Handbook for Students with Disabilities
Connecticut College is committed to ensuring that all its students have equal access to the academic, cultural, and social activities of the school. To this end, it complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1973 (as amended), which states that "No otherwise qualified individual with handicaps . . . shall, solely by reason of her or his handicap, be excluded under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance".
This commitment is founded in the letter of the law but also extends to its spirit.
Table of Contents
· Introductory Information
o Connecticut College Statement of Commitment
o Definition of Disability
o Notice To All Entering Students
· Office of Disability Services - Contact Information
o Services Provided
o Accommodations
· Registering with a Disability
o Self-Identifying with a Disability
o Documenting a Disability
o Disability Confidentiality Statement
· Requesting Accommodations
o Modifications to the Curriculum
o Course Modifications
o Physical Accessibility
§ Academic Buildings
§ Housing
§ Parking
· Grievance Procedure
· Campus Resources
· Glossary
· Appendix A
o Needs Assessment Questionnaire
· Appendix B
o High School to College Transition
Students with a disability or handicap, whether apparent or not, may require physical or academic accommodations that will allow them the equal access guaranteed by law. To meet the legal definition of disability, an impairment must be "substantially limiting to a major life activity." Among the major life activities covered are "caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, and working." Reading has also been determined to be a major life activity.
Students who have a permanent impairment that interferes with participation in campus activities may qualify for services on the basis of a disability. The impairment may be physical or mental, either visible or "hidden."
Type Example (including, but not limited to)
cognitive learning disability, attention deficit disorder
chronic illness diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma
neurological cerebral palsy, Tourette Syndrome
physical paralysis, permanent injury
psychiatric clinical depression, obsessive-compulsive
disorder
sensory hearing and vision impairments, deafness,
blindness
(back to top)
Conditions That Are Not Disabling
Students who would like to request an accommodation related to a condition that is not permanently disabling should contact their academic dean, Student Health Services (Extension 2275) or the Student Counseling Center (Extension 4587), depending on the type of impairment. Included would be conditions that are temporary or less than substantially limiting to a major life activity, including recovery from an injury or surgical procedure and health-related concerns.
(back to top)
Office of Student Disabilities Services
At Connecticut College, the Office of Student Disability Services has been established to help ensure equal access to educational activities for all students with disabilities. The staff includes a director and a part-time assistant, who are available during the academic year. All inquiries about student disabilities on campus should be directed to:
Sherine A. Miller, Ph.D., Director of Student Disability Services, from off campus, (860) 439-5428, campus ext. 5428
Barbara L. McLlarky, Assistant to the Director of Student Disability Services, from off campus, (860) 439-5240, campus ext. 5240
(back to top)
Office location: Warnshuis Student Health Center, Room 112
We are located on the ground floor of the Student Health Center (infirmary) in Room 112. You may enter directly through the door at the top of the ramp at the rear of the building (under the overpass on the road alongside the chapel) or through the front door of Warnshuis Health Center to the main (2nd) floor (behind Shain Library). The ground floor is accessible from the main level by the stairway or an elevator. If you need the elevator, either call us before coming or ask the assistant in Room 234 or a member of Health Services Staff in the Clinic (Room 233) to call us for assistance.
Campus Mail: Box 5264
Email: blmcl@conncoll.edu -or- slduq@conncoll.edu
Schedule: Open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and by appointment with director during the fall and spring semesters when classes are in session (In an emergency, contact the Office of the Dean of Studies, 860/439-2050, when this office is closed.) Closed for the fall break, winter semester break, spring break, and summer (Telephone voice messages are checked regularly).
Handicap Parking: Behind Warnshuis Student Health Center - closest entry across street at rear of Warnshuis (one space).Behind Blaustein Humanities Center and next to Shain Library - closest entry behind library at front of Warnshuis ( 2 spaces).
