Baltimore City Community College
   
Sign into this site  
BCCC

{Disablity Support Services}

One way BCCC strives to ensure that people with disabilities have equal access is by providing reasonable accommodtions for qualified people with disabilities. Reasonable accommodations are a necessary part of meeting the requirements of the ADA. Reasonable accommodations are auxiliary aids and services, which are intended to assist college students with disabilities to achieve their full potential. Providing accommodations ensures equal opportunities for success in mastery of course material; it does not mean compromising the content, quality or level of instruction. All students are required to meet a standard of competency in coursework.

A prior history of accommodtions does not automatically qualify a student for accommodations or services. In addition, receiving services and accommodations at another college or university does not necessarily qualify a student for the same servies and accommodations at BCCC.

Both the request for the accommodation and the provision of the accommodation must be appropriate and timely. The DSSC will address requests for accommodations in a timely manner, but the office cannot guarantee the availability of approrpriate accommodations without ample lead-time to make preparations and/or investigate resources.

The accommodation process starts when a student contacts the Disability Support Services Center and makes a request for a disability related accommodation.The following services are available for BCCC students with documented disablities through DSSC:

  • Academic, Career, and Personal Counseling. DSSC provides support for academic planning, social or personal concerns, and problem-solving techniques. DSSC emphasizes helping students to develop strong self-advocacy skills.
  • Individualized ACCUPLACER Testing. Students with disabilities may choose to take the ACCUPLACER Placement Test using an alternative format within the DSSC (enlarged print, braille, audio tape).
  • Diagnostic Testing. DSSC offers psycho-educational assessment to evaluate overall intellectual functioning, cognitive aptitude, and academic achievement.
  • Testing Accommodations. Testing accommodations are changes in the standard administration of a test including testing procedures and/or formats.
  • Interpreter Services. Sign language and oral interpreters are provided with advance notice.
  • Notetakers. Notetakers are provided for eligible students upon request. The note-taking service is used when the physical act is prohibited, when a learning disability prevents paying attention and when there is a sensory disabiity. Not all students who request note-takers will receive them, there may be situations where a tape-recorder would serve the student's need just as well as a note-taker.
  • Readers & Scribes. Readers and Scribes are provided for test taking only.
  • Adaptive Equipment. Equipment is availabe for students with disabilities to borrow (tape recorders, calculators, etc.).
  • Tutoring. Tutoring services are considered a personal service and are not mandated by the law. However, DSSC recognizes that this is a service that facilitates student success at BCCC. Therefore, peer tutors are provided for DSSC students enrolled in developmental studies courses.
  • Alternate Formats for Written Materials. These include tape, large print, and electroinc formats. Advance notice is necessary for textbooks and DSSC asks for eight (8) weeks notice.
  • Tuition Waiver. Any person who is disabled enrolled in any Maryland Community College who meet the Social Security standard of disability and are receiving disability from the Social Security Administration is entitled to the tuition waiver.
  • Student Success Workshops. Throughout each semester DSSC offers workshops and assistance in the areas of study strategies, test-taking skills, time management, note-taking skills, and test anxiety.
  • Assitive Technology Lab. The assistive technology lab in the DSSC offers adaptive equipment and software for students registered with the office (e.g. ZoomText, JAWS, DyslexiWrite, Inspiration, etc.)
  • Assistive Technology and Open Computer Labs. BCCC offers JAWS and Zoomtext at the open computer labs located at the Liberty Campus Main Bldg 055, Harbor Campus Bard 411, and RPC 111.