Accessibility Services

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 states that “no otherwise qualified handicapped individual in the United States, as defined in section 706(6) of this title, shall, solely by reason of his/her handicap, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.” The Americans with Disabilities Act defines a disability as “a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities such as walking, talking, seeing, hearing, learning, breathing, working; or having a record of such an impairment; or being regarded as having one.” The first part of the definition covers persons who actually have physical or mental impairments that substantially limit one or more major life activities. The second and third parts of the definition cover persons who may not have an impairment that substantially limits a major life activity, but who have a history of having such a substantially limiting impairment, or who are perceived as having such a substantially limiting impairment.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 expanded the civil rights protection in Section 504 to give individuals with disabilities civil rights that are similar to those provided to all individuals on the basis of race, sex, national origin, and religion. The act guarantees equal opportunity in a wide range of entities, both public and private.

Consistent with the ADA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, Wayne Community College is committed to seeing that students with disabilities have equal access to and participation in all programs of study. Students with documented disabilities will receive reasonable accommodations to ensure equal access to all programs and activities.

A student may disclose his/her disability at any time before, during, or after the admissions process. It is, according to law, the student’s responsibility to self-identify and to request accommodations for the placement tests, for courses, and for activities or events. Documentation is required in order to determine eligibility and must be from a licensed/certified professional and include a diagnosis and current level of functioning. High school Individual Education Plans (IEP) and 504 plans, while informative, are not sufficient to establish eligibility. The Disability Services Counselor also has documentation forms which may be completed by the appropriate licensed professional.

Any student wishing to self-identify as a person with a disability and to request accommodations or services must contact the Accessibility Counselor by telephone at (919) 739-6729 or by office visit to the Wayne Learning Center Building, Room 181. This counselor will discuss the college policies and procedures and the student’s needs and will assist the student in completing the steps in requesting services. Because schedules change each semester and accommodation needs may change as well, students must contact the Accessibility Counselor each semester of enrollment to request and receive appropriate accommodations. One initial request for an academic accommodation at the time of enrollment does NOT then carry over throughout the student’s college career.

Once the student has been determined eligible, and he/she and the Accessibility Counselor have agreed on reasonable accommodations, the student is asked to sign a release form to specify those faculty/staff on campus who may be informed regarding his/her needs. The Accessibility Counselor then prepares a letter of accommodation, and the student becomes responsible for delivering the letters to his/her instructors in a timely manner. Instructors are not required to make accommodations without a letter from the Accessibility Counselor or for situations which occurred prior to the time they were made aware of the disability. Accommodations should not alter the content or academic standards of any course. On occasion, the student and the Accessibility Counselor will meet with an instructor to discuss and arrange accommodations.

It is the responsibility of the student with a disability to provide documentation to establish eligibility for services and accommodations.

The documentation should be a written report or summary which includes a clear diagnostic statement. The date of the diagnosis should reasonably reflect a current level of functioning, and the documentation should describe substantial limitations as they relate to meeting the various demands of the college. The report should include information on how the diagnosis was made, and it should be signed by a professional in a medical or mental health field who is not immediately related to the student and who is licensed/certified in the area for which the diagnosis is made. The professional may include recommendations for services and accommodations for consideration by the Accessibility Counselor. In lieu of a written report, the professional may complete a form available in the Accessibility Counselor’s office. With a release signed by the student, the Accessibility Counselor can request documentation from NC Vocational Rehabilitation, NC Services for the Blind, physicians, psychologists, and schools.

A school plan such as an Individual Education Plan (IEP) or a 504 is not sufficient to establish eligibility for accommodations and/or services. However, either plan may provide information about a student’s educational experiences.

In accordance with the law and with sound ethical counseling practice, specific information regarding a student’s particular disability will not be shared with a third party, including faculty and parents, without the student’s written consent. Students are asked to sign a release that permits the Accessibility Counselor to contact faculty regarding the student’s need for accommodations.

It is the student’s right not to disclose specific information regarding a disability to instructors. However, the Accessibility Counselor encourages students to do so where appropriate.

Please refer to the Student Handbook and the section on Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Grievance Procedures.

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, Wayne Community College will give reasonable academic accommodations to eligible students in order to insure equal opportunity to students with disabilities. Each student’s accommodations are determined as a result of the documentation of the disability. The Accessibility Counselor keeps the documentation on file and prepares the necessary letters of accommodation for the appropriate faculty/staff. It is the student’s responsibility to deliver accommodation letters to instructors.

If a student needs to request a change and/or addition to accommodations, contact the Accessibility Coordinator at (919) 739-6729. Student must provide additional documentation to support request.

