Salina Area Technical College operates under the mandate of Section 504 and 508 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Amendments Act of 2008, which prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability against any “otherwise qualified individual.” Individuals seeking accommodations must give reasonable notice (2 weeks or more) and provide documentation to support their request. Reasonable accommodations will be made on a case-by-case basis in order to ensure educational accessibility. Be aware that high school and college have different expectations and requirements and different laws regarding accommodations (The U.S. Department of Education explains many of the differences here.)

Description of Facilities – Salina Area Technical College operates educational services in four buildings: Building A, B, C, and E. The College has occasional ADA accessibility audits and is in compliance for each building including access, restrooms, door thresholds, door hardware, railings, ramps, as well as proper signage including braille.  An elevator is available for public use in building A (the only two story building). Accessible parking signage and striping as well as adequate parking spaces are available for individuals with disabilities. Curb cutouts allow for easy wheelchair access from the parking lot. The college has wide sidewalks and sidewalks that connect buildings. The college is located on flat terrain.

Qualified students with documented disabilities may be able to qualify for accommodations. In order to receive services, students are required to complete the established procedures outlined below:

New Students Or Students Not Continuously Enrolled (Out One Semester)

• • Request for Accommodation and Academic Support

  • Request for Release of Documentation/Information

 Contact Information

Salina Area Technical College recognizes that traditional methods, programs, and services are not always appropriate or sufficient to accommodate the limitations experienced by some qualified persons with disabilities. When a student’s disability prevents him/her from fulfilling a course requirement through conventional procedures, consideration will be given to alternatives, keeping in mind that academic standards must be maintained.

To reasonably accommodate a qualified student with disabilities means that program modifications and academic adjustments as deemed appropriate in an individual situation may be made.  Support services and auxiliary aids are examples of reasonable accommodations that may be made available under specific circumstances.

Each student eligible for accommodation and/or services, under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as well as the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), has certain responsibilities to fulfill.  The student must provide Salina Area Technical College with medical or other diagnostic documentation that confirms his/her disability and limitations, and may be required to provide additional documentation of evaluations of limitations.  Documentation means a recent and appropriate report, evaluating the individual’s ability to perform adult-level college work, prepared by a qualified physician, psychologist, or professional, and which states the parameters of the student’s disability.

Each student is expected to make timely and appropriate disclosures and requests, at least two weeks in advance of a course, workshop, program, or activity for which accommodation is requested, or as soon as realistically possible.  The student should make his/her special needs known upon registration. Students requesting accommodations are encouraged to schedule a meeting with the VP of Student Services or Student Services staff designee to discuss options for appropriate and reasonable accommodations. Communication can also be completed via email or over the phone. Staff may also request a release from the student in order to communicate with representatives of supporting agencies, services, and resources. The student will cooperate in obtaining and arranging for accommodations or auxiliary aids.

Auxiliary aids may be available through a variety of sources available to individual students.  The student may make a request for assistance in obtaining specialized support services from other resources such as State Vocational Rehabilitation, Recordings for the Blind, State Services for the Blind, etc.  For example, the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) may fund such items as transportation to the institution, tuition, textbooks, hearing aids, and other individually prescribed devices.

The VP of Student Services serves as coordinator of accommodations for students with disabilities at Salina Area Technical College, and acts as a resource person to the faculty and staff, along with a liaison to outside agencies.

Salina Area Technical College encourages students with disabilities to practice self-advocacy.  Anything that faculty and staff members can do to aid this process enhances mutual understanding and communication.

To file a request for accommodation, students need to:

1. Complete a Request for Accommodation and Academic Support form.

2. In order to verify a student’s disability one of three types of documentation must be submitted to the Student Services Office. Acceptable documentation of a disability includes:

• a recent IEP (Individualized Educational Plan),

• 504 Plan, or

• documentation on official letterhead with the name, title, professional credentials, address, phone number, signature, date of report, and a clear diagnostic statement.

Forms can be obtained in printed form from the Student Services Office, mailed to a student, or emailed to a student. Forward the completed forms with relevant information and materials in a sealed envelope to the VP of Student Services or Student Services staff designee.

Examples of reasonable academic adjustments/auxiliary aids include:

Testing accommodations examples:

• Extended time on tests

• Quiet testing room

• Test reader

• Use of calculator

Academic support services examples:

• Notetaker

• Use of tape recorder

• Tutor

• Interpreter

• Copies of notes or PowerPoint

• Lecture outline or notes from the instructor

Auxiliary aids examples:

• Taped texts

• Notetaker

• Interpreter

• Reader

• Telecommunications devices for deaf persons

• Assistive listening devices or systems

Within 14 days upon receipt of the Request for Accommodation and accompanying documentation, Student Services staff will contact the student in writing to confirm that the requested academic adjustment/auxiliary aid is approved, denied or an alternative is suggested.

Upon approval of the requested academic adjustment/auxiliary aid, each faculty member will be notified in writing of the required accommodations for the student. The student will also receive a copy of this notification via email.

If at any time throughout the academic year, a student feels that the agreed-upon accommodations are not being followed by an instructor(s) or that alternate accommodations need to be provided, the student may the VP of Student Services at jennifer.callis@salinatech.edu or 785-309-3120 or stop by the Student Services Office. Each semester the student’s schedule of classes will be accessed by staff for the purpose of communicating accommodations with any new instructors. If a student changes any courses throughout a semester, Student Services staff needs to be notified in order to disseminate information to all of the student’s instructors.

A grievance is an action filed by a student or group of students stating a belief that the educational progress is being hampered or individual rights/freedoms are being denied through violation of a college policy, procedure, or practice. It requires a request for some specific action to occur.  The petitioner states the grievance in written form to the VP of Student Services or college designee and should include:

• What college policy, procedure, practice, or action is in question, and what rights or freedoms are they affecting.

• When and where this occurred.

• What informal attempts were made to resolve the matter.

• What, in the individual’s opinion, needs to be done to resolve the matter.

College administration will determine if the matter is a grievable offense. The matter will be closed if the situation is determined “not grievable” and the petitioner will be notified of the reasons. Otherwise, the college designee will respond to the petitioner in writing within 15 days after receipt of the written grievance. If the response is satisfactory to the petitioner, no further action is necessary. If not, the petitioner notifies the college designee to proceed to a hearing with the College Grievance Council. The college designee will convene the college Grievance Council within 15 days of the grievance.  Notice shall be given to all parties at least seven days prior to the hearing, unless the parties agree to a shorter time.  The college designee will select an impartial Grievance Council to include three members, including: one student, one faculty member, and one administrator or classified employee.

The Council will hear statements from and may question the petitioner and respondent.  The Council may accept statements in writing on behalf of petitioner and/or respondent.  The Grievance Council may pursue other actions it deems necessary to obtain pertinent information to fulfill its role.

Within 15 days after completion of the hearing, the Council will report its findings and decision to the College designee. The College representative must notify both parties of the decision in writing as soon as possible.

Appeal or Grievance Council Finding. The right to appeal the decision is available for a period of 15 days after notification of the decision. The individual may file an appeal and/or address their concern with the Kansas Attorney General’s Office of Consumer Protection:

Consumer Protection Hotline: 1-800-432-2310 or 785-296-3751

Fax: 785-291-3699

https://ag.ks.gov/file-a-complaint