It’s that time of year, with campuses throughout the country starting school again for the Fall. As we think about the back-to-school routine, we in the Accessibility Advisory Committee (AAC) immediately think of accessibility for those with disabilities—students, teachers, and all school employees alike—comes to mind.
What can the school do?
Schools have an obligation to offer alternative formats (such as large print or Braille) of forms upon request. However, in this digital age, it is advisable that all required forms, such as those required when students apply for services, be as accessible as possible. Word documents are most accessible (rather than PDFs) and can be password-protected from editing.
Where can students get assistance?
In higher education institutions, it is required that the college have a disability services office, or what we at Shoreline Community College (SCC) call Student Accessibility Services. At Shoreline, students may email SAS at sas@shoreline.edu or visit Room 5226. If students are interested in registering with SAS, they will apply for services, and meet with their assigned access specialist to determine reasonable accommodations for them in the classroom or in the Residence Hall. College-level accommodations may be significantly different than those the student may have had in a K-12 setting, or even from what they had at another institution. Faculty and staff are welcome to reach out as well for more information. It is important to recognize that SAS holds students’ confidentiality as an extremely high priority.
Is there tuition funding specifically for students with disabilities?
While students with disabilities may apply for Funding & Aid Sources, should they meet the eligibility criteria, there are some specific options for those with disabilities. University of Washington’s Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology (DO-IT) program has substantial summary of funding available on its College Funding for Students for Disabilities webpage. At Shoreline, the Michael Thompson Scholarship for Students with Disabilities is specifically for those with any type of disability who are registered with SAS. Some students also find tuition assistance through the Department of Vocation Rehabilitation or Shoreline’s own Workforce Education program.
What about reasonable accommodations for staff and faculty?
Staff and faculty with disabilities who think that they would benefit from workplace accommodations under Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act should work with SCC’s Human Resources office. Part of this process is submitting the “ADA Request Form,” which may be found on the Faculty and Staff Intranet “Other.” More information may be found by reviewing the College’s Policy 4114.
What else can we do as a campus?
As with any institution, there may be barriers to accessibility that SCC staff notice. These may be inaccessible forms online, physical barriers on the campus, or other issues. Feel free to contact the Chair of AAC, Miranda Levy, at mlevy@shoreline.edu, and she will direct your concern to the appropriate department. Working as a team, bringing the whole campus community together to solve some kinks in the system, will make our campus more inclusive and will make students and staff more comfortable being a part of Shoreline life.
Resources
Students with Disabilities Preparing for Postsecondary Education: Know Your Rights and Responsibilities Information for students with disabilities from the U.S. Department of Education.
Campus Housing for Students with Health Conditions and Physical Disabilities – Some example of residence hall accommodations and modifications.
The ABCs of Back to School – Employment accommodations for teachers from the Job Accommodation Network (JAN).
How are we doing?
Please submit feedback about the information that the Accessibility Advisory Committee shares to Miranda Levy via email at mlevy@shoreline.edu so that the committee can review together and serve the campus community better.
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