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Services for Special Populations


Welcome to Isothermal Community College! 

We are committed to providing access to facilities and reasonable accommodations in compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.  Our goal is to integrate students with disabilities into the College and to help them participate and benefit from programs and activities enjoyed by all students.

 Isothermal Community College is committed to helping you improve life through learning.

Disability Defined

Confidentiality Policy

Office Location

Accommodations For...

Available Services and Equipment

Student Accommodation Process

Disability Resource Links
 

student in wheelchair
Disability

An individual with a disability, as defined by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, is one who has a mental or physical impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities, has a record of such impairment, or is regarded as having such impairment.  Federal law requires that no "otherwise qualified" person with a disability shall be excluded from participation, denied a benefit, or be discriminated against solely on the basis of disability.

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Confidentiality

Isothermal Community College, in the execution of its responsibilities to students, must maintain accurate and confidential student records.  The Office of Student Affairs has the responsibility for maintaining these records in accordance with existing state laws, college policy, and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 as amended. Students are notified annually of their rights.

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Location

The Disability Services Office is located in the Office of Student Affairs, Building 10/Student Center. 

For more information, please contact:
Kelly Hargett, Disability Services Coordinator/Outreach Specialist
828-286-3636, Ext. 422 / TTY  828-288-9844

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Accommodations

The Disability Services Office provides accommodations for (but not limited to) the following:

  • Visual Impairments

  • Hearing Impairments

  • Physical Impairments

  • Learning Disabilities

  • Attention Deficit Disorder/Hyperactivity Disorder

  • Chronic Medical Conditions

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Available Services and Equipment

Isothermal Community College provides services and equipment for students with disabilities such as (but not limited to):

  • Academic, career and disability counseling

  • Admissions assistance

  • Interpreters

  • Notetakers

  • Testing Accommodations

  • Adaptive Technology

  • Referral to community agencies

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Student Accommodation Process

Students with disabilities are expected to meet qualifications and maintain essential institutional standards for courses, programs, activities, and facilities.  The Disability Services Office promotes self-advocacy.  Students are encouraged to be independent thinkers who know their learning strengths and weaknesses and subsequently develop appropriate coping strategies for academic success, including approaching instructors and discussing any disability services they may be receiving.  This philosophy promotes independence and develops the skills students will need to function successfully in the world of work.  In order to establish eligibility for accommodations, students must:

  • Complete an Isothermal Community College application and return it to the Office of Admissions

  • Provide an official copy of high school or GED transcript to the Office of Admissions

  • Schedule an appointment to the take the ASSET placement test.  Students should contact the Disability Services Coordinator at 828-286-3636, ext. 422 to arrange accommodations for testing if needed.

  • Notify the Disability Services Coordinator of the need for services 30 days prior to registration.

  • Complete and return the accommodation request form and provide acceptable documentation to the Disability Services Coordinator.

Documentation must be provided from an appropriately licensed/certified professional and must be complete enough to establish the student's status as a person with a disability as well as establishing the need for any requested accommodations, including those associated with placement testing.  In most cases, the documentation should be no older than three years.  An Individualized Education Plan is not considered acceptable documentation.

Once the accommodation request form and documentation of the disability is received, the student and the Disability Services Coordinator will meet to discuss the necessary accommodations.

The Disability Services Coordinator will prepare instructor notification letters for the student's faculty member each semester outlining the accommodations to which the student is entitled. 

The student must pick up instructor notification letters from the Disability Services Coordinator and deliver to instructors.

It is important to note that while the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act protects the rights of qualified students with disabilities, it also affirms their right to refuse any accommodation.  Thus, student are not required to register with Disability Services, identify themselves to instructors, staff or others as having a disabilities, or accept accommodations they do not want or need.

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Disability Resource Links

Please note:  the following links are for external web sites that are not connected with Isothermal Community College.  Including them on this page does not indicate any endorsement by Isothermal and Isothermal is not responsible for the accuracy of their content.

AHEAD www.ahead.org

Heath Resource Center www.heath.gwu.edu

ADA Title II Technical Assistance Manual www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada

Postsecondary Education Programs www.pepnet.org

American Council of the Blind www.acb.org

National Federation of the Blind www.nfb.org

Recordings for the Blind and Dyslexic www.rfbd.org

LD Association of America www.ldanatl.org

ADD www.chadd.org

National Rehabilitation Information Center www.naric.com

Office of Civil Rights www.ed.gov/offices/OCR

Office of Civil Rights Transition www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/transition.html

College Foundation NC Transition www.cfnc.org/home/sc/pdf/transitions.pdf

Univeristy of Washington www.washington.edu/doit/Resources/postsec.html

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