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Student Accessibility Services

Student Accessibility Services

The Student Accessibility Services office is committed to promoting equal access to education for students with disabilities in an environment that respects and values their differences and encourages self advocacy and self-determination.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Student Accessibility Services is available for online and telephone appointments via:

Chat in Microsoft Teams

How to access MS Teams Chat

  1. Login to MyCommnet.
  2. Login/select to your GCC Email icon at the top of your screen.
  3. Once in your email, click on the 9 dots in the upper left corner of your screen to the left of the CSCU.
  4. Select Team
  5. Click on Chat the left side of the app.
  6. Click on the small pencil and paper icon on the top of the page to the right of the Microsoft Teams to create a New Chat.
  7. Type the name of an Accessibility Specialist and select the correct name.
  8. Type your message in the Chat field that read “type a new message” and hit enter or select the send arrow.

Please only reach out to one specialist either via email OR chat. All inquiries will be responded to on a first come first serve basis and chats will be responded to in between scheduled appointments.

Students who require an appointment should reach out to an Accessibility Specialist based on who they have met with in the past or by contacting and . Please include the following:

  • Full name
  • Banner ID#
  • What you need assistance with
  • Dates and times you are available to meet online via Webex, MS Teams or talk on the telephone. (video conferencing and phone calls will have a caller ID from out of state and likely California, so please answer those calls as they are from College personnel.)

Please allow for 45 minutes when scheduling your appointments.

Staff will respond to you M-F between 8:00 am - 4:00 pm.

Student Disclosure of a Disability

  • It is the responsibility of each student to voluntarily contact the SAS office to disclose his/her disability and request academic adjustments each semester.
  • All students who are requesting academic adjustments must provide the SAS office with appropriate documentation substantiating the nature of his/her disability prior to academic adjustments being granted.
  • The SAS office reserves the right to require additional documentation from a student if the current documentation is deemed insufficient before granting academic adjustments.
  • Eligibility for academic adjustments will be determined by the SAS office on an individual basis, as validated by the documentation that has been supplied by the student.
  • Students are advised to provide the SAS office with documentation one week prior to initial appointment, and allow time to discuss academic adjustments before granting them.
  • No other representative at the College may determine or grant academic adjustments for a student with a disability besides a representative from the SAS office.
  • Academic adjustments are not retroactive.

Defining Reasonable Academic Adjustments

A reasonable academic adjustment is a modification or adjustment to a course, program, service, job activity, or facility that ensures an equal opportunity for qualified students with disabilities to participate in, and enjoy the benefits of, a service, program, or activity. Aids, benefits, or services need not produce equal results, but must afford an equal opportunity to achieve equal results. When necessary, SAS staff will consult with faculty regarding whether an adjustment would fundamentally alter the nature of the service, program, or activity, or whether an academic requirement is essential to the instruction being pursued, or to any directly related licensing requirement. In doing so, SAS will examine the following:

  • Barriers between individuals with disabilities and the campus environment in accessing courses, programs, services, jobs, activities, or facilities without academic adjustments;
  • Requested modifications, adjustments, and auxiliary aids;
  • Whether the proposed adjustments would fundamentally alter the nature of the course, program, service, job, activity, or facility;
  • Whether an academic requirement is essential to the instruction or to any directly related licensing requirement;
  • Whether effective alternatives exist that would allow the individual with a disability to participate without lowering essential requirements or fundamentally altering the nature of the program.

When the College determines that a modification related to facilities or communication would result in a fundamental alteration or undue burden, SAS shall acquire the written opinion of the proper authority (i.e., department chair of impacted discipline), providing the reasoning supporting the decision.