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

2. 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

3. 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”

4. 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. 

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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.

8. 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).

9. Sample MOAs

10. Sample MOAs cont.

11. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Webpage that provides resources and information on working with students with disabilities.
Contact Disability Support Services
General inquires:
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 Phone: TDD: Web site:

12. QUESTIONS?