College of Coastal Georgia Office of Disability Services

1. College of Coastal GeorgiaOffice of Disability Services Campus Center, 2nd Floor, Next to the Student Health Center Office Hours 8:00-5:00 Monday-Friday 912 -279-5806 http://www.ccga.edu/ODS/

2. Office of Disability Services (ODS) • The ODS is the centralized agency for receiving students’ disability-related documentation and approving requested accommodations. • Students must voluntarily disclose information about their disability with the ODS and provide documentation to support their requested accommodations. The process of documentation review involves the assessment of the individual’s disability with respect to the documentation presented and the accommodations requested. • Documentation provided must meet Board of Regents' criteria. • Students requesting services must still meet the CCGA admission criteria and be “otherwise qualified.”

3. What are disability accommodations? • Accommodations are academic adjustments, services, equipment, etc. that allow a student with a disability to have equal access to academic information and equal access to demonstrate mastery of that information. • Accommodations do not compromise academic standards or essential course functions. • Students with disabilities who receive accommodations must still meet all admission and academic standards, including attendance requirements. • Examples of accommodations include: extended time for exams, reduced distraction testing environment, large print handouts, peer note taker, permission to record lectures, sign language interpreter, books in alternate format, etc.

4. Types of Disabilities Our office serves students with various types of disabilities, including but not limited to: Blindness/Visual Impairment Deafness/Hearing Impairment Mobility Impairment Learning Disabilities ADD/ADHD Acquired Brain Injury Psychological Disorders Medical Illnesses/Injuries

5. ODS Expectations of Students Initial Meeting: Upon receipt and review of disability documentation, ODS will meet with the student to discuss reasonable accommodations appropriate for their disability and an accommodation letter will be issued to the student. Information to Faculty: At the beginning of each semester, the student will give a copy of their current accommodation letter to each of their professors. The professor will acknowledge receipt of the accommodation letter by signing the Faculty Academic Accommodation Form. The student will return the Faculty Academic Accommodation Form to ODS to be placed in their file.

6. ODS Expectations of Students Semester Updates: Each semester, a student will need to report to ODS with a copy of their schedule to pick up the Accommodation Letter and the Faculty Academic Accommodation Form and to discuss any changes which may need to be made to their accommodation letter. The ODS assumes that any student who does not pick up their accommodation letter for the semester has chosen not to utilize accommodations.

7. Testing Accommodations: If agreed upon by the instructor and the student, the instructor can provide extended time in the classroom. Please note: it is best if the student is allowed to begin and end the test in the same environment. The instructor can also provide a reduced distraction test environment in their office or another quiet environment; however the regular classroom setting or alternate seating in a classroom (e.g. the back of the room) is not considered a reduced distraction testing environment. If the student and the instructor are unable to make arrangements for appropriate testing accommodations in the classroom, the student may request to take their exams with ODS.

8. Testing Accommodations: Students are responsible for providing their instructors with an exam accommodation form for each test and returning the completed form to ODS at least 48 hours prior to the exam. The instructor determines the date and time of the exam for their course. To ensure test integrity, it is recommended that students testing with ODS take the exam at the same time as the other students in the class or at a time which allows for some overlap. Please note: If your class is held after 5 p.m. and you are unable to provide testing accommodations for a student on your own, the test time will have to be adjusted to fit into the office hours. It is acceptable to give a student testing with the ODS an alternate form of the test. This will help to ensure test integrity if the student has to take the test at a time other than when the rest of the class is taking it.

9. ODS Expectations of Faculty/Staff • Instructors are expected to maintain the confidentiality of the student being served by Disability Services. • Instructors are expected to provide reasonable accommodations listed on the student’s accommodation letter. • If listed as an accommodation on the student’s letter, instructors are expected to locate a suitable note taker for the student. • If you are unable to locate an acceptable note taker, providing copies of detailed power points and your lecture materials is considered an acceptable alternative. • The instructor is expected to make all lecture information, tests, quizzes, course assignments, etc. accessible to all students, including those with visual impairments. Disability Services can assist by providing test proctors, space for testing, assistive technology, etc. to help aid in ensuring access, but ultimately it is each individual instructor’s responsibility to make lectures, assignments, exams and so on accessible to all students.

10. ODS Expectations of Faculty/Staff • Instructors are expected to contact the ODS if they have questions or concerns regarding how to meet a student’s accommodations. • Instructors are not expected to change the course guidelines or standards. • You are only expected to accommodate the student in order for him/her to meet them. If you feel providing an accommodation fundamentally alters the nature of an objective of your course, please contact the Office of Disability Services to discuss this issue further.

11. College of Coastal Georgia Office of Disability Services If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact Jennifer Zak, Director of Counseling and Disability Services at jzak@ccga.edu or 912-279-5806 or come by the Office of Disability Services, located in the Campus Center, 2nd Floor, Next to the Student Health Center.