The mission of Disability Services at Johnson College is to provide equal access opportunities, including the establishment and coordination of appropriate accommodations, auxiliary aids and programs to qualified students in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 as amended by the ADA Amendments Act of 2008. The office exercises a reasonable good faith effort to coordinate accommodations designed to enable students with permanent or temporary disabilities to maximize their educational potential.
The College recognizes that each individual’s situation is unique, therefore, Disability Services simply asks that any interested student meet with the Counselor/Manager of Disability Services to discuss any accommodation requests.
For additional information, please contact, counseling@johnson.edu.
- Accommodations
The goal of accommodations is to give students with disabilities equal access to the learning environment without altering the fundamental nature of the course. Specific accommodations are determined individually for each student and must be supported by appropriate documentation and/or evaluation of permanent or temporary needs.
A variety of academic accommodations can be made depending on each student’s particular needs. These academic accommodations may include:
- Preferential seating in the classroom
- Extended time on tests
- Testing in a space with reduced distractions
- Ability to audio record classroom lectures
- Support for note taking
Disability Services reserves the right to ask for any appropriate documentation of disability in order to determine a student’s eligibility for accommodations. Appropriate documentation would provide information about the functional limitations imposed by the disability and recommendations for specific accommodations.
Click here to complete Academic Accommodations Intake Form
- Alternative Testing
The philosophy of Johnson College is to provide testing accommodations in the academic departments whenever possible. This provides greater exam security, gives students access to their instructors if they have questions, eliminates the need to deliver and pick up test materials, and ensures exams are graded in a timely fashion.
Students are required to discuss the accommodation plan they developed with Counseling and Disability Services with their instructors. It is the student’s responsibility to advocate for themselves on behalf of their accommodations. The student should also understand and agree that their responsibilities include:
- Informing their instructors of the accommodations they were approved to receive through Counseling and Disability Services.
- Formally requesting to utilize their accommodations AT LEAST 3 DAYS PRIOR to the quiz or exam date.*
*Formal requests must be made for each and every quiz or exam they wish to use their accommodations for.
Please meet with Disability Services to discuss any concerns you may have regarding test-taking accommodations at any time during the semester.
- Grievance Policy
Johnson College provides equal opportunities to students with disabilities admitted through the college’s regular admission process.
The College recognizes that students with disabilities have a legal right and a responsibility to present to the college requests for reasonable accommodation. The mission of Disability Services at Johnson College is to provide equal access opportunities, including the establishment and coordination of appropriate accommodations, auxiliary aids and programs to qualified students in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 as amended by the ADA Amendments Act of 2008. The office exercises a reasonable good faith effort to coordinate accommodations designed to enable students with permanent or temporary disabilities to maximize their educational potential.
Any student who believes she or he has been subjected to discrimination on the basis of disability may file a grievance under this procedure. Disability Services is available to guide and support students through this procedure to facilitate early, effective resolutions regarding services, accommodations and accessibility. This procedure will be conducted as confidentially as possible with the goal of implementing any appropriate accommodation. The College has adopted an internal grievance procedure providing for prompt and equitable resolution of grievances on the basis of disability. It is against the law for the College to retaliate against anyone who files a grievance or cooperates in the investigation of a grievance.
Option 1: Resolution Through Collaboration
A qualified student with a disability is highly encouraged to raise all concerns regarding disability accommodation or discrimination at the first sign of any difficulties to the Counselor/Disability Services Staff Member in an effort to resolve the matter in a prompt and collaborative manner.The Counselor/Disability Services Staff Member will involve those members of the Johnson College community who the Counselor/Disability Services Staff Member believes will help to resolve the matter as quickly as equitably as possible. The Counselor/Disability Services Staff Member will interact with the student to identify necessary individuals to involve and will obtain any written releases from the student concerning the involvement of others. Any resolution reached at this stage will be confirmed in a memo from the Counselor/Disability Services Staff Member to the student, with copies to those with a need to know for any implementation purposes. Additionally, the Counselor/Disability Services Staff Member will confirm to the student in writing any decision by the student to opt out of or disengage from the collaborative process. If a student wishes to use this collaborative route, but is experiencing difficulty in doing so, the student should promptly bring the matter to the attention of the Supervisor of the Counselor/Disability Services Staff Member.
Option 2: Written Grievance Procedure
If the student does not wish to attempt a resolution of the grievance through the collaborative process above, or, in the event that the student believes the collaborative process has been unsuccessful, the student may utilize a written grievance procedure as follows:
A. The student’s written complaint should be filed as soon as possible and must be filed with Disability Services within thirty (30) days of the complained-about action, inaction, decision or other situation.
B. The complaint must include the student’s name; contact information; the date of the complaint; the date of the contested action, inaction, decision or situation; a description of why Services are needed; and a description of what, if any, other steps have been taken by the student to attempt to address the complaint.
C. The complaint should include supporting documentation, and/or any other information the student would like to be considered (including the identities of witnesses concerning any facts in dispute).After the Written Grievance is Submitted:
D. The Counselor/Disability Services Staff Member shall meet with the student promptly following receipt of the complaint to attempt resolution of the issue and to obtain any further information necessary to such resolution. The Counselor/Disability Services Staff Member will engage in any necessary investigation of the issues raised. If the complaint contests actions by the Disability Services office, it will be directed to the Supervisor of the Counselor/Disability Services Staff Member who shall appoint an individual outside of such office to investigate the complaint. The Counselor/Disability Services Staff Member (or other investigator) will provide the student with a written response to the complaint as promptly as possible and generally within 30 days of receipt of the complaint. The Counselor/Disability Services Staff Member will also provide a copy of the response to their Supervisor. The Supervisor of the Counselor/Disability Services Staff Member shall be responsible for determining any appropriate action to be taken as a result of the investigator’s findings.Presenting an Appeal:
E. Any findings by the Counselor/Disability Services Staff Member (or other assigned investigator) with which the student disagrees either because of a belief that the process was not followed or a belief that errors were made in the process, may be appealed by the student to the Supervisor of the Counselor/Disability Services Staff Member within 15 days of receiving the decision. The written appeal should specify why the student disagrees with the decision.
F. The Supervisor of the Counselor/Disability Services Staff Member or her or his designee will consider those objections, review the record and the decision and conduct further investigation if warranted. The student will receive a written explanation of the decision on the appeal by the Supervisor of the Counselor/Disability Services Staff Member no later than 30 days after its filing, unless further time is necessary to thoroughly investigate the appeal.The Office of Civil Rights
This grievance procedure is not intended to impede any student’s right to file a timely complaint with an appropriate external state or federal agency. Students may seek resolution through the Office of Civil Rights of the Federal Department of Education. Information on how to proceed may be accessed on their website at:
www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/index.html