Sign Language interpreters are provided for deaf and hard of hearing students who request such services through the Accessibility Counselor. Interpreter services should be requested as early as possible to allow time to make the necessary hiring arrangements, preferably before classes begin and before any other on campus needs. It is the student’s responsibility to notify the Accessibility Counselor immediately of any problems or schedule changes.

CART services will be provided when required by certain individuals. A trained captionist uses special equipment and software to instantly translate the spoken word into print, which is displayed on a computer monitor.

Notetakers are provided for students whose disability prevents them from adequately taking notes in class. This determination is made by the Accessibility Counselor based on the documentation of the disability. NCR (No Carbon Required) paper is provided by Counseling Services.

If the student is requesting an alternative format (which has already been approved through Counseling Services), they must first purchase the hard copy of the textbook(s). The student would then need to contact the Accessibility Counselor to request the book(s) in alternative format.

Reader services may be provided for students with visual impairments or learning disabilities if warranted by the documentation. A Reader is someone who reads the questions or material presented on tests/quizzes to the student with a disability who is unable to read the material on their own. The Reader only reads what is printed on the tests/quizzes. They may also accompany a student to class or read aloud to a student depending on the circumstances or individual student preferences. Reader services are coordinated by the Accessibility Counselor.

Students should request individual peer tutors from the Academic Skills Center as soon as they anticipate that they need one. The Academic Skills Center is located in WLC Bldg Room 216. (919) 739-6748. If their disability affects their learning style or the type of tutoring they will need, they are encouraged to share this information when applying for a tutor. The Accessibility Counselor will assist in this process if requested.

It is important for some students to sit in the front row and/or near the instructor. Front row seating generally limits distractions and allows opportunity for frequent eye contact with the instructor. This is also important for visually impaired students who may need to be near the board and for hearing impaired students who rely on lip reading or an interpreter.

Testing in a distraction-reduced area, oral testing, and/or extended time on tests are accommodations available to students who have supporting documentation. Other testing modifications may be available and can be considered.

Academic Testing Referral Form
Your instructor is responsible for completing the Academic Testing Referral Form for each test you will be taking with accommodations. Completing the testing referral form appropriately ensures tests are administered according to faculty instructions as well as adhering to reasonable accommodations approved through Counseling Services.

Scheduling Tests with Approved Accommodations
The student is responsible for scheduling his/her tests with the Academic Testing Center at least 48 hours in advance. Contact the Academic Testing Center at 919-739-6748 or visit the center in the Wayne Learning Center Building, Room 216.

Students who have disabilities which require classes at certain hours or need to be registered early to arrange accommodations such as hiring interpreters or obtaining audio books can register early by contacting the Accessibility Counselor.

Students who have chronic health conditions which may make it impossible for them to meet Wayne Community College ‘s attendance policy may be considered for an exception to the policy on an individual basis and with supporting documentation. They should contact the Accessibility Counselor.

Wayne Community College does not provide services that are of a personal nature, i.e. pushing a wheelchair, restroom assistance, and feeding assistance.

Wayne Community College makes every reasonable effort to accommodate students with disabilities as addressed by the Americans with Disabilities Act. In keeping with this commitment, personal care attendants will be allowed entrance into the classroom. However, the college does not assume coordination or financial responsibilities for attendant care services. An otherwise qualified student who requires attendant care services must make arrangements to provide for his/her own attendant care service.

The student and attendant will sign a Personal Care Attendant Agreement form, which must be returned to the Accessibility Counselor. Copies will be provided for the student, attendant, and instructor.

Personal Attendants are expected to follow the following guidelines:

• Personal Attendants will perform personal care duties such as turning pages, retrieving books, taking off coats, etc. The Accessibility Counselor, not the personal care attendant, will be responsible for assuring that all classroom accommodations such as note-taking or in-class writing are provided.
• Any problems or concerns, on the part of the instructor, about the student’s performance or attendance should be directed to the student.
• Personal Attendants are not responsible for the student’s progress or behavior.
• Personal Attendants should not carry on conversation with the student during class.
• Personal Attendants should not actively participate in the class or in conversations between the student and faculty, staff, or other students.
• Personal Attendants will follow the Student’s Code of Conduct as written in the Student Handbook.
• Personal Attendants will not actively participate in the testing or assessment process. The Accessibility Counselor will ensure proper accommodations are provided for testing.

A scribe may be provided for students with mobility impairments or certain learning disabilities if warranted by the documentation. Scribing services are approved by the Accessibility Counselor and arranged through the Academic Skills Center. A scribe writes verbatim (by hand or computer) what the student with the disability dictates. The scribe is not responsible for proofreading the student’s papers. The student is expected to direct the scribe what to write and where to place the information. Scribes do not tutor, correct or prompt the student with the disability.