Access Services

 for students with disabilities

Access Services coordinates accommodations for eligible students with disabilities and works to ensure equal access to educational programs, services, and activities at Olympic College.  We promote awareness of disability issues and work with the College community to foster an environment that welcomes the full participation of persons with disabilities.  

Table of Contents 
What is a Disability?  How Do I Receive Services?
Eligibility & Documentation Standards  Examples of Services
Confidentiality  Student Responsibilities
Scheduling Accommodated Exams   Contact Information

What is a disability?

Under the law, a disability is defined as a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activity. Medical or psychological documentation may be necessary to verify the condition.  Examples of disabilities include, but are not limited to, conditions such as:

• Learning disabilities/ADD
• Psychological/emotional disorders
• Chronic/acute health conditions
• Neurological impairments
• Mobility impairments
• Hearing impairments/deafness
• Visual impairments/blindness
• Speech/language disorders

How do I receive services?

• Present formal, written documentation of the disability
• Complete an intake appointment with the Access Services Director
• Request services early (4-6 weeks prior to need is recommended)
• Meet and maintain academic standards
• Continuing students must provide Access Services a copy of their schedule and request  services each quarter.

Who is eligible and what do I need for documentation?

Eligibility for accommodations and academic adjustments is individually determined.  The following standards for documenting a disability may be used to assist the student and evaluator in providing appropriate documentation, which serves as the foundation for legitimizing a student's request for academic adjustments and auxiliary aids.  The professional providing this information must have first  hand knowledge of the student's condition and must be an impartial professional who is not related to the student.

Documentation shall:

1. Include a diagnostic statement identifying the disability, date of the current diagnostic evaluation, and the date of the original diagnosis.
2. Be current, typically within the last three years.  The age of acceptable documentation is dependent upon the disabling condition, its interaction with development across the life span, the presence or absence of significant events (since the original diagnosis) that would impact functioning, and the current status of the student at the time of the request for accommodation.
3. Include a summary of the evaluation procedures as well as the diagnostic tests/evaluation results used to make the diagnosis.
4. Provide a description of the current functional impact or limitations of the disability on learning or other major life activities.
5. Address, as appropriate, the relevance of accommodation requests to the diagnosed disability. 
6. When appropriate, include treatments, medication, and assistive devices currently prescribed or in use.
7. Include the credentials of the diagnosing professional(s).

In addition to the requirements listed above, certain disabilities may have additional guidelines, as outlined below:

Psychiatric Disabilities:  Documentation must also include the DSM-IV diagnosis and a summary of present symptoms, in a written report from a psychiatrist, licensed psychologist, certified social worker (CSW or ACSW) or licensed professional counselor.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder:  Documentation must include a statement of the presenting problem; testing that verifies a pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity/impulsivity that currently affects learning; identification of DSM-IV criteria for ADHD; report summary and rationales for accommodations  using evidence from the evaluation.  Professionals considered acceptable for evaluating ADHD are licensed physicians, neuropsychologists, and psychologists.

Learning Disabilities:  Documentation should validate the need for services based on the individual's current functioning in the educational setting.  A comprehensive assessment battery and the resulting diagnositc report should include  a diagnostic interview, assessment of aptitude, academic achievement, information processing, and a diagnosis.  Assessment, and any resulting diagnosis, should consist of and be based on a comprehensive assessment battery, which does not rely on any one test or subtest.  Individual "learning styles", "learning differences", "academic problems", and "test difficulty or anxiety", in and of themselves, do not constitute a learning disability.  The tests used should be reliable, valid and standardized for use with an adolescent/adult population.  The test findings should document both the nature and severity of the learning disability.  The following professionals would generally be considered qualified to evaluate specific learning disabilities provided they have additional training and experience in the assessment of learning problems in adolescents and adults:  clinical or eduational psychologists, school psychologists, neuropsychologists, learning disabilities specialists, and medical doctors.

Additional Information Regarding Your Documentation

Recommendations from professionals with a history of working with the individual provide valuable information for the review process.  They will be included in the evaluation of requests for accommodation and/or auxiliary aids.  Where such recommendations are congruent with the programs and services offered  by Olympic College, they will be given deference.  When recommendations go beyond the services provided by the college, they may be used to suggest potential referrals to service providers outside the college.

