NORTHERN VIRGINIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE Disability Support Services Faculty Training Susie Ko, M.S., CRC

WHY PROVIDE ACCOMMODATIONS NOVA is committed to providing equal access to its programs, facilities and services for students with disabilities in accordance with Section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the American With Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA) of 2008. DSS counselors work closely with each student to development and implement appropriate accommodations that directly reflect the needs of the student. Central point in coordinating services Review documentation to determine reasonable accommodations Provide guidelines for faculty, staff, and students Maintain confidentiality, and support students in being self-advocates In Post-Secondary Education: No qualified individual with a disability (on the basis of a disability) may be Excluded from participation in, Denied benefits of, or Otherwise be subjected to discrimination Under any program, services, or activity which Is operated by a public entity or Which receives or benefits from federal financial assistance

What ADA 504 does: What ADA 504 does not: Provides equal access in facilities, materials, information, opportunity, and activities What ADA 504 does not: Guarantee success. Students are evaluated based on performance Give students with accommodations an “unfair advantage”

Student Responsibilities Registering for DSS Disclose your disability in a timely manner Register online for DSS and provide appropriate documentation for review Inform the DSS counselors of accommodation needs/concerns Implementing Accommodations Students are expected to meet with their professors early on in the semester to: - provide the professor with a copy of their MOA - discuss their specific needs for each class - arrange for specific course/testing accommodations, as necessary Accommodations are not retroactive and do not apply to course work and/or testing that was assigned prior to notification via the MOA (Memorandum of Accommodation) Follow-up Student’s are expected to inform their DSS counselor of barriers/concerns that arise immediately Student’s should notify the DSS counselor of any changes to disability/medical diagnosis and provide additional documentation, if needed Student’s are required to request an updated MOA prior to the start of each semester. 

Faculty Responsibilities Implement accommodations listed on the Memorandum of Accommodation (MOA) Contact the Disability Support Services with any questions on how to use the MOA or accommodate the student Contact the Disability Support Services if there are questions about a specific accommodation. There may be times where an alternative accommodation is acceptable

COMMON AUXILIARY AIDS/SERVICES The college is required to provide: Interpreter services Use of recording device/Smart Pen for lectures Use of Assistive Technology Alternative format of material (e.g., braille, large print, electron/accessible) Examination Modifications (e.g., extended time, AT, testing in a quiet environment) Preferential Seating Use of Reader/Scribe The college is not required to provide: Personal assistants Individual personal tutors/academic coaches Personal assistive technology The college does not construct accommodations that would alter the essential components and/or academic integrity of a course

Myths and Facts Students get to ask for what accommodations he/she wants and they are automatically given? False. The MOA is generated based on medical documentation, testing, and other assessment tools to determine which accommodations the student is eligible in accordance with ADA and college policies. Faculty do not have to provide copies of Power points because it is his/her intellectual property. False. If a student has this accommodation listed on the MOA, it must be provided if the Power points were used in lecture. As an employee of the College and as educators we cannot cite intellectual property to “withhold” accommodations.

Myths and Facts cont. Student states that he/she gets to turn in homework assignments late because he/she is allowed extra time. False. No student is given extra time for homework or projects as an accommodation. Students are only allowed extra time for in-class assignments and test/quizzes. Students are given a syllabus, therefore they know when all assignments are due. However, on a case by case a determination can be made to allow for make-up work (i.e. student is in an accident or out for medical reasons). An MOA is only accepted if presented to the professor during the first couple of weeks of class. False. Student may present an MOA at any time during the semester, and the accommodations must be implemented from that point on. However, accommodations are not retroactive and students are not given “redos” of previous assignments or examinations. Tip: You and the student can initial and date when the MOA was submitted (if given a hard copy).

Sample MOAs

Sample MOAs cont.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Webpage that provides resources and information on working with students with disabilities. https://www.nvcc.edu/disability-services/index.html Contact Disability Support Services General inquires: disabilityservices@nvcc.edu Contact campus based DSS Counselor or the DSS Counselor who issued the MOA To receive more information about the civil rights of students with disabilities in education institutions, you may contact us at : Customer Service Team Office for Civil Rights U.S. Department of Education Washington, D.C. 20202-1100 Phone: 1-800-421-3481 TDD: 1- 877-521-2172 Email: ocr@ed.gov Web site: www.ed.gov/ocr

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