For example, a person with a facial disfigurement may not have an impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities, but others may regard him or her has having one due to how he or she appears.

Isn’t "disability" and "handicap" the same thing?

A "disability" is a condition caused by accident, trauma, genetics or disease that may limit a person’s mobility, hearing, vision, speech, or mental function. A person may have more than one disability.

A "handicap" is a physical or attitudinal constraint imposed upon a person; for example, stairs, narrow doorways, and curbs are handicaps imposed upon people with disabilities who use wheelchairs.

A reasonable accommodation is a modification or adjustment to a course, program, service, job, activity, or facility that enables a qualified individual with a disability to have an equal opportunity to attain the same level of performance or to enjoy equal benefits and privileges as are available to an individual without a disability. Some common academic accommodations include extended time on tests, use of peer notetakers, use of computer with spellcheck, and provision of sign language interpreters.

How does a student become eligible to receive accommodations?

To become eligible, a student must have a documented disability and inform the College that he or she is requesting accommodations based on that disability.

Who determines the accommodation?

"Accommodations don’t make things easier, just possible; in the same way eyeglasses do not improve the strength of the eyes, they just make it possible for the individual to see better. Accommodations are interventions that allow the learner to indicate what they know. Without the accommodations, the learner may not be able to overcome certain barriers."  (Samuels, M. 1992 - Asking the Right Questions. The Learning Centre. Calgary)

Accommodations are designed to lessen the effects of the disability and are required to provide fair and accurate testing to measure knowledge or expertise in the subject. Careful consideration must be given to requests for accommodations when the test is measuring a skill, particularly if that skill is an essential function or requirement of passing the course, such as typing at a certain speed or turning a patient for an x-ray. In such cases, please contact a DSS counselor for guidance.

The purpose of such academic accommodations is to adjust for the effect of the student's disability, not to dilute academic requirements. The evaluation and assigning of grades should have the same standards for all students, including students with disabilities.

For many test takers, the most common accommodation is extended time. Double time is the maximum extension unless the DSS counselor gives prior approval. In specific circumstances, students may also require the use of readers and/or scribes, a modification of test format, the administration of examinations orally, or an alternative time for testing. For out-of-class assignments, the extension of deadlines may be justified, especially if the student is relying heavily on support services (readers for term papers, etc.).

Ask for the Accommodations Letter from DSS; this letter describes the accommodations that faculty are legally mandated to provide. During an office hour or at another convenient time, discuss the letter and the accommodations with the student. Students MUST present an Accommodations Letter from DSS to receive accommodations. If the student does not have an Accommodations Letter, he or she should be referred to the DSS office to request services. The DSS counselors will determine the appropriate accommodations after reviewing documentation of the disability providedby the student.

Students have a responsibility to give instructors and DSS adequate time to arrange accommodations. DSS counselors encourage students to identify early in the semester. Instructors can help by announcing in class and in the syllabus an invitation for students to identify themselves early in the semester: "Any student who may need an accommodation due to a disability, please make an appointment to see me during my office hours. A letter from Disability Support Services authorizing your accommodations will be needed."

Once a student has identified to the instructor and requests disability-related accommodations authorized by DSS, the College has a legal responsibility to make reasonable attempts to accommodate the need, even late in the semester. There is no responsibility to provide accommodations prior to identification; for example, allowing the student to re-take exams with extended time.

DSS is the office designated to receive and interpret documentation of the disability. DSS counselors certify eligibility for services and determine accommodations. Disability information is confidential and students are not required to disclose this information to instructors.

What if I suspect that a student has a disability?

Talk with the student about your concerns regarding his or her performance. If the concern seems disability-related, ask if he or she has ever received assistance for a disability. If it seems appropriate, refer the student to the DSS office to apply for services. Whether to self-identify to DSS is the decision of the student; however, to receive accommodations, disclosure to DSS with proper documentation is required.

Treat the student as you would any student who is not performing well in your class. Invite the student to your office hour to discuss reasons for the failing performance and what resources the student may use to improve. Encourage the student to see a DSS counselor to discuss some additional strategies to improve his or her grades. Contact the DSS counselor who initialed the Accommodations Letter to discuss any additional concerns.

A notetaker is a usually another student in class who agrees to provide copies of lecture notes taken during class. The notetaker may make copies of notes at the DSS office or use carbonless notetaker paper available at no charge from DSS and/or in the College bookstores at minimal cost.

How can I assist a student with getting notes?

In the unlikely event that a student shows up for the first day of class without an interpreter, the student should be referred to DSS. DSS will then attempt to schedule an interpreter or work with the student to rearrange his or her schedule into classes where an interpreter is already provided.

Who is responsible for requesting an interpreter?

Students requiring an interpreter for class must make the request to DSS at least three weeks before the last day of regular registration. For outside class requirements, such as field trips or other assigned activities, as well as office hours, students should request the interpreter in writing to DSS at least two weeks ahead of time or more, depending on the event. For a College-related event, such as a meeting, workshop, or discussion group, the sponsoring department or organizer should request an interpreter from DSS using the interpreter request form available from the DSS office 240-567-5058. DSS cannot guarantee an interpreter when requests are made less than two weeks before the event.

Interpreters are professionals who facilitate communication between hearing individuals and people who are deaf or hard of hearing. The role of the interpreter is similar to that of a foreign language translator: to bridge the communication gap between two parties.

A "Faculty Factsheet" on seizure disorders (.pdf format) is also available.

DSS encourages students with seizure disorders to inform their instructors about what should be done if a seizure occurs during class time. Some students request that Safety and Security be called immediately, others request action as listed below.