For individuals who are or have recently been receiving services from a state rehabilitation agency, the requested disability information may be contained in your most recent eligibility evaluation and/or your vocational plan.

For individuals transferring from another college, information related to your disability will not be sent with a transcript request.  You must request that information separately.  Additionally, the information requested at Olympic College may or may not have been a part of your previous college's evaluation process.

For individuals who have recently been receiving services from a public school system, the information requested may be found in your most recent psycho-educational battery/evaluation summary and must be requested separately from your high school transcripts.  A school plan, such as a 504 or individualized education plan (IEP), is insufficient documentation, but may be included as part of a more comprehensive diagnostic battery.

The office of Access Services shall make determination of reasonable accommodations for students based on documentation provided.  The authority to make such decisions on behalf of the institution has been assigned by the President of the College.

Examples of Services

• Assisted registration
• Entry advising
• Transition support
• Test accommodations
• Note takers 
• Interpreting services
• Materials in alternate format
• Faculty liaison
• Campus and community referral 

• One-handed keyboards 
• Voice recognition programs
• Voice output programs
• Computer magnification programs
• CCTV - text enlarger
• Braille embosser

  For more information contact:
  Adaptive Computer Lab (see link at left) 
  Business Building, Room 100, 360-475-7510 

Specialized Equipment

• FM systems/listening devices
• Electronic magnifiers
• Adjustable furniture
• Talking & large screen calculators
• Digital talking book players
• Adaptive weight training 

What about confidentiality?

All contact information and documentation received is kept in confidential files within the Access Services Office. Information from the file is provided on a "need to know" basis only, at the student's request, or with a signed consent. This typically means that the Access Services Office will share information related to the student's accommodation requests for reasons directly related to the request or for personal safety. Please contact the Access Services Director for additional information on confidentiality.

What are my responsibilities?

It is the student's responsibility to personally request accommodations through the Access Services Office each quarter. Students are encouraged to initiate the process as early as possible. The college will endeavor to respond to all requests in a timely manner; however, certain accommodations, auxiliary aids and services (e.g. interpreters, alternative format, assistive technology, adjustable furniture) may require substantial advance notice. Requests for these accommodations should be received 4-6 weeks in  advance of the first day of classes.

Students are also expected to meet and maintain academic standards, follow the student code of conduct and are encouraged to  communicate with Access Services staff regarding problems or issues as they arise.

Scheduling Accommodated Exams

It is the student's responsibility to schedule tests in a timely manner through the Testing Center or make appropriate arrangements with their instructor for online exams.  The Testing Center is located on the 2nd floor of the Humanities and Student Services Building, Room 222, 360-475-7238.  For more information about the Testing Center go to their web page at www.olympic.edu/TestingCenter. 

Testing rooms and times are limited. Students are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis. The sooner the exam is scheduled, the better opportunity the student has of getting a preferred time slot. Every effort will be made to schedule the test at the same time (or before) it is being administered to the rest of the class.

Students will receive a Make-up and Access Testing Support Form from the Testing Center at the time the appointment is made. The form will have the date and time of the test and should be given to their instructor as soon as possible after scheduling the appointment. The instructor will initial the form and deliver it with the test and any specific instructions to the Testing Center.  Tests may also be e-mailed along with an electronic version of the Make-up and Access Testing Support Form. 

Students will be required to present picture identification when they arrive for their scheduled appointment. Only the items/information listed on the card by their instructor will be permitted during testing. Your exam will be stopped at the end of the approved time limit.

Tests are secured throughout the testing process and will not leave the designated testing area. Student violation of this procedure may result in an invalid test.

If a student misses his/her scheduled test time, or is more than 30 minutes late, the test will be returned to the instructor.

Contact Information

Humanities and Student Services Building, Room 204
Phone: 360-475-7540 or 1-800-259-6718 ext. 7540
Fax: 360-475-7436
E-mail:  AccessServices@olympic.edu

Karen Fusco
Director 
kfusco@oc.ctc.edu

Julie Evenstad
Program Coordinator
jevenstad@oc.ctc.edu

Office Hours
Monday - Thursday
8:00 am - 4:30 pm

Friday
8:00 - 4:00 pm