ADA / Special Needs

Southern Union State Community College complies with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. Disability Support Services (DSS) are available to those qualified students with disabilities who meet the technical and academic standards at Southern Union State Community College are entitled to reasonable accommodations. It is the student’s responsibility to request accommodations and to provide appropriate documentation to the ADA Coordinator in order to receive services through Disability Support Services.

ADA Coordinators can meet virtually via Zoom or in-person.  

Accommodations Requests for New Students

1. Complete and submit a Request for Accommodations form. Students must also provide appropriate documentation from a professional stating the type of disability and recommendations for academic adjustments. The documentation should be dated within three years of enrollment. Please review the documentation criteria as listed in the Criteria for Disability Documentation.
2. Schedule an appointment to meet with the ADA Coordinator on the campus where you are registered to discuss your need for reasonable accommodations.
3. After being certified to receive reasonable accommodations at the College, the ADA Coordinator will provide an Accommodations Packet which will include an accommodations memo, which lists the reasonable accommodations to be provided, along with other documentation the instructor is required to sign.
4. At the beginning of each term of enrollment, the student must request an accommodations packet for the new semester. 

The student should present the Accommodations Packet(s) to their instructor(s) during the first week of class. Students who choose not to self-identify as a student needing accommodation when they begin classes as Southern Union do not forfeit their right to identify themselves and to receive accommodations at a later date. However, instructors are not obligated to provide accommodations or services for students with disabilities until students are registered with Disability Support Services and have an initial consultation with their instructor(s) about their request for accommodations.

The ADA Coordinator assigned to each campus is available to assist students when issues arise concerning their accommodations. 

Preparing for your first year in college? Check this out: College Preparation for Students with Disabilities Handbook (reprinted with permission)

Accommodations Requests for Transient and Transfer Students

1. Click here to complete an Request for Accommodations form. This can be printed from the Southern Union State Community College web page on the ADA/Special Needs page, or picked up from a DSS office on the campus where the student plans to attend.
2. You can request your accommodations provided by your prior school along with any medical documentation be forwarded to DSS from the institution that provided you with the academic accommodations. You will have to sign a release of information with the sending institution before any documents are forwarded to DSS. Once documentation is received, the student will need to make an appointment with the ADA Coordinator to discuss the accommodations needed and procedures for students with accommodations.
3. The ADA Coordinator will make a determination of the Accommodations needed and will provide an Accommodations Packet which will include an accommodations memo, which lists the reasonable accommodations to be provided, along with other documentation the instructor is required to sign. This make take up to 48 hours.
4. Once the student receives the Accommodations Packet, it is their responsibility to meet with their instructor to request accommodations and to discuss how accommodations will be implemented for the course.
5. Report any problems with accommodations with your ADA Coordinator.

Examples of Accommodations

Examples of accommodations include, but aren’t limited to: a liaison with faculty and staff, classroom adaptions, private testing, extended time for testing, note-takers, oral exams, captioning, and visually assistive computer software.

To request accommodations for events or services provided by Southern Union State Community College on any of its campuses, please contact the ADA Coordinator for the campus where additional services will be needed.

Forms

Criteria for Disability Documentation
ADA Release Form for Other Schools

For additional information, please review the Disability Support Services Information and Procedures Manual.

Campus ADA Coordinators

Additional Resources

College Preparation for Students with Disabilities Handbook (reprinted with permission)

Information and Technical Assistance on the Americans with Disabilities ACT: www.ADA.gov

Service Animal Policy (Department of Justice): https://www.ada.gov/service_animals_2010.htm
Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services  http://www.rehab.alabama.gov/home
Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students  http://www.bestcolleges.com/resources/college-planning-for-deaf-and-hard-of-hearing-students/
Students With Visual Impairments   http://www.bestcolleges.com/resources/college-planning-with-visual-impairments/
Students with Physical Disabilities  http://www.bestcolleges.com/resources/college-planning-with-physical-disabilities/
Students with Learning Disabilities  http://www.bestcolleges.com/resources/college-planning-with-learning-disabilities/Students with Psychiatric Disabilities  http://www.bestcolleges.com/resources/college-planning-with-psychiatric-disabilities/
Students with Hearing Loss https://householdquotes.co.uk/living-with-hearing-loss/