Disability Services

Welcome to the Central Lakes College Disability Services website.
Central Lakes College values diversity in our college community and is committed to ensuring equal access and opportunity to qualified students with physical, learning, or psychological disabilities. This website has been developed to provide information about Disability Services to prospective students, current students and parents, as well as, faculty and staff and any other individuals who wish to inquire about our services.

Judy Richer - Disability Coordinator - Brainerd jricher@clcmn.edu
Diane Wuollet – Disability Coordinator -Staples dwuollet@clcmn.edu

Brainerd Campus: 218-855-8128 or 800-933-0346
Staples Campus: 218-894-5182 or 800-247-6836
TTY: 218-855-8224 TTY: 218-894-5032

What is a Disability?

Type of Disabilities - You might have heard the saying that no two snowflakes are alike. The same thing can be said about a person with a disability. Persons with disabilities have many different characteristics. In fact, many persons with disabilities look just like everyone else; their disability may be hidden. Physical disabilities often cause a person to use special equipment like a wheel chair, cane, or prosthetic limb. Persons with physical disabilities may have difficulty with movement or self-care, but are otherwise just like anyone else. An example of an invisible disability is a psychiatric disability. This category includes conditions like bipolar disorder, depression, and many others. Medications and therapies often help persons with psychiatric disabilities to live and function successfully in the community. Cognitive disabilities vary tremendously and can also be difficult to see. Learning disabilities are in this category. A person with a learning disability usually has above average intelligence but difficulty learning, remembering and communicating information. Learning disabilities come in many different forms and although they usually affect a person's ability to complete school-related tasks, learning disabilities can also affect job performance. Some people with sicknesses or diseases such as epilepsy, diabetes, and cancer are considered to have a health-related disability. Not everyone who is sick has a disability. You should check with the coordinator for students with disabilities to see if you qualify for assistance. Sensory disabilities affect the senses and include blindness and deafness. Sensory and physical disabilities are usually easy for people to notice, but not all disabilities are visible. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a law written to protect persons with disabilities from discrimination. The ADA defines disability as any physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities such as caring for onesself, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning or working. For more information about the ADA, refer to the following website for more information. www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/adahom1.htm

Policy for Persons with Disabilities

PURPOSE OF THE DISABILITY POLICY - This policy is intended to ensure that Central Lakes College, Brainerd/Staples Campuses, as a public post-secondary educational institute, complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Public Law 93.112 and the 1991 Minnesota Law entitled "Policy for Students with Disabilities". No person shall be denied access to the college's facilities, employment by the college, nor higher education services of the college due to attitudinal barriers or physical barriers. No qualified individual shall be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, nor be subject to discrimination within the employment, the program, the courses, or the activities of the college. CLC affirms the rights of persons with disabilities to equal opportunity and treatment in recruitment, admission, progress, services and activities. POLICY - The Policy for People with Disabilities at Central Lakes College is intended to remove barriers to programs and services to meet the needs of all qualified persons with disabilities. The policy for students with disabilities at Central Lakes College ensures the provisions of supplemental support services to meet the needs of all documented, qualified, enrolled or disadvantaged which include: A. Support counseling and information that many include support groups, individual counseling and assessment, and referral services. B. Academic Assistant Services that may include: - Advocacy Services that designate Disability Coordinator at each campus serves as the primary contact and coordinator for students needing services, assisting in working individually with faculty and administrators, intervention procedures, and grievance procedures Please see Definition of a Disability to help you better understand who is eligible for disability services.

Definition of Disabilities
Persons with disabilities are those who have one or more of the following documented conditions:

Sight Impairment-Blind
Deaf/Hard of Hearing
Mobility Impairment-Wheelchair
Mobility Impairment-Other
Chemical Dependency
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
Developmental Disorder/Mentally Impaired
Traumatic or Acquired Brain Injury (TBI)
Systemic Disorder* Sight Impairment-Partial
Coordination Impairment (Loss of Manual Dexterity)
Speech/Language Impairment
Learning Disabled (LD)
Psychological Disability/Emotional Behavior Disorder (EBD)
Mildly, Moderately, Mentally Disabled
Other

Individuals who, because of their disabling conditions, cannot succeed in the employment, program course, or activity without special accommodations, auxiliary aids and services, or supplemental supportive services. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) extends the protection of civil rights laws to persons with disabilities. ADA expands the definition of disability as a condition that impairs a major life activity such as walking, hearing, seeing, or working. The ADA addresses four main areas: employment, public facilities, transportation and communications.

