Accessibility & Disability

Florence-Darlington Technical College works to make sure its programs, services, and activities are accessible to all otherwise qualified students, in accordance with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act as Amended (ADAAA). At Florence-Darlington Technical College, Disability Services operates within the Division of Student Services. Disability Services works closely with faculty and staff of the college to provide equal access to the college’s educational programs, services, and courses on a case by case basis.

Additional information concerning students with disabilities as well as other information pertaining to ADA can be found on the National ADA Site at ADA National Network | Information, Guidance and Training on the Americans with Disabilities Act (adata.org).

Services are available to students who have disabilities including, but not limited to, blindness, visual impairment, deafness, hearing impairment, learning disabilities, physical disabilities, medical conditions, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD), head and spinal cord injuries, and psychological disabilities.

Students who require accommodations on the College Placement Test must contact Disability Services to make the request in advanced.

Need to Request an Accommodations?

It is the student’s responsibility to self-disclose as a student with a disability and to request accommodations through Disability Services. A student’s initial request for accommodations should preferably occur prior to the beginning of each semester but can be requested at any time during the semester. Accommodations are not retroactive.

The request for accommodations is an interactive process that occurs between the student and the Disability Services Office. There are three steps to the process:

1. Student is to submit both the Intake Form and documentation of disability.

Documentation Guidelines for Approval:

Formal Psychological-Educational Evaluation
Medical Evaluation/Assessment
Documentation of Accommodations and Services from High School (such as an Individualized Educational Plan, 504 Documentation, Re-evaluation).
A letter written by a qualified professional outlining diagnosis, limitations, and suggested accommodations.

2. Disability Coordinator will review submitted information and contact the student to request additional documentation if needed or schedule a disability services interview.

3. The interview is an opportunity for the student and disability office to discuss the student’s history, barriers, and how those barriers impact school, and potential accommodations to eliminate those barriers. After review, the Disability Office will approve or deny accommodations. If approved, staff will review specific accommodations, explain policies and procedures, discuss students’ rights and responsibilities, and send Faculty Notification.

If a student would like to appeal the decision made by the Disability Services, student may do so by emailing accommodations@fdtc.edu.

FAQ

We want to make sure you get the correct answers to all of your questions regarding accessibility at FDTC, so we have compiled a list of frequently asked questions below.

: How does the ADA affect postsecondary schools?

Title II of the ADA covers state funded schools such as universities, community colleges and vocational schools. Title III of the ADA covers private colleges and vocational schools. If a school receives federal dollars regardless of whether it is private or public it is also covered by the regulations of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act requiring schools to make their programs accessible to qualified students with disabilities.; How does the ADA and Section 504 affect admissions requirements?

The postsecondary program cannot have eligibility requirements that screen out people with physical or mental disabilities. Application forms cannot ask applicants if they have a history of mental illness or any other disability. Institutions may impose criteria that relate to safety risks but these criteria must be based on actual risk and not on stereotypes or assumptions. It is also illegal for an institution to serve students with disabilities differently because it believes its insurance costs will be increased. (It is illegal for insurance companies to refuse to insure, continue to insure, or limit the amount of insurance solely because individuals with disabilities are to be included in a program unless the practice is based on sound actuarial principles or actual experience.); Can a school charge me for the cost of providing an accommodation?

No.; Do I have to provide documentation of my disability to request accommodations?

Florence-Darlington Technical College requires current medical documentation of a disability, as well as the student intake forms. For students with hidden disabilities, such as learning disabilities, psychiatric disabilities, or a chronic health impairment, it is reasonable and appropriate for a school to request documentation to establish the validity of the request for accommodations and to help identify what accommodations are required.; What kind of documentation might be necessary?

Documentation should be completed and signed by a medical professional familiar with the applicant and the applicant's disability such as a physician, psychologist or rehabilitation counselor. It should verify the disability and suggest appropriate accommodations. If previous documentation exists, it will likely be sufficient unless it is not current (usually no more than three years old). Students who received accommodations at a previous college or university may have the disability documentation from that school sent to FDTC to be considered. If no current documentation is available, it is the responsibility of the student to have new documentation prepared. This can mean paying to have an appropriate professional conduct a new evaluation. It would be prudent to get an evaluation the year before you leave high school. This information is confidential and not a part of the student's permanent record.; Are students with disabilities required to disclose their disability?

If you do not require any accommodations, you can choose to keep this information private. If you do need accommodations because of your disability, however, you must disclose in order to receive them. A school cannot provide any service, modification or accommodation when it does not know one is required. It is a student's responsibility to make his/her needs known in advance. This process is often facilitated by an Office for Students with Disabilities. It is then the school's responsibility to work with the student to make reasonable accommodations or provide appropriate services in a timely way.; Are schools required to make testing accommodations?

Yes. Schools must establish a process for making their tests accessible to people with disabilities. Schools can do this by providing appropriate accommodations to students with disabilities. Remember, each student's needs are individual, but examples of accommodations include allowing a student extended time to complete a test or providing a distraction-free space, sign language interpreters, readers, or alternative test formats. With acceptable documentation, the Disability Office at FDTC will accommodate students with impediments such as vision, hearing, speech, mobility, and learning. If you require assistance with testing, contact the Disability Office at 843.661.8124.; What should I do if my instructor refuses or neglects to make accommodations?

Sometimes individual instructors are not familiar with the requirements of ADA or Section 504, or the purpose of accommodating students with disabilities. It is not unusual to encounter instructors who feel classroom or testing accommodations give students with disabilities an unfair advantage over other students. It is a school's responsibility, however, to educate their faculty about the purpose of accommodations and their legal obligations, and to assist them with the logistics of providing accommodations. Florence-Darlington Technical College has an ADA Services office that serves as a liaison between students and faculty and can advocate for reasonable accommodations.