UPDATE: Bremerton Campus is closed 4/26/24 due to an ongoing power outage. All classes/activities are canceled. Updates will be provided as more info is available.
Policy for Serving Students with Disabilities
Policy Number: OCP 300-02
Applicable Procedures: OCPR 300-02-01 thru OCPR 300-02-04
Olympic College is committed to providing qualified students with a disability an equal opportunity to access the benefits, rights, and privileges of college services, programs, and activities. For those who qualify, all services, programs, and activities provided shall comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. A qualified individual with a disability is one who meets the essential eligibility requirements for the receipt of services or for participation in programs and/or activities.
Olympic College will make those modifications to its programs and services that (1) are necessary to ensure that qualified students are not discriminated against on the basis of disability and (2) do not impose an undue burden on the College or require a fundamental alteration of essential program requirements.
The faculty, staff, administrators, and students of Olympic College recognize and accept their responsibilities to students with disabilities in compliance with state and federal mandates. Beyond these legal responsibilities, however, the college community seeks to foster an environment that welcomes and fully integrates persons with disabilities. The President of Olympic College assigns authority to the Office of Access Services for reviewing student documentation and determining what, if any, accommodations will be provided by the College to ensure equal access for all students.
Access Services strives to build and maintain partnerships with the institutional community and the community at large. Through these partnerships, we acknowledge our shared responsibility to understand and respond to the unique needs, cultures, and abilities of all individuals.
Services and/or accommodations are available to all students with disabilities who provide documentation in accordance with Olympic College guidelines*. It is the student’s responsibility to personally request these services through the Access Services office. 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 formats, readers, and special furniture) may require substantial advance notice.
Olympic College recognizes that certain disabilities may preclude a student from successfully completing a specific course requirement for a degree, even with appropriate accommodations. In those cases, the college will consider course substitutions when they do not compromise the integrity of the academic program. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, the college is not required to waive essential requirements of a student’s program of instruction. Therefore, every student enrolled in a degree program must meet the essential requirements of that program. In the case of substitution requests, the college understands that any such substitution must not weaken the curriculum, but rather expand the opportunities available.
Olympic College also recognizes that altered methods of course delivery and/or the use of accommodations will enable most students with disability to successfully complete course requirements, except in unusual circumstances. Therefore, the student is encouraged to attempt successful completion of the required course and/or prerequisites with accommodation.
Confidentiality
All contact information and documentation received is kept in confidential files with 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 Access Services 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 Manager if further clarification is needed.
* Documentation is assessed for completeness and appropriateness under Section 504 of Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and Olympic College General Guidelines For Documentation of a Disability.
- Recommended by
- Submitted to President's Cabinet for Review
- Approved by President
- Submitted to Board of Trustees
- Approved by Board of Trustees June 27, 2000