Metropolitan Community College - Kansas City

POLICIES & PROCEDURES

Disability Documentation Guidelines

Metropolitan Community College (MCC) complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act that prohibits discrimination in admission or access to its programs based on disability. Each MCC campus has a Disability Support Services (DSS) office that works with students with disabilities to arrange accommodations. Students who are requesting accommodations should contact and provide disability documentation to the campus DSS Coordinator. The DSS Coordinator will consider all of the information you provide (including, but not limited to, the following):

• your description of your needs
• records of past accommodations and services from another college, state or national standardized tests (such as ACT), and/or high school (such as an IEP or 504 plan)
• formal psychological or medical evaluation reports
• letters from current or past health, education, or service providers

We need enough information to confirm that you have a disability which substantially limits a major life activity and understand how your disability will affect you at MCC. It is your responsibility to identify the accommodations you are requesting. You may want to consider and tell the DSS Coordinator how your disability affects the following:

• communication
• classroom, laboratory, and online learning
• reading and writing
• the use of technology
• the physical environment
• group projects, formal and informal social interactions, etc.

Information about past accommodations that were useful can be helpful. Also, if the impact of your disability changes over time or has known triggers, please let us know.

These general guidelines were developed to assist you with thinking about your needs and preparing information so that we can evaluate your request and make recommendations regarding your requested accommodations. If you have questions, please contact us.

MCC-Blue River DSS Office

Arts & Sciences, Room 113
Victorie Hollwell, DSS Coordinator - 816.604.6651
LuAnn Heacock, DSS Administrative Assistant - 816.604.6636

MCC-Longview DSS Office

Campus Center, Room 208
Jennifer Argo, DSS Coordinator - 816.604.2254

MCC-Maple Woods and BTC DSS Office

MW Learning Resources Building, Room 167
Kim Fernandes, DSS Coordinator - 816.604.3192

MCC-Penn Valley DSS Office

Humanities Building, Room HU 001A
Mirella Jones, DSS Coordinator - 816.604.4293
Connie Spies, Counselor - 816.604.4152

Getting Started

1. Student chooses to self-identify to the DSS office
2. Student schedules an appointment with the campus DSS office
3. Student should read & review the documentation guidelines provided on this site
4. During the DSS appointment, a discussion and interview will take place to determine eligibility
5. During the appointment, documentation and a record of a disability will be discussed
6. Student is determined to be eligible or not eligible at that time
7. Accommodations are determined on a case-by-case basis

Additional Information

• Students can identify themselves to DSS as a student with a disability and request accommodations anytime during their education. Please note that accommodations are not retroactive.
• Early notification and self-identification to DSS can allow for more time to make arrangements for accommodations. DSS wants to be sure to provide accommodations in a timely manner.
• Accommodations are free. Students may incur expenses for a personal device, such as an audio recorder.
• Free tutoring is available to anyone enrolled at MCC. Please visit your campus Learning Center for more details. The DSS office does not provide tutoring.

Accommodation procedures

Your responsibilities

1. You must meet eligibility criteria as defined under the American with Disabilities Act (ADA). Refer to our disability documentation guidelines for more information.
2. You must self-identify to a Disability Support Services Coordinator.

   This must be made in a timely manner in order to allow MCC sufficient time to plan and provide the accommodations. Some accommodations, such as alternative formats and in-class readers and scribes, can take several weeks or longer to arrange. If you are eligible, but do not self-identify, you are not entitled to services.

3. You must provide documentation of the disability from a qualified professional.
4. You and an Disability Support Services Coordinator will plan accommodations.

   All accommodations agreed upon must be supported by the information or data in the documentation and must address your disability needs.

5. You have the responsibility to provide each instructor with the notification memo.

   You and your instructor should meet to discuss how the accommodations are to be addressed. Accommodations are not retroactive and will begin when the instructor receives the instructor notification memo. Any concerns or suggested changes should be directed to a DSS office.

6. You have the responsibility to communicate any concerns about accommodations to the instructor or a DSS Office Coordinator.

   You may request accommodations be added, adjusted or eliminated based upon your personal experiences in academic course work or changes in documented needs.

7. You have the right to file a grievance if you believe there has been discrimination on the basis of disability.

You may file a grievance internally with the designated site ADA Coordinator or externally with the Office of Civil Rights.

Our responsibilities

1. Our responsibility is to assure your documentation is relevant and from a qualified DSS Coordinator.

   If not, we can require you to secure additional documentation at your own expense. We will keep your documentation in a separate file in adherence to FERPA.

2. We will work with you and the faculty to implement appropriate accommodations.

   We will coordinate the provision of those accommodations at no cost to you. If you have a request for a specific academic adjustment, MCC may offer that or an alternative one if that would also be effective.

3. We will support you in developing advocacy skills.

   It is our goal that you become your own advocate. We recognize this is a skill that may need to be taught. We are available for support, clarification and general consultation.

Grievance Procedure

Students are encouraged to discuss disability-related concerns with DSS staff. The DSS Office will attempt to resolve issues by assisting the student in discussing concerns with the faculty member, department, or program; participating in such discussions; or calling the faculty member and/or head of the department in an effort to clarify and resolve issues. Most situations are positively resolved through this process.

If a satisfactory resolution is still not reached, information about MCC’s grievance procedure can be found at http://web.mcckc.edu/asp/infoex/prp/files/730030BP.pdf

If the complaint is not resolved at the college level, a student may choose to file a complaint with the Office for Civil Rights at http://www.ed.gov/ocr/.