GUIDELINES FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
Welcome to Mississippi
Gulf Coast Community College. It is our goal to provide to students
with disabilities the opportunity to complete a chosen curriculum by
providing accessibility to program offerings. This information
is a guide to your rights, responsibilities and procedures for obtaining
and using the support services for students with disabilities. If
you feel unsure about what you should do, contact the Special Populations/
Disability Support Service office or the Dean of Student Services at
the campus or center nearest you.
The ADA Law and You
AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES
ACT (ADA)
The Americans with Disabilities
Act (ADA) is a comprehensive national mandate that ensures basic civil
rights for individuals with disabilities. The ADA provides assurance
of access to education programs and employment opportunities for adults
with special learning needs. The ADA defines an individual with
a disability as a person who has a physical or mental impairment that
substantially limits one or more major life activities. These major
life activities include seeing, hearing, speaking, walking, breathing,
performing manual tasks, learning, caring for oneself and working.
SECTION 504
Section 504: No
otherwise qualified handicapped individual shall, solely by reason of
his handicap, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits
of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving
federal financial assistance.
--Rehabilitation Act of 1973
SECTION 504 AND
POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION
Specific provisions of
Section 504 related to postsecondary education prohibit discrimination
against handicapped persons in recruitment, admission and treatment after
admission. According to the regulations, colleges and universities
are required to make “reasonable adjustments” to permit handicapped
students to fulfill academic requirements and to assure that disabled
students are not effectively excluded from programs because of the absence
of auxiliary aids.
WHO IS QUALIFIED?
A person qualified for
postsecondary education under Section 504 is “one who meets the
academic and technical standards requisite to Admission or participation
in the recipient’s education program or activity.” A
handicapped person is defined by the regulations as “any person
who (I) has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits
one or more major life activities,
(II) has a record of such
impairment or (III) is regarded as having such impairment.” Note: The
definition of physical or mental impairment includes specific learning
disabilities.)
PROVISIONS OF SECTION
504
Subpart E of the regulations describes
ways of making postsecondary education accessible to disabled students. These
include the following:
a. Modifications “as
are necessary” to ensure that academic requirements are not discriminatory. Modifications
may include changes in the length of time required for completion of
degree requirements, and adaptation of the manner in which specific courses
are conducted. (The regulations state that academic requirements
that can be demonstrated as essential to a program of study or related
to licensing are not considered discriminatory.)
b. The
requirement that exams given to evaluate a student’s progress actually
test the student’s achievement rather than reflect the student’s
impaired sensory, manual, or speaking skills.
c. Auxiliary
aids, including taped texts, interpreters for students with hearing impairments,
readers for students with visual impairments, classroom equipment adapted
for use by students with manual impairments, and other similar services.
Your Rights and Responsibilities
STUDENT RIGHTS
1. You
have the right to confidentiality.
2. You
have the right to equal access to programs, classes and facilities.
3. You
have the right to have reasonable accommodations provided.
4. You
have the same rights granted to every student enrolled at Mississippi
Gulf Coast Community College.
STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES
1. You
must disclose your disability to receive services.
2. You
must provide current, within the past three (3) years, documentation
of your disability from a qualified professional.
3. You
must request specific accommodations.
4. You
must complete the required paperwork.
5. You
must comply with all policies, codes and regulations of Mississippi Gulf
Coast Community College. (See Student Handbook)
Steps to Obtain Accommodations
- Your first step is
to identify yourself as a student with a disability and request specific
accommodations to the Special Populations/Disability Support Services
personnel on the campus or center nearest you. “Accommodations” include
a range of services, equipment and modifications, designed to allow
you to do your best. Accommodations vary according to the disability. You
must request specific accommodations to the Special Populations/Disability
Support Services personnel.
- Your next step is to
obtain documentation of your disability and provide this information
to the Special Populations/ Disability Support Service personnel. Because
reasonable accommodations are based on the current impact of a disorder
or impairment, it is necessary that all documentation and testing should
be no more than three years old. The Special Populations will
consider your requests based on documentation submitted.
- Once you have documentation,
make an appointment with the appropriate Special Populations/Disability
Support Service personnel to discuss your particular needs.
These first steps should
be taken at least three weeks prior to registration. However,
if you are already enrolled, please see the appropriate contact personnel
as soon as possible. Remember that it is your responsibility to
inform the college of your needs and to request accommodations from the
appropriate personnel. Failure to notify the college means that
you will not have accommodations for your classes.
Once your documentation
has been received and the appropriate paperwork completed, your requests
will be reviewed by the Special Populations/Disability Support Services personnel. Copies
of approved accommodations will be given to your instructors and to you. During
the term, if you realize that an accommodation is not working or that
you need additional support, please bring that to the attention of the
appropriate personnel as soon as possible. Feel free to discuss
with your instructors any questions or concerns about your accommodations. It
is recommended that you take a copy of your accommodations to your instructors
for verification.
Special
Populations/Disability Support Services
Mississippi
Gulf Coast Community College
Jackson
County Campus
Gerry Anne Woodward: 228-497-7787
Dr. Bill Yates, Dean of
Student Services: 228-497-7647
Jefferson
Davis Campus
Gloria Smith : 228-896-2556
Jeff Donahoe, Dean of
Student Services: 228-897-3832
Applied Technology & Development
Center
228-897-4360
Anna Faye Kelley-Winders,
Community Campus Vice President
Keesler Center
228-432-7198
Patti Holloway, Assistant
Dean
West Harrison Center
228-868-6057
Dr. Janice Poole, Administrative Dean
Perkinston
Campus
Iris Menge 601-928-6325
Michelle Sekul, Dean of
Student Services: 601-928-6267
George County Center
601-947-9421
Suzan Bounds: 601-766-6426
Dean Belton, Administrative
Dean
Mississippi
Gulf Coast Community College is an Equal Opportunity Employer and welcomes
students and employees without regard to race, color, religion, national
origin, age, sex, or qualified disability. If you have questions
regarding services for students with disabilities, contact the Special
Populations/Disability Support Services office or the office of the Dean
of Student Services at the campus of your choice.
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