ACCESS (Disability Services)

Students

The ACCESS Offices are open M-F, 8:30am-5:00pm. In-person services are offered at most of the campus ACCESS offices. Virtual services are offered through all of the offices. Contact your campus ACCESS Office via telephone or email for disability services or questions related to disability accommodations or supports. I you are interested in exploring text-to-speech for online class materials may want to try Natural Reader and those who are blind or low-vision interested in exploring screen-reading software may want to try NVDA.

The Accessibility Compliance Center & Education Support Services (ACCESS) program is designed to provide accommodations and services to students with a documented disability diagnosed by a qualified, licensed professional as required by the postsecondary students with disabilities component of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

ACCESS offices are located on every campus. For more information:

Student Rights & Responsibilities - Classroom Accommodations

The College provides reasonable academic accommodations for students who have followed the procedure for disclosing and appropriately documenting their disability, in compliance with State and Federal regulations.
In order to receive classroom accommodations at Oakland Community College, students must:

1. Provide current documentation that cites an active diagnosis and functional limitations for classroom and academic work.

2. Request accommodations through ACCESS each semester after registering for classes. Disability accommodations are not retroactive. They are provided from the date they are approved and communicated by ACCESS to faculty through the Notification of Accommodations process.

3. Alert the ACCESS Office if a schedule change occurs after enacting that semester’s accommodations.

4. Fulfill the objectives and requirements for each class, including attendance, notetaking (if possible), abiding by due dates and adhering to the OCC Student Code of Conduct.

5. Discuss approved accommodation arrangements with instructors. Schedule testing accommodation appointments with ACCESS at least two (2) business days in advance of each exam. If using a reader or scribe, schedule testing appointments at least one (1) week before the exam.

6. Inform the ACCESS Office if approved accommodations are not being met in the classroom.

Note:

1. The College may request additional or updated documentation in order to provide accommodations or services.

2. The College honors the confidentiality of student records, including disability documentation, in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

3. The College is committed to timely delivery of approved accommodations notification to faculty.

4. Only disability accommodations approved by the Oakland Community College ACCESS office will be provided in OCC classes.

5. The College will not discriminate against any student regardless of disability, race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or national origin as required by state and federal laws.

NOTE:

Accommodations are assigned on a case-by-case basis.

While we can strategize with all potentially-eligible students for academic success and provide internal and external referrals as appropriate, Limited English Proficiency does not constitute a disability.

OCC does not provide personal assistants.

The Americans with Disabilities Act supports that all students meet the technical standards, or functional requirements, of their academic program. Therefore, lab parameters that constitute essential components of the program of study, and lab parameters concerning safety, will be upheld.

Related Board Policies:

Disability Accommodations

Accessibility of Materials

Recording of Class Sessions

Hearing Impaired

For the hearing impaired, please use Michigan Relay at (800) 649-3777.

Online Courses

Students enrolled in online courses who are unable to come to campus may confidentially exchange information with the ACCESS Office through an OCC email account or by phone.

Students who enroll in online courses are responsible for obtaining technology that will allow them to access the online learning management system and resources.

D2L, the online learning management system used by OCC, has a number of built-in accommodations for timed tests, assignments, and online forums.

Contact the ACCESS office for information about electronic and audio versions of textbooks and supplementary materials.

Students with disabilities enrolled in online courses interested in online ACCESS tutoring should contact the ACCESS Office.