Accessibility Services
While disabilities services are available to students at any time, new students are encouraged to register with the Accessibility Services Office immediately after acceptance by the College. Accessibility services are available to students at any time during their enrollment with the college. To make an appointment please call (203) 332-5018. We welcome students with disabilities and the opportunity to make their college experience a successful one.
At HCC, Marilyn Wehr is responsible for coordination of Section 504/Title II compliance with respect to students. Ms. Wehr's office is located at 900 Lafayette Blvd., Bridgeport, Connecticut 06604, Lafayette Hall, room B233, and she may be contacted at (203) 332-5018.
2.1.6 People with Disabilities: Policy Statement
People with Disabilities in the Community Colleges
The Board of Trustees of Community-Technical Colleges and all of the colleges under its jurisdiction are committed to the goal of achieving equal educational opportunity and full participation for people with disabilities in the Community Colleges. To that end, this statement of policy is put forth to reaffirm our commitment to ensure that no qualified person be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity on a Community College campus or in the system office of the Board of Trustees.
The board recognizes that a physical or functional impairment is a disability only to the extent that it contributes to cutting the person off from some valued experience, activity, or role. Higher education is therefore especially important to people with disabilities, since it aims to increase every student's access to valued experiences, activities, and roles. Improving access for students and employees means removing existing barriers that are physical, programmatic, and attitudinal; it also means taking care not to erect new barriers along the way.
The efforts of the Community Colleges to accommodate people with disabilities should be measured against the goals of full participation and integration. Services and programs best promote full participation and integration of people with disabilities when they complement and support, but do not duplicate, the regular services and programs of the college.
Achieving the goal of full participation and integration of people with disabilities requires cooperative efforts within and among higher education. The Board of Trustees will work with the board of governors to achieve a higher level of services and appropriate delivery methods at all Connecticut Community Colleges.
This statement is intended to reaffirm the board's commitment to affirmative action and equal opportunity for all people and in no way to replace the equal opportunity policy statement.
(Adopted November 20, 1989)
Academic Support Coordinator: Marilyn Wehr
Responsible for Coordination of Section 504/Title II Accessibility Services
(203) 332-5018
DEFINING REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS
A reasonable accommodation is a modification or adjustment to a course, program, service, job activity, or facility that ensures an equal opportunity for qualified students with disabilities to participate in, and enjoy the benefits of, a service, program, or activity. Aids, benefits, or services need not produce equal results, but must afford an equal opportunity to achieve equal results. When necessary, DRC staff will consult with faculty regarding whether an accommodation would fundamentally alter the nature of the service, program or activity or whether an academic requirement is essential to the instruction being pursued or to any directly related licensing requirement. In doing so, DRC will examine the following:
- Barriers between individuals with disabilities and the campus environment in accessing courses, programs, services, jobs, activities or facilities without accommodations;
- Requested modifications, accommodations, and auxiliary aids;
- Whether the proposed accommodations would fundamentally alter the nature of the course, program, service, job, activity, or facility;
- Whether an academic requirement is essential to the instruction or to any directly related licensing requirement;
- Whether effective alternatives exist that would allow the individual with a disability to participate without lowering essential requirements or fundamentally altering the nature of the program.
- When the University determines that a modification related to facilities or communication would result in a fundamental alteration or undue burden, DRC shall acquire the written opinion of the proper authority, i.e. department chair of impacted discipline, providing the reasoning supporting the decision.
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