If you have a disability that is impacting your academic performance, you will need to provide acceptable documentation of that disability to the Office of Support Services. The documentation must be supplied by a qualified professional who is licensed or certified to diagnose the disability. An appointment should be made with a Support Services Counselor to review the documentation and discuss the request for accommodations.
TJC welcomes students with disabilities with the potential for academic success in post-secondary education. TJC is committed to providing qualified students with disabilities equal access to its facilities, activities and programs.
As amended, section 504 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) require that public colleges and universities provide reasonable and appropriate accommodations for otherwise qualified students with disabilities.
Accommodations may include permission to tape record lectures, relocation of classes or programs to accessible locations, arranging special testing locations, using a sign language interpreter, etc. Accommodations are provided individually following presentation (by the student) and assessment (by the College) of documentation confirming the presence of a disability that causes a substantial limitation as defined under Section 504 and the ADA.
Disability Services Information
Frequently Asked Questions
A disability is defined in the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 504 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as a mental or physical impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities. Learning is an example of a major life activity. If you have a mental or physical condition, a history of such a condition, or a condition which may be considered by others as substantially limiting, you may have a legally defined disability.
Appropriate and reasonable academic accommodations create an equal access to education, as long as it doesn’t require a substantial change in an essential element of the curriculum and class. This is determined by the Disability Review Committee. Accommodations may include an adjustment in the amount of time allowed to complete an exam, permission to tape record classroom lectures, a separate testing area with minimal auditory and visual distractions, volunteer note takers, etc.
Acceptable documentation should include the following information:
- Should be current (in most cases, within the last three to five years)
- A specific diagnosis
- Level of severity of the disability
- Functional limitations due to the disability
- Recommended academic accommodations
The IEP can be used a supplemental resource of information, but it cannot be used as documentation of a disability.
Request Accomodations
To request accommodations, please click the appropriate link below. You will need to be logged in to Apache Access to submit your request.
Request a Sign Language Interpreter
To request a sign language interpreter, please click here to complete the request form.