disAbility Services
disAbility Support Services (DSS)
Spoon River College, in compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, provides support services ensuring that qualified students with disabilities have equal access to all educational opportunities offered at Spoon River College.
Eligibility Criteria
Documentation
Reasonable Accommodations
Student Responsibilities for Disability Support Services
How to Receive Services
A student with a documented disability is eligible to receive reasonable accommodations if the disability is a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities. Major life activities include: caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning and working. If a student wishes to receive services and/or accommodations, they must submit documentation of medical, psychological or other appropriate diagnostic evaluations to the disAbility Support Services office to document the nature and extent of the disability. Once documentation has been submitted, the student must contact the disAbility Services Advisor to schedule an appointment to complete the necessary request for accommodations forms. At this time, the disAbility Services Advisor will discuss with the student appropriate accommodations, how to access available services, and answer any questions the student may have. The disAbility Services Advisor may be reached in Canton/Havana at (309)649-6273, and in Macomb/Rushville at (309)833-6025.
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The type of documentation required may vary depending on the nature of the disability, but generally should include the following information:
- A diagnostic statement identifying the disability, date of the current diagnostic evaluation, and date of the original diagnosis.
- A description of the diagnostic criteria and/or diagnostic test(s) used.
- A description of the current functional impact of the disability.
- Treatments, medications, and/or assistive devices currently prescribed or in use.
- A description of the expected progression or stability of the impact of the disability over time.
- The credentials of the diagnosing professional.
(Lissner, L. Scott. DAIS Public Library. http://janejarrow.com/public_library/samplepolicy/index.html)
In addition to the above listed information, recommendations for specific accommodations may also be considered. Documentation should be current, preferably within the past three to five years. The age of acceptable documentation is dependent upon the nature of the disabling condition and the accommodation(s) requested. Appropriate accommodations will be determined by the disAbility Services Advisor using information from documentation received and through an interview with the student.
Current forms of the following documentation can be submitted:
- A medical/psychological disability verification form (available from the DSS office) completed by a qualified professional
OR - A letter or report from a qualified professional on office letterhead and signed by a qualified professional
OR - A high school IEP AND psychological assessment (the IEP alone is not sufficient documentation)
The Americans with Disabilities Act requires an institution of higher education to provide reasonable accommodations to a qualified individual with a documented disability, provided that the accommodation is not one of a personal nature (i.e. personal aide, special transportation, etc.), and does not create an undue hardship. An undue hardship refers to any accommodation that would be unduly costly, substantial, disruptive, or that would fundamentally alter the nature of the course or program.
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Student Responsibilities For Disability Support Services
- The student is responsible for registering for services with the disAbility Services Advisor and providing documentation of a disability.
- The student is responsible for telling the instructor that he/she has a disability and to discuss the necessary accommodations. The disAbility Services Advisor will send an instructor notification form to each of the student's instructors to facilitate discussion between the student and the instructor regarding methods that will make the course fully accessible for the learning style of the student.
- After disability accommodations have been determined , the student should strive to be successful in the coursework as enrolled. Students are encouraged to utilize the success strategies that are as follows:
- Regular and punctual attendance of classes
- Consistent and effective study habits
- Read the textbook and other necessary material
- Take good notes
- Do all homework assignments
- Consult with the instructor when there are questions
- Commit to college as a serious goal and objective
- The student should communicate with fellow students whenever possible to contribute to the class interaction. Peer interaction is an important aspect of learning.
- If a sign language interpreter is required, it is the student's responsibility to register early and to request interpreters through the disAbility Services Advisor to facilitate the coordination of available qualified interpreters with the student's schedule.
- When there are any questions or need for advice or assistance, the student should contact the disAbility Services Advisor in:
Canton/Havana 309-649-6273 (voice) or 309-649-7005 (TTY)
Macomb/Rushville 309-833-6025 (voice) or 309-833-6032 (TTY
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It is recommended that new students request services prior to the beginning of the semester, although accommodations can be requested at any time throughout the semester. Depending on the nature of a student’s disability, accommodations may be provided for the placement test (Compass). If a student believes he/she is in need of accommodations for placement testing, he/she needs to contact a disAbility Services Advisor and provide current test records, and/or medical records verifying a disability in advance of the testing date.
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