(back to top)
As the central office for disability services on campus, the Office of Student Disability Services is available for:
- providing general information about disabilities
- making referrals to appropriate campus and off-campus resources
- registering students with disabilities
- coordinating requests for accommodations for registered students
- coordinating on-campus services
- providing a range of direct services to students, including learning strategy and self-advocacy training sessions, learning disability evaluations (for limited number of students with referrals from their academic deans), review of petitions to the Committee on Academic Standing for modifications to the College curriculum, review of requests for special accommodations on graduate entry and professional licensure exams
Various academic accommodations are available to students with disabilities, depending on their individual needs as supported in the documentation provided. These may include a reduced courseload, course substitutions, use of a tape recorder or computer in the classroom, and testing modifications such as extended time. Reasonable and appropriate accommodations are available to students who have qualified by identifying themselves to us, providing appropriate documentation of a disability, and making a timely request for the accommodation. Certain disabilities, such as visual or hearing impairment, may also necessitate notetakers, interpreters, or the use of specialized equipment in the classroom. Because these accommodations take time to arrange, requests should be made well in advance. The staff in the Office of Student Disability Services will make every reasonable effort to provide timely services in case of sudden and unexpected need.
A student who may require accommodations should contact the Director of Student Disability Services as soon as possible. Determining whether a disability exists and which accommodations are reasonable and appropriate is based on the documentation that is provided by the student. All information shared by a student with the Office of Student Disability Services is held in strictest confidence. Except for emergency reasons, information is exchanged only as necessary in providing services or with those specific offices and/or individuals for which the student has provided written permission.
(back to top)
To be eligible for services provided by the Office of Student Disability Services, including accommodations, a student must:
- identify himself or herself to the College as having a disability
- provide documentation of the disability and specific accommodations that are reasonable and appropriate to insure access to campus programs and activities
- be otherwise qualified to participate in and benefit from the relevant programs and activities
(back to top)
Self-Identifying with a Disability
In order to be eligible for appropriate accommodations, students must identify themselves to the College and provide documentation of a disability. A student may register with a disability on a voluntary, confidential basis at any time. However, the College is not responsible for providing any accommodations for students who have not registered with a disability and requested a specific accommodation. Moreover, because some accommodations take a while to arrange, students must self-identify, register, and request specific accommodations in a timely manner to help us meet their needs.
All entering students should receive a Needs Assessment Questionnaire before their first semester. It provides information about the disability laws and asks for information about possible disabilities. Completing and returning this questionnaire constitutes self-identification. If for some reason the form is not received or returned, a student may still register with a disability at any time by contacting the Director of Student Disability Services.
Except in an emergency, the disclosure of a disability can be shared with others on campus only with the express, written permission of the student. At Conn, the Office of Student Disability Services maintains a central registry of students with disabilities. With a student's permission, we can exchange information about a disability with others as necessary. This may often be of benefit to a student. For example, the Director of Student Disability Services can advocate for a student with a faculty member who questions a course modification or can support a petition to the Committee on Academic Standing. Similarly, giving permission to other offices to share information with the Office of Student Disability Services can help us provide services more efficiently and keep more accurate records. However, such permission is in no way required.
(back to top)
Evidence to support a claim of a disability should include information regarding the nature of the impairment or condition, the student's ability to function, as well as any accommodations or modifications considered appropriate. The documentation may be in the form of a recently dated letter from a doctor or a current psychological and/or educational report from a qualified professional.
Requirements for Documentation of a Disability
Adapted from Educational Testing Service guidelines
A qualified professional must provide written documentation on letterhead that is dated and signed with the name, title and professional credentials of the professional evaluator clearly indicated. Evaluation reports should be current and comprehensive, including a specific diagnosis, significant background information, the current impact of the impairment on functioning (with effects of medication or other treatment), recommended accommodations and supportive rationale should be included.
Additional requirements for specific impairment:
- Attention Deficit Disorder: completed within three years
- Learning disability: completed within five years, include standard score results of aptitude, achievement, and information processing tests and subtests
- Psychiatric disorder: completed within six months
Individual Education Programs (IEPs) and previous 504 plans may be provided as a source of useful information but are not sufficient documentation to establish a disability. Be sure to send a complete copy of reports and retain originals of all documentation in your personal records for future use.
Any questions about appropriate documentation should be directed to the Director of Student Disability Services. All inquiries will be treated confidentially.
Disability Confidentiality Statement
All communications and records relating to the identity, diagnosis and prognosis of an impairment as well as consultations with the Office of Student Disability Services are confidential under Chapter 899 of the General Statutes of the State of Connecticut. As a recipient of federal funding, however, the College may be required to provide the identity and other information about students registered with the Office of Student Disability Services to the U.S. Department of Education or other federal government agencies. Such information is accessible from federal agencies by the public under the Freedom of Information Act. In the extremely rare event that such a request is received by the Office of Student Disability Services, the office will make every attempt to notify students in advance.
