3.15 - Student Disability Accommodation Policy
Policy Number - 3.15
Approved: 09/17/2024
Purpose
Kansas City Kansas Community College (KCKCC) is committed to the accessibility of all programs and services for students with disabilities in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended in 2008.
Definitions
Disability – A physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. Reasonable Accommodation – Accommodations that do not cause an undue financial or administrative burden or fundamentally alter the nature of the course, academic program, or other College programs and services.
Fundamental Alteration – Modification that reduces the goals, academic standards, or expected outcomes of a course, academic program, or other College programs and services.
Policy Statement
KCKCC is required to provide reasonable, appropriate, and equally effective accommodations to provide accessibility for disabled students to College programs and services.
Student Accessibility and Support Services (SASS) is KCKCC’s designated office for determining disability-related accommodations for students. Students are encouraged to request accommodations well in advance of the start of coursework, program, or utilization of the service to ensure access and participation.
Reasonable accommodations are arranged on a case-by-case basis depending on the individual need and are determined based on the self-reporting of the student and the documentation submitted that substantiates the disability.
Reasonable accommodations cannot be retroactively applied, and course or academic program accommodations must be requested for each semester of enrollment.
Disabilities may include, but are not limited to:
- attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder,
- blindness/vision loss,
- brain injury,
- communication disorders,
- chronic health impairments,
- deafness or hard of hearing,
- learning disabilities,
- physical disabilities,
- psychological disabilities,
- seizure disorders
Reasonable accommodations may include, but are not limited to:
- extended time on timed exams,
- distraction reduced testing environment, and
- accessible textbooks and instructional materials.
Instructor Obligations for Student Disability Accommodations:
- If a student self-identifies to an instructor as having a disability, instructors are responsible for referring them to SASS to determine a reasonable accommodation for the academic course or program.
- Instructors are responsible for providing the approved accommodations from SASS listed on the Notice of Accommodations letter.
- If the instructor feels the accommodation fundamentally alters the nature of the course or program or if there are additional accommodations that can be made, they are responsible for discussing the concern with SASS and not discussing the accommodations directly with the student.
- Instructors shall not provide any accommodations to students that are not listed on the approved Notice of Accommodations letter.
Appeals Process
If a student with a disability believes that they have not received appropriate accommodation, they are requested to follow the appeal procedure outlined in the Student Disability Accommodations procedure. If the student feels the complaint has not been properly addressed, the student may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights by contacting them at:
Office for Civil Rights
U.S. Department of Education
8930 Ward Parkway, Suite 2037
Kansas City, MO 64114
Phone: (816) 268-0550
Fax: (816) 823-1404