Academic Success & Accessibility
Contact Information
Kathy Meier
Director of Academic Success & Accessibility
Ph: (406) 771-4311
F: (406) 771-4342
Location: A116 on the first level of Weaver Library
Quick Links
Prospective Students Transitioning to College
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Eligibility and Documentation Guidelines
Eligibility
The definition of a disability is a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one of more major life activities. These include, but are not limited to, caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, eating, sleeping, walking, standing, lifting, bending, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating, and working. Civil rights laws protect students with disabilities from discrimination. The ADA and Section 504 protections also extend to students who have a record of or are regarded as having such an impairment, even if no such impairment currently exists.
Students with disabilities at Great Falls College have a right to reasonable accommodations in order to fully participate in the postsecondary educational experience. Students with disabilities are encouraged to advocate for themselves to the extent possible, and the office of Academic Success and Accessibility provides support and assistance in determining what accommodations are best suited to each individual. Students needing accommodations must apply for services through the office of Academic Success and Accessibility and be determined eligible.
Students with disabilities who may wish to use accommodations during their education are encouraged to register in the early stages of their college planning with the Director. Although students can request services at any time, please remember that services are not retroactive. Students who apply for services will need to meet with the Director to discuss support services and accommodations. This is separate process from the Admissions process. It is the student’s responsibility to initiate the request for services.
Students requesting accommodations must meet with the Director of Academic Success and Accessibility to determine appropriate accommodations. Appropriate documentation of disability will be reviewed by the Director and accommodations will be determined based upon the students’ self-report and appropriate documentation of the disability. Together, the Director and the student will determine reasonable accommodations based upon the impact of the student’s disability. Students needing classroom accommodations will need to get Request for Classroom Accommodation forms from the Director each semester for each instructor.
Documentation
Because modification requests are individualized based upon each student’s disability, it is necessary to establish not only the existence but the functional impact of the condition on the student in an academic setting. While much of this information can often be obtained through a structured interview with the student, documentation from a qualified professional is an essential factor in determining reasonable modification with each student.
Appropriate documentation should substantiate the disability and present evidence to establish the need for modification. Suggested types of documentation include medical records, psycho-educational testing, and school records. In most cases, documentation should come from an impartial, qualified health care provider who is involved with the diagnosis and/or treatment of the student’s condition. The documentation should indicate the student’s most recent diagnosis and should reflect the student’s current level of impairment and functional limitations due to the disability. If the student’s medications or treatment has a functional impact that may affect his or her ability to meet the demands of the postsecondary environment, the documentation should indicate this. Documentation should include recommendations for modifications in the educational setting.
When a student’s condition or its impact changes, he or she must provide the Director with an updated version of the documentation. An individualized education program (IEP) or Section 504 plan, may help identify services that have been effective for you. Because of the differences between postsecondary education and high school education, Disability Services will make final determination of whether appropriate and reasonable modifications are warranted and can be provided to the individual.
Authorization for Release and Exchange of Information
High School vs College Services
Students with disabilities are entitled to accommodations in school, be it K-12 (public) or post-secondary education. However the nature and delivery of those accommodations, as well as the distribution of responsibility, differ significantly between high school and college. The following links illustrates some of these differences:
Difference 1: IDEA/ADA and Section 504
High School: IDEA and Section 504 are the laws that mandate “free and appropriate public education” for all K-12 students, no matter what the ability level; education at this level is a right
College: The ADA and Section 504 guarantee equal access to post-secondary education by requiring “reasonable accommodations” to college students who are “otherwise qualified” as a student; education at this level is a privilege
Difference 2: Qualification
High School: The only qualification for public education is age; students with disabilities may qualify for special education
College: “Otherwise qualified” students must meet all entrance and academic progress requirements with or without reasonable accommodation; there is no “special education” in college
Difference 3: Accommodations
High School: In order to meet the “free and appropriate public education” requirements, educational standards may be compromised by making such accommodations as shortening assignments, allowing students to use notes, books or other resources on tests when other students may not, or taking untimed tests
College: No accommodation at the post-secondary level may reduce standards or in any way compromise the integrity of the course; accommodations must be deemed reasonable, and agreed upon by the student, the DS provider and the instructor; e.g. extended time for tests may be a reasonable accommodation, but untimed tests is not reasonable
Difference 4: Notification of Disability
High School: Accommodations are driven by the Child Study Team, consisting of teachers, counselors, school psychologists, parents and the student, which develops an IEP or 504 Plan
College: There is no team, no plan, no notification of instructors except by the student, and parents are not involved in any way except at the written request of the student
Difference 5: Placement/Intergration
High School: Various levels of placement are available with varying levels of integration into the regular classroom; the student’s “team” determines which placement is the “least restrictive environment” (required by IDEA)
College: Full integration with or without reasonable accommodations is the only option
Difference 6: A Student’s Plan / Request
High School: A student’s plan, academic history and needs are shared with all teachers before s/he enters the class
College: Instructors will only be contacted by the college at the request of the student, and this request must be made for each instructor, for each course and renewed each semester; students may decline accommodations they do not need or want
Difference 7: Waivers
High School: Some graduation requirements may be waived if the student’s disability specifically interferes with his/her ability to successfully complete that subject or class
College: Many colleges and/or programs have a process in place to determine eligibility for course substitutions when a student’s disability affects that subject (e.g. foreign language), but waivers are not an option
Difference 8: Personal Care Services
High School: Public schools must provide assessment services, physical, speech or other therapy, or personal care services needed while the student is in school
College: Personal care, medical, psychological and/or therapeutic services and other non-academic needs are the responsibility of the student
Difference 9: Information Disclosure
High School: Teachers may be provided with educational information about a student’s disability, or they may be expected to learn as much as they can about their student’s disability
College: The only information instructors are given by the college is what accommodations are appropriate, and then, only when requested by the student to do so; students may choose to disclose information about their disability, but instructors may not ask students about their condition, nor are they expected to gather information or “be informed”
Difference 10: Responsibility for Determination of Disability
High School: The primary responsibility for identification, assessment (as appropriate) and determination of disability and for requesting accommodations is on the school
College: The primary responsibility for identification, assessment and determination of disability and for requesting accommodations is on the student
If you have a disability and are transitioning from high school into the college setting, you are strongly encouraged to investigate your college-of-choice’s services for students with disabilities. Most colleges have a process in place for arranging accommodations for students with disabilities; some processes are centralized through a disability services office, while others are decentralized, with departments and programs making those arrangements.