Modifications to the Curriculum
Any curriculum modifications that require exceptions to College policy, such as courseload adjustments or course substitutions, must be approved by petition to the Committee on Academic Standing for all students. Petitions are available in the Office of the Registrar and must be signed by the student's academic advisor and class dean. Students petitioning on the basis of a disability should consult with the Director of Student Disability services for approval as well, particularly if documentation of the disability is on file in the Office of Student Disability Services.
When appropriate, students with disabilities may be entitled to modifications in a course, such as extended time on exams, other testing modifications, permission to tape record a lecture, or use of a laptop computer for notetaking. With the student's permission and upon the student's request, the Office of Student Disability Services will provide students with a memo for faculty to notify them of the student's eligibility for academic modifications. Students must work directly with instructors to develop a suitable arrangement for each specific circumstance. Requests for such modifications must be submitted to the Office of Student Disability Services each semester by completing a form that provides information on current classes.
Students who require classes to be scheduled in accessible locations or have other special classroom needs should inform the Director of Student Disability Services as soon as possible (after preregistration for returning students, during the summer for entering students). Indicating such requirements on the Needs Assessment Questionnaire, residential forms, and other relevant materials that are sent to all entering students before their first semester at the College will help alert staff of special requirements.
Should the need for a change in classroom location or other accommodation to ensure physical access arise during the school year, the student is responsible for informing the Director of Student Disability Services immediately. A student who has not already registered with the Office of Student Disability Services must provide appropriate documentation of the disability at that time. Class deans and relevant faculty members should be informed at the same time. We will make every attempt to meet specific needs that arise after classrooms have been assigned, but we will need your cooperation to do so.
All students are individually assigned to residences on the basis of a housing form. Students in need of specific housing services should indicate this on the housing form and notify the Director of Student Disability Services of needs well before the beginning of the semester. Should a need for a housing change arise during the school year, students with disabilities are urged to inform both the Director of Residential Life and the Director of Student Disability Services immediately so that every effort can be made to provide appropriate and reasonable accommodations. As appropriate, Campus Safety may be informed of potential emergency needs.
Students with a disability who need to park in a space other than that assigned by Campus Safety must have special permission. To obtain a special parking permit, a student must provide medical or other appropriate documentation to the Office of Student Disability Services as soon as becoming aware of the need. All students are required to pay a parking fee, but there is not an additional fee for special parking permits.
Any student who feels that appropriate assistance has not been provided or that disability discrimination has occurred should inform the Director of Student Disability Services or the class dean immediately.
The College provides a variety of services to all its students, some of which may be of particular interest to students with disabilities. In addition to the Office of Student Disability Services, campus resources for students with disabilities include:
Campus Safety - Thomas Hogarty, Director, Nichols House, (860) 439-2251, campus ext. 2251
Along with other responsibilities, Campus Safety provides transportation to classes, the dining halls, or other campus locations for students with impairments that affect mobility when necessary and appropriate. Parking permits are also issued by this office, but students who require special parking permits due to temporary or permanent disability should first contact the Office of Student Disability Services for authorization.
Counseling Center - Janet Spoltore, Ph.D., Director, Warnshuis Health Center, (860) 439-2275, campus ext. 2275 to make an appointment
Counseling Services provides both individual counseling sessions and off-campus referrals, if indicated, and coordinates campus support groups dealing with emotional issues. Counselors will also meet with parents and individual faculty members but only if requested by the student using counseling services. A student who is interested in developing a specific support group should call the Director of Counseling Services. Counseling Services is entirely confidential and will share information with the Director of Student Disability Services or another staff member only if a release has been signed by the student.
Heath Services - Cate Moffet, MSN, APRN, Director, Warnshuis Health Center, (860) 439-2275, campus ext. 2275 to make an appointment
The Student Health Services office maintains all medical records and provides short-term health care. Health Services staff can make referrals to local medical personnel when necessary. In order to have Health Services share information with the Director of Student Disability Services or another staff member (or vice versa) a student must sign a release.
