If you are a registered student with DSS you will not need to provide additional documentation. You can contact Paige George, the DSS Manager, at 636-922-8247 or pgeorge@stchas.edu to discuss additional accommodation requests. To discuss assistive technology options, you should contact Keith Kolander, the Assistive Technology Specialist, at 636-922-8492 or kkolander@stchas.edu.
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Disability Support Services
Office Hours
Regular
8 a.m.-4:30
M, Tu, W, F
8 a.m.-7 p.m.
Th
Summer Closed Dates
Fridays
June 15
June 29
July 6
July 20
As the situation surrounding the Coronavirus evolves, the Disability Support Services (DSS) office (Student Center 133D) will be open this fall by appointment only. Contact dss@stchas.edu or 636-922-8627 to schedule a time. You will not be able to walk into the DSS office during the fall semester without an appointment.
Paige George, the DSS Manager, will be available remotely throughout the fall by phone (636-922-8247), email (pgeorge@stchas.edu), and scheduled Zoom meetings.
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.
DSS Student Questions Regarding Remote Instruction and Accommodations:
Discuss any general access concerns with your instructor to determine if they can find a solution, such as providing transcripts or captions for an online lecture. If you need to request accommodations, please call DSS to schedule an appointment at 636-922-8627 or email dss@stchas.edu. We will be as flexible as possible in the forms of documentation that we will accept during this time. Be prepared to describe the barriers to learning you have encountered.
The DSS testing center will be open with limited availability in the fall. Online exams should be taken online unless there is an accessibility issue. Testing accommodations, such as extended time, should be arranged with your instructors. DSS is available to instructors and students to discuss unique circumstances, such as accommodations with remote proctoring using Examity.
If you have questions regarding assistive technology you should contact Keith Kolander, the Adaptive Technology Specialist, at kkolander@stchas.edu. There are directions for installing and using Assistive Technology at home in the DSS Workshop in Canvas.
- Once you have learned from your instructor how they will adapt the course for virtual instruction, let your note-taker know if you would like to continue receiving notes. Contact Mary Ann Neal at dss@stchas.edu or 636-922-8627 if you need help facilitating this.
- You may find that you no longer need a note-taker due to the course design changes. For example, lectures that are prerecorded videos can be watched at your own pace or instructors may share notes or transcripts of lectures to replace the need for your note-taker.
- Regardless of whether students continue receiving notes, all established note-takers will still receive the DSS Service Scholarship at the end of the semester.
- The DSS staff is still here to support you. Call or email us with any concerns you may have. We will be adding additional resources to the DSS Workshop in Canvas so continue to check for updates and Announcements there as well.
- The ACE Tutoring Center will be providing online tutoring. Students are encouraged to call 636-922-8444 to set up an appointment. Instructions will be sent following the call on how to connect to a tutor virtually.
- You can contact the Student Success office to schedule a virtual appointment with the Case Manager or Counselor to discuss any other concerns you may be having during this time. Call Teresa Drury at 636-922-8536.
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. (PLEASE NOTE - DUE TO COVID-19, PLACEMENT TESTING IS NOT CURRENTLY AVAILABLE AND OTHER MEASURES ARE BEING UTILIZED FOR PLACEMENT. SPEAK WITH THE DSS MANAGER TO LEARN MORE).
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.