Students with disabilities have a right to reasonable accommodations in order to fully participate in the post-secondary educational experience. Students with disabilities are encouraged to advocate for themselves to the extent possible and to disclose the disability and submit necessary documentation to the the Director of Academic Success and Accessibility. Together, the Director and the student will determine reasonable modifications based upon the impact of the student’s disability. The office of Academic Success and Accessibility provides support and assistance in determining what modifications are best suited to each individual. Services are provided to qualified students on a case-by-case basis. Personal services and personal aides cannot be provided.
The office of Academic Success and Accessibility provides academic accommodations for students with diagnosed disabilities. The purpose of this form is to assist medical providers in documenting a student’s relevant disability information for determining accommodation eligibility. Note: This form serves as a supplement for providing disability documentation to the Director. Please include a physician’s or other health care professional’s letter stating diagnosis on professional letterhead. Other examples of documentation include a diagnostic report, or an IEP/504 plan. Individual Education Plans (IEPs), Summary of Performance (SOP), and/or Section 504 Plans from K-12 institutions may be submitted, including information to verify a disability, statements regarding current academic barriers, accommodations used in the past, and how a disability impacted a student academically.
Under the ADA of 1990, ADAAA of 2008, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, individuals with disabilities may be entitled to reasonable accommodations in order to ensure equal access. A disability is defined as a “physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.” To establish that an individual is qualified, documentation must confirm that a specific disability exists and that the disability requires accommodation. This would include information on onset, longevity, severity of symptoms, functional limitations, and effect of medications or other required treatment. Documentation must also support the request for specific accommodations and academic adjustments.
Accommodations and Services
The office of Academic Success and Accessibility provides support and assistance in determining what accommodations are best suited to each individual. Services are provided to qualified students on a case-by-case basis. Personal services and personal aides cannot be provided.
Services include:
Instruction, support services, and reasonable accommodations may include (but not limited to):
- Assistance with admissions, enrollment, and priority registration
- Placement testing
- Orientation to campus
- Registration
- Sign language interpreters
- Assistance with educational planning and career development
- Learning and study strategies
- Tutoring
Classroom Accommodations:
- Recording lectures
- Accessible seating
- Note-takers
- Copies of overheads and PowerPoints
- Sign Language Interpreters
- Assistive Listening Device
- Braille hand-outs
- Enlarged print handouts
- Wheelchair height tables
- Captioned videos
- Talking calculator
- Lumbar support chair
- Service animal
- Audio books
- Assistive technology
- CCTV
- Voice recognition software (Dragon Naturally Speaking)
- JAWS
- Text-to-speech program (Kurzweil 3000)
- Exam Accommodations
- Extended time for exams and quizzes
- Alternate format for exams
- Testing in a less-distractive environment
- Large print
- Scribe
- Reader
- Spell checker
- Assistance with Scantron
- Word processor for essay exams
- Use of assistive devices
Other College, University, or Board Testing Accommodations
Please be aware that other colleges, universities, and testing agencies (which administer standardized testing accommodations such as NCLEX, NREMT, PRAXIS, CST, CDA, etc.), have their own disability documentation requirements. Please do not assume that the documentation that you provide to the Great Falls College MSU Academic Success and Accessibility office will suffice for external testing agencies. Please contact the college, university, or board for which you are requesting accommodations. These agencies may require additional extensive documentation, and you should check out their requirements well in advance.