Programs available for students with disabilities

Higher education provides students with daily challenges, which enables them to prosper in the fields they chose.
However, for a student with disabilities, these challenges can be overwhelming, especially when students facing these challenges are not able to access the help that they need.
Federal regulations require institutions of higher education to provide services for students with disabilities. Under Section 504 of The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, employers and schools are required to make reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities.
This law defines qualified individuals as “individuals with disabilities are defined as persons with a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities.”
Under Section 504, a student attending a college or university of their choosing qualifies as a “major life activity” and thus qualifies students to receive appropriate accommodations.
When new students are admitted, they are encouraged to read through the new student orientation materials provided for them by the school.
Greg Peters, a career adviser and disability service provider with Southeast Community College, said, “Students need to advocate for themselves and pay attention during new student orientation in order to learn about the services provided by the Career Advising Center.”
Patrick O’Neil, another career adviser and disability service provider with SCC, encourages all students to read through the on-line orientation material as an entry to determining whether they qualify for assistance while attending classes.
“The New Student Orientation material on the SCC website provides student with information about programs the school offers and also provides information on the Career Advising Center and the services we offer,” O’Neil said.
Students are required to provide the Career Advising Center with sufficient documentation to be evaluated by career center advisers to be eligible for services.
“We ask for documentation of the student’s disability,” O’Neil stated.  “This documentation can come from any professional the student receives services from, such as Vocational Rehabilitation or medical professionals treating the individual.”
Due to Federal HIPPA laws all students are required to sign a release in order to allow Disability Services to receive their medical records.
“After we have received the student’s records, the MDT (Multi-disability Team) will meet and discuss what options are best for the student,” said Peters.
“We are required to provide reasonable accommodations decided upon by the student’s doctors and the MDT.  These services can be anything from providing a student with a recorder, so that they can record lectures, or enlisting the assistance of voluntary note-taker to assist students in their classes.”
O’Neil and Peter’s both agree that a student’s success begins with their own self-advocacy and willingness to seek out assistance made available to them through the school.
For more information about disability services, contact the Career Advising Center on the Lincoln campus located at J-2, phone number (402)437-2620.