The policies and procedures for RSCC Disability Services are continually under examination and revision. RSCC Disability Services reserves the right to make changes as required to policies, procedures, and regulations.
Disability Services Information Form
This form must be completed and submitted to Disability Services with appropriate documentation.
Department and Staff Contacts
Please contact us if you have questions or to schedule an appointment. We are happy to assist you!
Main Department Phone Number (865) 354-3000, ext. 4365
(Please always leave a message. Be sure your voicemail is set up and not full.)
Main Department Email: accommodations@roanestate.edu
(Please check your official Roane State/Raidernet email regularly.)
Sonya Storey, Director of Student Care, Advocacy, and Accessibility Services
Email: storeysr@roanestate.edu
Phone: 865-354-3000, ext 4365
Roane County Campus; D-100 (Dunbar Building)
Tammy Hash, Accommodation Support Advocate
Email: hashta@roanestate.edu
Phone: 865-354-3000, ext 4249
Oak Ridge Campus; One Stop (Coffey McNally Building)
Website: www.roanestate.edu/disabilityservices
Overview
Section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended, prohibit discrimination against individuals with disabilities.
According to these laws, no “otherwise” qualified person with a disability shall, solely by reason of the student's disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity of a public entity.
“Qualified,” with respect to postsecondary education, means “a person who meets the academic and technical standards requisite to admission or participation in the education program or activity.”
Student accommodations are determined on an individual basis, based on each student’s unique needs in relation to the student's disability. Human Resources coordinates faculty and staff accommodations.
Reasonable Accommodations
- Reasonable accommodations are coordinated by appointment on a case-by-case basis.
- Reasonable accommodations must not fundamentally alter programs, services, activities, or academic requirements.
- Accommodations provide equal access, but do not guarantee success. Standards are not modified or lowered. Accommodations in college may be different than high school.
- Students must meet all admissions, academic, clinical, program requirements, and show competency in course materials and skills. Accommodations may be limited or not feasible in skills-based activities, clinicals, and internships due to core competency requirements.
- Attendance is essential to successfully completing most traditional face-to-face classes. Students with disabilities which impact attendance should consider online classes in which attendance is not a factor.
- Unlimited excused absences are not reasonable. Excused absences/extended deadlines are often not feasible in shorter term, accelerated classes, and certain other classes.
- Accommodations are not retroactive and do not roll from semester to semester.
- Accommodations may be amended by Disability Services if necessary.
- Personal assistants, and personal devices, such as wheelchairs and hearing aids, are the student’s responsibility in college.
- Tutoring is not an accommodation under the ADA, but is free and available to all students on a first-come, first-serve basis through the Learning Centers at RSCC.
Guidelines for Documentation
Consult with Disability Services staff about specific documentation required for your disability prior to submission.
- Learning disabilities documentation: The most recent and complete psychoeducational/psychological evaluation is needed, dated and signed by a provider qualified to diagnose, with the provider's credentials specified. The most recent IEP/504 plan is helpful, but not sufficient in and of itself.
- Psychological, physical, and other disabilities documentation: Typed letter from physician, healthcare, mental health, or other provider who is qualified to diagnose with their credentials specified on letterhead paper, listing specific diagnosis or diagnoses, not on a prescription pad. Letter needs to be dated and signed by the provider who is qualified to diagnose. Certain disabilities require additional specific documentation.
- Documentation submitted to Disability Services should be no more than 5 years old. However, in certain cases, older documentation may be accepted at the sole discretion of Disability Services.
- The College or Disability Services cannot administer/provide evaluations of any type. Evaluations, documentation, and any related expenses, are the student’s responsibility.
- Please note, private health information shared is kept in a secure database. Any paper copies will be scanned and destroyed securely within five (5) business days.
Student Role
- Participation in Disability Services is voluntary and the sole decision of the student.
- Students wanting accommodations should self-disclose directly to Disability Services.
- Complete and submit Disability Services Information Forms to Disability Services.
- Documentation submitted to Disability Services should be no more than 5 years old. However, in certain cases, older documentation may be accepted at the sole discretion of Disability Services.
- Information forms and documentation must be submitted before accommodations can be arranged.
- After registering for classes each semester, the student should immediately contact Disability Services for an accommodation appointment at least 8 weeks before classes begin. It is the student’s responsibility to schedule an accommodation appointment each semester with Disability Services.
- Accommodations are not retroactive, and apply only after the student meets with Disability Services each semester.
- Students must immediately notify Disability Services of any class schedule or instructor changes. It is the student’s responsibility to provide Disability Services with instructor names and emails.
- Student should privately discuss accommodations the first week of class with each instructor every semester. It is the student’s responsibility to verify that all instructors have received accommodations.
- Student should discreetly remind instructors about accommodations several days prior to each test/quiz and at other appropriate times throughout the semester.
- If student tests at a Testing Center, the student should schedule an appointment in advance with the Testing Center per the Guidelines for Testing Accommodations on the Testing Center website.
- Student should contact Disability Services immediately about any accommodation issues.
Faculty Role
- All full-time and adjunct faculty members are required to provide/allow reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities as outlined in the Accommodation Plan Form.
