraged to refer students who inform them that they are disabled to the Office of ADA Transition Services. Many faculty find it useful to include in their syllabus a statement encouraging students to seek support from the Office of ADA Transition Services if they have a disability and believe they may need accommodations in the class.

Example Syllabus Statement:
If you have a specific disability that qualifies you for academic accommodations, please make arrangements to register with the Office of ADA Transition Services located in Elston Hall, Room 222. Once registered, you will need to request a Faculty Notification Letter from the office of ADA Transition Services. Once I receive the letter we can then meet to discuss any necessary special arrangements.

Many faculty members have expressed a desire to be better acquainted with the specific nature of various disabilities so they will be better able to address the needs of the student and assist them on an individual basis. Below are some links to websites that contain specific information on various disabilities.

CONTACT US