Application for Disability Services

http://www.clcmn.edu/disabilityservices/disabilitydoc.pdf

Accommodations

The law states that some students with disabilities have a right to
academic accommodations. Accommodations are changes to how things are normally done which provide you with an equal opportunity to participate in and enjoy the benefits of your education.

For all students with a disability: early syllabus availability; priority registration;
specialized adaptive equipment; curriculum modification; assessment accommodations;
campus and community referrals; access to computers; transition services
For students with hearing impairments: notetakers and tutorial referral;
interpreters, manual or oral; access to TTY/TDD phone
For students with a visual impairment: readers, note takers, and scribe services;
access to large print microcomputers; applications for recordings for the blind; print enlargement machine
For students with mobility impairments: accessible campus; special parking permits
For students with a learning disability: Vocational and educational planning;
Note takers and tutorial referral; Alternative test arrangements; Applications for textbook recordings

How to Receive Accommodations

The law states that some students with disabilities have a right to academic accommodations. Accommodations are changes to how things are normally done which provide you with an equal opportunity to participate in and enjoy the benefits of your education.
Steps to take if you think you have a disability. If you have a record of having a disability in the past or have one now, contact the Office of Student Disability Services at Central Lakes College. Present records to verify your disability. Next, you will need to determine whether your disability is substantially limiting your ability to be successful in the college setting. If it is, you may be entitled to accommodations. Keep in mind that accommodations must be reasonable and are provided to give you a fair chance at success in school, not a privilege or unfair advantage.
If you think you may have a disability but you do not have the necessary paperwork, contact the Office of Student Disability Services. We may be able to help you identify the steps you need to take to receive services and/or accommodation

PROCEDURES: Students with disabilities requesting needed services should follow these procedures:
1.) Contact the Disability Coordinator on the campus site.
2.) Provide recent, within 3 years, documentation of his/her disability.
3.) Participate in a team meeting to develop a Support Service Plan which will determine needs and reasonable accommodations.

Our Disability Services Office is here to help you to attain your goals within the college environment. By providing us with the required documentation and contacting us prior to your attending date we can be better prepared to assist you when you begin your studies at Central Lakes College. Please fill out the Application for Disability Services form and mail it to the address listed at the bottom of the application. Or call and set up an appointment with our
Disability Coordinators:

Disclosure

If you think you will need any accommodations because of your disability, you should contact the office of Disability Services at Central Lakes College. You will also have to provide documentation for your disability.
Your responsibility is to let CLC know that you need accommodations. CLC requires that you provide a recent (3 yrs.) professional documentation from a doctor or other licensed professional. Simply put, you will have to prove you have a disability.

Accommodations must be appropriate and effective for your situation. An effective accommodation will address your specific limitations caused by your disability.
The accommodation might be different than requested. Finally, understand that CLC must provide educational accommodations at no cost to you.

But we will not have to provide or pay for:
- Personal devices
- Accommodations for personal use
- Accommodations which fundamentally alter a course or program
- Require too many people to provide this service
- Or the cost is unreasonable .

This means that CLC will not pay for personal care attendants or an accommodation at home to do your course work.

Rights and Responsibilities of Students with Disabilities

At Central Lakes College you are responsible to make sure that your needs are met. Two federal civil rights laws assist you in reaching your school goals. These laws are called the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. These laws provide students with these rights.

the right to equal access to postsecondary education;
the right to non-discrimination;
the right to an appropriate accommodation;
the right to participate in and enjoy the benefits of your school;
the right to an accessible education;
the right to have information about your disability kept private.

Understanding the laws can assist you in achieving success as a student. Many Web sites on the Internet can help you learn more about how these laws relate to you. One site that answers many of the questions you may have is located at www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/adahom1.htm

Please realize that the laws do not require Central Lakes College to lower its academic standards. The college will not give you easier work; or change the rules to make it easier for you than other students. You must continually meet relevant academic and conduct standards to receive protection of the law.

STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES
Notify the college (contact the office for Disability Services)
Provide professional documentation of his/her disability
Request Accommodation
Meet Academic and Conduct Standards

Grievance Procedure

Grievances/Complaints
A grievance is usually a written method for making a complaint. If you think you have been discriminated against because of your disability, you have a number of options. Some examples are:
1. You can try to resolve your complaint by talking with the people involved, especially staff in the Disability Support Services (DSS) office;
2. You can also file a grievance using the procedure found in the student handbook;
3. You can also file your complaint directly with the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights.
A school cannot treat you differently or retaliate against you for filing a complaint. If you feel that your school is treating you differently or treating you badly because you have filed a complaint, report it to the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights immediately.

Why File a Complaint?
You can file a complaint any time you
feel you have been discriminated against because of your
disability.

Generally, discrimination complaints may be about issues such as:
* unequal treatment
* failure to provide needed accommodations;
* failure to provide access to buildings and/or information;

When Must I File?
Complaints should be filed as soon as possible, CLC requires that a complaint be filed within 10 business days following the alleged violation. You can find this information in your college student handbook.

Complaints to the U.S. Office of Civil Rights must be filed within 180 days of the discrimination. Or, you must file your complaint within 60 days after CLC has finished its grievance process. In other words, don't wait too long!

Where Should I File?
You can file with Office of Disabilities or with the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights.
You may want to file your complaint with CLC first. Often, we can resolve a matter faster than the Office of Civil Rights. However, you are not required to file your complaint with CLC first and you may go directly to the Office for Civil Rights.

HOW TO FILE A COMPLAINT WITH YOUR SCHOOL
Find and review CLC's policy for filing a grievance and follow it. If you need information on how to file a grievance, review the college's student handbook or ask staff in the Disability Support Services office.

HOW TO FILE A COMPLAINT WITH THE OFFICE OF CIVIL RIGHTS
To file a formal complaint with the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights (OCR) you should submit in writing the following information:

* your name, address, and phone number;
* the name and location of the school that you believe discriminated against you;
* a detailed description of what happened and when it happened; and
* basis of the complaint (e.g., that you are a person with a disability
* or a member of another protected class based on race, disability, sex, age, national origin, or color)

Make sure you provide enough detail for the Office of Civil Rights to know what happened.
To find the OCR office closest to you, visit the following web page http://wdcrobcolp01.ed.gov/CFAPPS/OCR/contactus.cfm
or call: 1-800-421-3481

FOR MORE INFORMATION
If you have a question about the Rehabilitation Act or Americans with Disabilities Act Contact Central Lakes College's Office of Disability Support Services. Disability Support Services can provide you with information about your rights and may be able to help you resolve your problem. Contact Central Lakes College's ADA Coordinator. All public colleges are required to have an ADA Coordinator. The Coordinator, Judy Richer, will provide you with information about the ADA and give you information on how to file a grievance.

Resources and Links

Below is a partial list of agencies that serve people with disabilities. These agencies may provide a variety of services, such as useful information, advocacy, funding, career assistance, and academic assistance. For more information on how agencies can assist students with disabilities contact Judy Richer, Disability Coordinator of Central Lakes College at 800-933-0346 ext. 8128 or 800-247-6836 ext. 5150

http://www.deed.state.mn.us/rehab/ MN Workforce Centers/Rehabilitation Services - Info on Rehabilitation Services for Minnesotans
http://www.cast.org Center for Applied Special Technology - Info on Universal Design for Learning
http://www.adaminnesota.org/ ADA Minnesota - Technical assistance on ADA compliance, training for businesses and individuals
http://www.mnssb.org/ Minnesota Workforce Centers/State Services for the Blind - For Minnesotans who are blind or visual impaired
http://minnesotalifecollege.com Minnesota Life College - 2-4 year post-secondary life skills training for young adults with learning disabilities
http://www.disabilityinstitute.org The Disability Institute - Twin Cities community resource for people with disabilities
http://www.ssa.gov Social Security Online - All social security issues
http://www.worksupport.com WORKSUPPORT.COM Home Page - Info, resources and research about work and disability
http://www.pepnet.org The Post-Secondary Education Program Network- Regional centers for issues regarding education and individuals who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
http://www.careers.org/ Careers.Org Home Page - Career research and job hunting, includes disability issues
http://www.disability.state.mn.us MN State Council on Disability - Info on quality of life and empowerment for individuals with disabilities
http://www.ahead.org Association on Higher Education and Disability - Organization of professionals committed to full participation in
higher education for individuals with disabilities
http://readplease.com Read Please - Free downloadable text to speech software
http://www.rfbd.org Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic - Source for taped textbooks