Services for Students with Disabilities

Who Can Use Disability Services?

Any enrolled TCL student with a documented disability that affects their learning environment may be eligible for support. To receive accommodations, students must provide appropriate documentation at their own cost. Services are determined based on the specific needs of the student, the course requirements, and input from faculty and the Section 504 Coordinator.

Planning to Transfer?
Documentation requirements vary between colleges. If you’re transferring, be sure to check with the new college’s disability office. We’re happy to help guide you through the process.

Establishing Accommodations

• Students requesting accommodations due to a documented disability must self-identify as requiring special accommodations each semester as follows:
  • • Self-identify to Disability Services by emailing ada@tcl.edu
      
      And/or

• • • Complete the Disability Intake Form and return to ada@tcl.edu.
      
      Note: The provision of services in one semester does not guarantee the provision of services in subsequent semesters. The needs of a student may change over time. It is the student’s responsibility to request accommodations each semester.

• Students must provide current documentation obtained from an appropriate professional identifying the disability and recommended accommodations. The documentation must have been obtained in the most recent 5 years. TCL reserves the right, in compliance with existing laws and regulations, to determine what constitutes acceptable documentation.
• Students will work with Disability Services each semester to review documentation of the disability and to develop an educational accommodation plan. Accommodations must be reasonable and not alter the program outcomes or curriculum.
• Disability Services will provide the Faculty Accommodations Notification to professors of all classes in which students are enrolled so the recommended accommodations are communicated and understood by all parties. It is the responsibility of the student to discuss the implementation of the accommodations with professors. Students are under no obligation to discuss the disability or any other information that is not specifically included in the Faculty Accommodation Notification.

Example of Documentation

Attention Deficit Disorder

Relevant reports from the diagnosing physician or psychologist, or information from current therapist stating the disability and functional limitations.

Hearing Impairment

Physician’s statement that includes diagnosis, nature of disability, severity, and functional limitations, or records from public or private school that indicate services were provided.

Visual Impairment

Physician’s statement that includes diagnosis, nature of disability, severity, and functional limitations, or records from public or private school that indicate services were provided.

Psychological Disorder

Mental Health professional’s (psychologist, counselor, psychiatrist) statement that includes diagnosis, nature of disability, severity, and functional limitations.

Orthopedic Impairment

Physician’s statement that includes diagnosis, nature of disability, severity, and functional limitations may be required.

Other Health Impairment

Physician’s statement that includes diagnosis, nature of disability, severity, and functional limitations may be required.

Speech/Language Impairment

Report from a licensed speech pathologist stating the diagnosis, nature of disability, severity, and functional limitations may be required.

Learning Disability

Learning disabilities documentation must include an assessment that meets the following criteria: An IEP alone is not adequate. A student must have his/her most current psycho-educational evaluation.

The evaluation must be administered by a qualified professional, such as:

• State licensed psychologist or professional diagnostician
• Post-secondary staff in disability service or department of special education
• School psychologist
• Vocational Rehabilitation Division diagnostician

To be considered Learning Disabled, the assessment must indicate the following:

• Full scale/broad cognitive score on the Intellectual Assessment must fall in the average range or higher
• A significant difference (-1.5 standard deviations or more) must exist between the full scale/broad cognitive score and the standard score in one or more of the achievement areas or
• A wide scatter of scores based on age norm, either inter test or intra test on the WAIS-R or WJPED-R Cognitive.

If you were served in Special Education while in the public school system (itinerate, resource, or self-contained), we will determine your most current psycho-educational evaluation. This is the evaluation that determined you were eligible for services in Special Education. This is not an IEP. The IEP is not helpful when determining eligibility for services in post-secondary education. The IEP will tell us what you received in public school, it will not tell us why. Your evaluation will assist us in providing the most effective accommodations and services.