Disability Support Services

St. Charles Community College welcomes and supports a diverse student body. Disability Support Services (DSS) is responsible for ensuring accessibility for students. DSS advocates for an accessible academic/physical environment and works collaboratively with staff, administrators and faculty.

Disability Support Services coordinates support services which provide equal access to the college. SCC is committed to providing accessibility to its programs/activities and reasonable accommodations for persons defined as disabled under the Americans With Disabilities Act as amended in 2008 and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504. These acts protect qualified students with disabilities from discrimination.

Applying for Services

To apply for services you should schedule an appointment with the DSS manager. The process includes a review of your documentation and an interview with the manager. Accommodations and disability status are approved on a case-by-case basis. Accommodations are arranged to ensure access to all programs/courses at SCC.

New students should apply to the college online and complete their assessment test or submit ACT scores before meeting with the DSS manager. Each section of the assessment test is untimed and is taken on a computer. An online calculator is allowed for the math section. For more information, contact the Assessment Center. If accommodations are approved for the assessment tests, they will be provided through DSS and should be scheduled ahead of time.

During the initial appointment, the student and disability support services manager will discuss the documentation/disability and the impact upon the academic setting to assist in determining eligibility.

The manager will assess information provided by the student, third-party input (any documentation provided), observe and make a determination of eligibility for services.

Students are responsible for providing documentation of their disability. The DSS manager will evaluate all the information that is provided and make a determination on a case-by-case basis using the guidance provided by the Association of Higher Education and Disability.

The documentation should include each of the following:

• A clearly stated diagnosis from a qualified professional appropriate to the disability/non-relative
• Functional limitations as a result of the disability
• An oral report describing your needs

Forms of documentation that will be considered:

• Records of past accommodations and services from another college or high school (Summary of Performance, last IEP report, 504 plan, or most current diagnostic re-evaluation report)
• Formal psychological or medical evaluation reports
• Letters from current or past health, education or service providers (this could include The Missouri Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, Veterans Administration, etc.)

We need enough information to confirm that you have a disability and understand how it will affect you while you are at SCC. Information about past accommodations that were useful will help us make our recommendations. It is recommended that students submit documentation and meet with the DSS manager to arrange accommodations in a timely manner. Some accommodations may take longer to arrange, such as alternative formats and in-class note takers. The college will make a good faith effort in providing an approved accommodation or an alternate until the final approved accommodation can be arranged.

If sufficient information is available, accommodations will be discussed and can be finalized either during the appointment or at a later time. The Accommodations Request Form will be completed initially with the manager. This form will need to be completed by the student in each subsequent semester when requesting accommodations. The form provides the college with a written request of the accommodation(s), courses and semester. The DSS manager reviews the requests for approval. Any denials will be discussed with the student. In some instances, a student may be asked to make an appointment or contacted for clarification. Students can see the Grievance Procedures in the Student Handbook for more information.

Providing Access

The DSS office is now a one-stop-shop. You can have your accommodations approved at the same time that you are registering for classes. You should be able to have all of your advising needs met in DSS, unless you are an international student. Accommodations will be approved once you are enrolled in your semester classes.

Types of Services:

• Accommodations for the Assessment Test
• Assistive Technology (AT) Lab (located in Student Center 133G) is equipped with various types of adaptive hardware and software:
• Screen magnification (CCTV, ZoomText)
• Speech-to-text software (Dragon)
• Screen reading software (Kurzweil, JAWS)
• Livescribe pens
• Accommodations on exams – extended time, quiet environment, etc.
• In-class accommodations – note-taking, recording lectures, etc.
• Books on CD
• Interpreting or captioning services
• Braille documents
• Priority registration

Accessibility for Campus Guests

St. Charles Community College strives to provide reasonable accommodations to all people at any SCC-sponsored event. Please contact Disability Support Services at dss@stchas.edu or 636-922-8581 as early as possible to discuss your needs.

Limited accessible seating is available in the Donald D. Shook Fine Arts Building (FAB) and in the Daniel J. Conoyer Social Sciences Building (SSB).

Accessible parking is located on campus. See ADA Accessibility Map (PDF) for accessible building entrances and parking spaces. Accessible parking is handled through the Department of Public Safety (DPS) – 636-922-8545. Only those vehicles with a state issued disabled plates or hang tags can park in ADA designated parking spaces.

All restrooms are fully accessible.