- Disability Services will email accommodations directly to the instructor. Instructor should privately discuss accommodations with the student.
- Contact Disability Services immediately for clarification or issues related to a student’s accommodations. Instructor should immediately notify Disability Services if an accommodation is not feasible or if it violates a core competency of the class. Remember that, by law, Disability Services cannot disclose the nature of a student’s disability to faculty or anyone outside Disability Services.
- Faculty are encouraged to provide testing accommodations. If this is not possible, faculty should arrange accommodated testing directly with the Testing Center in accordance with the Guidelines for Testing Accommodations and the RSCC Testing Center Accommodation Authorization Form on the Testing Center website. Note: Disability Services cannot provide proctoring/testing services.
- Refer students to Disability Services who request accommodations but do not have a written Accommodation Plan Form.
- Faculty are encouraged to ensure that all textbooks are accessible, offered in digital format, and available to students the first day of class.
- Ensure all handouts, software, online tests/quizzes, and other materials are accessible. Disability Services usually has no advance notice of student accessibility needs. Therefore, faculty are encouraged to work toward universal design and total course accessibility with the assistance/training of CTAT.
- Faculty are required by the ADA to provide accessible materials to students receiving accommodations at the same time, or before, other students.
- Accommodations are strictly confidential under ADA and should only be discussed privately with the individual student. This should be done separately from other students or individuals, including other students in the class receiving accommodations – even the same accommodation.
- Do not disclose any information to any third party including parents, spouse, attorney, or outside agency.
- It may be necessary for Disability Services to amend accommodations during the semester.
- Accommodations may be done anytime during the semester. Disability Services is required to consider all requests for accommodations.
Disability Services Role
- Provide information to prospective, new, and current students about the disability services process and how to request accommodations.
- Evaluate documentation submitted by students to determine eligibility for specific reasonable accommodations.
- Meet with students by appointment to complete the Accommodation Plan each semester.
- Serve as a liaison between students with disabilities and RSCC faculty/staff in order to coordinate accommodations/disability services.
- Provide consultations to faculty and staff related to student accommodations.
- Maintain confidential records separate from the student’s official college record.
- Disability Services cannot disclose information to parents, spouses, or any third party.
- Refer students to campus and community resources as appropriate.
- Promote awareness and training about Disability Services for students to RSCC faculty, staff, and students.
Alternate Format Textbook Information
- Students should purchase eTexts/online or digital books directly, if available. If eTexts are not available for purchase, students with an alternate format accommodation should check with Disability Services on options before purchasing/renting hard copy books.
- Disability Services provides alternate format textbooks, as available, to qualified students. Note that some textbooks are not available in alternate format, including eTextbooks.
- Students must request alternate format/eTexts at least 8 weeks before classes begin.
- Students are required to purchase or rent textbooks and provide proof of purchase to Disability Services before eTexts can be ordered, per publisher rules.
- All eTexts provided through Disability Services are never to be shared with another student or anyone else under any circumstances, per publisher rules.
- Students must immediately notify Disability Services of any class changes, such as dropping or adding classes, to ensure that the correct eTexts are ordered.
Volunteer Note Taker Information
- Volunteer student note takers, as outlined on Accommodation Plan Form for documented students receiving disability services, are provided on a voluntary basis by a fellow student.
- Instructor is requested to assist student in discreetly identifying a student note taker in the class. Volunteer note taker may also provide notes electronically.
- Students with a note taker accommodation should be allowed to take a picture of another student’s notes, notes on the board, and PowerPoints to aid in studying outside of class.
- Copies or electronic access of instructor notes (if available) and PowerPoints (if available) are helpful to students with note taking as an accommodation.
Sign Language Interpreting and Remote Live Captioning Services Information
- Important: Students should request a sign language interpreter or remote live captionist at least 8 weeks in advance before classes start. Requests submitted less than 8 weeks in advance will be accepted, but services may be delayed, or in some cases unavailable, for requests with a quicker turnaround which do not allow sufficient time to coordinate, or in which a provider with an outside agency is unavailable to fulfill the request.
- Services are arranged by Disability Services, not the student.
- It is the student’s responsibility to notify Disability Services staff when the student will be absent from class, will not need services for any reason, or in cases in which the student is aware of class cancellation(s) for any reason. The student should notify Disability Services as much in advance as possible of the absence or cancellation, and no less than 2 business days in advance. Disability Services will cancel services for those classes. Please contact Disability Services at department email accommodations@roanestate.edu.
- Sign language interpreting services may be temporarily suspended after two no-shows or last-minute cancellations. Interpreting services can be restored only after the student meets with a Disability Services staff member.
Grievance Procedure
Students who have a problem or concern pertaining to accommodations should contact a Disability Services staff member immediately. Most issues are successfully resolved at this level. If the accommodation issue is not resolved to the student’s satisfaction, the student may appeal to the Dean of Students. If a student feels discriminated against, please contact Lisa Steffensen, Dean of Students.
Reminder: Disability Services Information Form
This form must be completed and submitted to Disability Services with appropriate documentation.
