Access and Accommodation Services

According to the Americans with Disabilities Act, a disability is a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. Major life activities related to education include but are not limited to walking, sleeping, eating, learning, reading, writing, processing, hearing, etc.

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 requires recipients of federal funding to afford individuals with disabilities equal access to all services. In 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) spelled out in greater detail the obligations not only of recipients of federal funds but also private businesses and public spaces.

In 2008, after a series of court decisions eroded congress’s intent with the ADA, Congress passed the amendments act. The ADA Amendments Act reaffirms congress’s intention that the ADA applies to individuals with all types of disabilities including those suffering from long-term illnesses such as cancer or impairments to bodily systems and made clear that mitigating measures should not be taken into effect when determining whether an individual has a disability. The intent and effect of the amendments act was to significantly expand the number of people covered by the ADA.

An accommodation is an adjustment made to a policy and/or academic environment to ensure students with temporary or permanent disabilities have equal access to course material, information, activities, programs, housing, and other campus facilities.

Asking a student for more details regarding their disability is not permitted as the confidentiality of the student’s information must be maintained. It is an individual’s choice whether to disclose the nature of their disability to their faculty or to staff at the college.

A service animal is an animal that is trained to work or perform active tasks for an individual with a disability. If it is unclear whether an animal (a dog and rarely a miniature horse) is a service animal, anyone can ask following questions: (1) is the service animal required because of a disability and (2) what work or task the animal has been trained to perform? If you are unsure whether these questions have been answered satisfactorily, allow the person and animal to proceed, and contact Access & Accommodation Services on campus. An emotional support animal is not a service animal.

Access & Accommodation Services at Genesee Community College encourages students with services animals to register their animals with our office. This can be helpful if the student and service animal are separated for any reason and we need to facilitate reunification. Please view our Service Animal Registration Form.

The laws governing mandated accommodations for students with disabilities are different at the post-secondary level (colleges and universities) than K-12. Therefore, a student may not receive accommodations that they received in high school. In some cases, the accommodations that students receive in high school may be the same, but other accommodations may not be reasonable and appropriate at the college level. This is why each student’s documentation is reviewed and accommodations are discussed through the interactive process.

For information related to the differences between k-12 services and services in higher education, please see our document Transitioning to College Accommodations.

Unlike high school, the university setting requires students to act as independent adults. If a student presents to Access & Accommodation Services when they face challenges on campus, every effort will be made to assist the student in getting back on track within the parameters of our services. Daily monitoring, however, is not available.

A student who is 18 years old or older is legally recognized as an adult. As an adult, the student must self-identify to Access & Accommodation Services and request accommodations. Accommodation requests will only be accepted from the student, not from his or her parents. Many times, parents ask to be included in the first appointment with Access & Accommodation Services. With the student’s approval, this can be very helpful. Students must sign a release if they wish to have information shared with parents after the first meeting.

Students must self-identify to Access & Accommodation Services and request accommodations (this is separate from the general admissions process). The first step includes completing our intake form and requesting a meeting with one of our staff. Students who are taking classes on the Genesee Community College campus will be asked to meet with an Access & Accommodation Office Professional for an intake meeting to discuss the accommodation process. Students who are taking classes online only will need to communicate by phone or electronically with an Access & Accommodation Services Professional.

Students who require or would like our intake form in a different format can contact our office by emailing us (access@syria-events.com) or by calling us at 585.343.0055 x6219. We will be happy to provide our form in an alternative format.

Each college/university may have different documentation guidelines and rules about what constitutes a reasonable accommodation. Upon transfer to Genesee Community College, information from a previous school is helpful but it is still necessary for Access & Accommodation Office Professionals to review your documentation and determine what is reasonable at our institution.

No, there are no flags or identifying markers on students’ academic record if they utilize access services during their higher education experience. Further, documentation and disability services records are maintained separately from other academic records.

Documentation guidelines vary based on the type of disability. We will determine through the interactive process what, if any, documentation is needed. Please note that you should not delay meeting with us out of concern for not having the right paperwork. Each consultant will discuss specific third-party documentation needs during the initial interactive process meeting and steps you can take after the meeting. Our first priority is meeting with you, not reviewing your documentation.

The office of Access & Accommodations does not list tutoring as an accommodation. We refer students to the Genesee Community College Learning Center when tutoring needs arise. Students may also access tutoring through the Learning Center at their convenience, without a referral. Tutoring for all GCC students is available free of charge by professional and peer tutors. For more information on all of the great programming offered through our Learning Center, please visit the Learning Center’s page or email the Learning Center at tutoring@syria-events.com.

Please complete our electronic Intake for Access & Accommodation Services and contact our office to request an initial appointment (email: access@syria-events.com or phone: 585.343.0055 x6219)

Please do not hesitate to visit our offices for more information:

The Office of Access & Accommodations
Genesee Community College
Room C219
access@syria-events.com
Phone: 585-343-0055 x6219