Information Services - Ruth Seeley, Help Desk Manager, (860) 439-2090, campus ext. 2090, ruth.seeley@conncoll.edu; Chris Eyberse, Assistive Technology Technician, (860) 439-5204, campus ext. 5204, christopher.eyberse@conncoll.edu
The staff of Information Services assists students who have adaptive technology on their own computers and will make every effort to help students use the College-wide range of electronic resources.
Physical Plant - James Norton, Director, Service Building, (860) 439-2268, campus ext. 2268
Physical Plant maintains the physical accessibility of the campus, including handicap parking spaces, electronic door openers, handrails, visible fire alarms and other important aspects of the College's physical plant. If you are aware of ways in which campus accessibility could be improved, please contact the Office of Student Disability Services or send a note to Mr. Norton at Physical Plant.
Student Life - College Center at Crozier Williams, Jocelyn Briddell, Dean of Student Life, (860) 439-2825, campus ext. 2825; Trish Godino, Director of Residential Life & Housing, (860) 439-2834, campus ext. 2834; Scott McEver, Director of Student Activities & College Center, (860) 439-2834, campus ext. 2834
The Shain Library - Beth Hansen, Director, Research Support and Instruction, (860) 439-2681, campus ext. 2681, ehhan@conncoll.edu; Ashley Hanson, Reference and Instruction Librarian, (860) 439-2653, campus ext. 2653, ashley.hanson@conncoll.edu
The library staff works with all students to use library services, including the on-line catalogue, electronic databases and curricular materials available over the campus network and in the Libraries' collections. Every effort will be made to support the research activities of students with disabilities in using the resources of the Connecticut College Libraries. Students who need assistance should speak with library staff early in the semester to make special arrangements.
Writing Center - Steven Shoemaker, Director; Joyce McDaniel, Assistant; Blaustein 214, (860) 439-5149, campus ext. 5149, 5324 or, to make an appointment, ext. 2173
The Writing Center provides one-to-one tutoring to help writers of all abilities during all stages of the writing process. The Center is staffed by undergraduate tutors from a variety of majors who are specially trained to assist students with their writing projects. The Center is open whenever classes are in session and operates by appointment or on a walk-in basis. Workshops on study skills are also offered at specific times during the semester.
Centralized Academic Tutoring Service (CATS) - Joyce McDaniel, Coordinator, Blaustein 214, (860) 439-5324, campus ext. 5324
CATS links tutors recommended by the various academic departments with students who need tutoring in specific disciplines. This program provides peer tutoring services to all students on campus. It is based in the Writing Center, where additional information is available.
Accommodations - modifications or services provided to ensure equal access to education
ADA - Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
CATS - Centralized Academic Tutoring Service
Confidentiality - policy that ensures information provided by students will not be shared with others on campus, except for reasons of emergency, without the express, written consent of the student
Disability - a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities
Documentation - written evidence of disability and need for appropriate accommodations (such as an evaluation report for a learning disability or attention deficit disorder and a medical doctor's letter certifying a chronic illness)
Handicap - a term roughly synonymous with disability that is used in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
Needs Assessment Questionnaire - form sent to all entering students to use to disclose a disability and to request specific accommodations, includes information on appropriate documentation to be provided by the student in support of the disability as well as on making the transition from high school to college (see Appendix A)
Section 504 - that part of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 pertaining to education.
Needs Assessment Questionnaire 2008
High School |
College |
|
*IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act |
*ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act |
| *Schools must identify students who qualify under the laws | *Students must provide documentation of a disability under the laws |
| *Schools identify specific learning needs | *Students must request accommodations a timely fashion |
| *Parents participate in the special education process | *Students, not parents, are responsible for self-advocacy with an institution |
| *School provides special instruction, modifies education to meet needs | *Institution provides reasonable accommodations that ensure equal access to activities |
| *Special education should ensure achievement at potential | *Accommodations must ensure equal access only, not ensure success |
| *Tutoring or other services may be provided to meet needs | *Only those services provided to all students are required |
| *Exceptions may be made for failure to abide by conduct code | *Students are expected to meet standards of conduct established by institution |
Students are strongly encouraged to apply to their state Department of Rehabilitation Services for support during the post-secondary education experience.
Last Modified: Tuesday, July 01, 2008 10:33