SH.07 Accessibility Resources

SH.07.A – Accessibility Resources

Tulsa Community College partners with students to provide educational opportunities to achieve academic success through individualized academic accommodations and support resources offered by Accessibility Resources. For more information contact:

Accessibility Resources

Northeast Campus, Room AB224
3727 E. Apache, Tulsa, OK 74115
Voice: 918-595-7115; Text: 918-810-7428
Email: ar@tulsacc.edu

Resources for Individuals Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

Northeast Campus, Room AB224
3727 E. Apache, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74115
Voice: 918-595-7428; Video Phone: 918-894-5724; Text: 918-809-1864
Email: rcdhh@tulsacc.edu

SH.07.B – Policies and Procedures

There is a summary of Tulsa Community College’s Policies and Procedures regarding academic accommodations for Students with Disabilities found in the Accessibility Resources Office.

Purpose

It is the policy of Tulsa Community College to offer educational opportunities and experiences to all students enrolled at the College based on individual merit. TCC will not tolerate discrimination against any student because of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, disability, status as a veteran, sexual orientation, genetic information, or any other basis protected by applicable discrimination law in its policies, practices, or procedures.

TCC embraces and commits itself and its faculty and staff employees to follow provisions of state and federal law prohibiting discrimination against persons with disabilities, including, but not limited to, the Americans with Disabilities Act ("ADA") and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

Accessibility Resources assist students with academic accommodations and concerns. Staff in Accessibility Resources partners with students, faculty, and staff to help ensure appropriate steps are followed by the College.

This policy statement is intended to formalize procedures already established for the provision of academic accommodations for students with disabilities and to outline mechanisms for resolving complaints and grievances concerning the provision of such academic accommodations. This policy statement is intended to supersede any other policy of the College concerning whether the College is appropriately providing classroom accommodations to a student with a disability.

TCC will take steps as are necessary to ensure that no student with a disability is denied the benefits of, excluded from participation in, or otherwise subjected to, discrimination in activities, programs, or services operated by the College because of the absence of educational accommodations and auxiliary aids. Accommodations and auxiliary aids may include but are not limited to note-takers, taped texts, interpreters, or other effective methods of making orally delivered materials available to students with hearing and/or visual loss, classroom equipment adapted for use by students with physical disabilities, and other similar services and action.

An academic program standard or licensing requirement will not be waived and is not considered discriminatory.

SH.07.C – Academic Accommodations and Support Services

Students must initiate their request for reasonable academic accommodations through Accessibility Resources. Accommodations are provided on an individual basis dependent on the documentation of a disability and the need for support services. Students will meet with Accessibility Resources professional staff on their campus of attendance for an initial intake and to jointly identify appropriate academic accommodations. Students should update requests for accommodations each semester, or as needed. The list of academic accommodations below is not an all-inclusive list. If additional academic accommodations are needed, the student and the Accessibility Resources professional staff member will determine eligibility based on the student’s documentation.

  • Alternative Format Books
  • Assistive Technology and Training
  • Communication Access-Sign Language Interpreters and other services for communication access.
  • Digital Recorder
  • Note-taker
  • Reading and Scribing of Course Exams
  • Reduced-Distraction and/or Extended Exam Time
  • Special Seating

Accessibility Resources provides other support services as part of its ongoing commitment to student success:

  • Academic enrollment guidance and transfer options
  • Access to computer labs equipped with assistive technology
  • Notification to faculty about students’ accommodations and support services
  • Referrals to various College resources designed to assist the student with his/her academics and well-being
  • Referrals to professional practitioners and community resources
  • Referrals to scholarships and important financial aid information
  • Partners with campus departments to provide information to faculty, staff, and students regarding post-secondary education accessibility and disability issues

SH.07.D – Student Disability Complaint and Grievance Appeals Process

Students may register complaints or grievances regarding attitudinal barriers, and accessibility issues they encounter in Tulsa Community College activities, programs, or services. This procedure outlined below has been implemented to:

  • Identify a formal means for students to contest the denial of accommodations, curricular modifications, or course waivers
  • Address attitudinal barriers and accessibility issues regarding TCC activities, programs, and services
  • Provide feedback from students to improve the delivery of academic accommodations and support services

Reporting a Formal ADA/504 Complaint regarding a Qualified Disability Accommodation

Students who believe they are not receiving a qualified disability accommodation should file a written complaint. The complaint submitted must have occurred within the last 180 days. The Dean of Students & Accessibility will investigate and respond to the student in writing within 15 business days of submission of the complaint.

Appeals Process regarding a Qualified Disability Accommodation

Students may appeal the decision of the Dean of Students & Accessibility by submitting a written appeal within 15 days of the original decision. The Associate Vice President for Student Success or designee will accept an appeal of the decision of the Dean of Students & Accessibility if the appeal cites at least one of the following reasons:

  • New information is available which may suggest a modification of the decision;
  • The decision was not in accordance with the evidence presented.

The Associate Vice President for Student Success or designee has 15 business days, upon receiving the appeal through the Report It form, to notify the complainant of the decision.

The Associate Vice President for Student Success or designee may take any of the following actions relating to the appeal:

  • Uphold the original decision of the Dean or designee
  • Modify the original decision of the Dean or designee
  • Vacate the previous decision and request a new determination by the Dean or designee

Complaints Based on Disability Discrimination

Individuals who believe they have been discriminated against or harassed because of a disability should file a written complaint or email the Director of Civil Rights Compliance at TCCDiscriminations@tulsacc.edu. The Discrimination, Harassment, or Retaliation Policy can be found at Civil Rights Compliance.

SH.07.E – Service Animal Policy

Service Animals Permitted on Campus

A "service animal" means any dog that is individually trained to do work or being trained to perform tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability. The work or tasks performed by a service animal must be directly related to the person's disability. Such animals might guide individuals with vision loss, alert individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing to intruders or sounds, pull a wheelchair or retrieve items used in daily living. In addition, a person with a disability may have more than one animal, as the different animals may be addressing the different disabilities. The provision of emotional support/assistance, well-being, comfort, or companionship does not constitute work or tasks for the purpose of this definition.

Service animals will be permitted to accompany people with disabilities in all areas of TCC's facilities, where students, members of the public, and other participants in services, programs, or activities.

TCC does not require documentation such as proof that the animal has been certified, trained, or licensed as a service animal. TCC cannot ask about the nature or extent of a person's disability to determine whether a person's animal qualifies as a service animal. However, when it is not readily apparent that the animal is a service animal, TCC staff may make two inquiries to determine whether the animal qualifies as a service animal, which are:

  • Is the service animal required because of a disability?
  • What work or task has the service animal been trained to perform?

A service animal (whether in training or already trained) must be housebroken (i.e., trained so that it controls its waste elimination, absent illness or accident) and must be kept under control by a harness, leash, or another tether unless the person is unable to hold those or such use would interfere with the service animal's performance of work or tasks. In such instances, the service animal must be kept under control by voice, signals, or other effective means.

Miniature Horses

A miniature horse is allowed on campus to support an individual with a disability if the miniature horse has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of the individual with a disability. Factors to assist in determining whether miniature horses can be accommodated are whether:

  • the miniature horse is housebroken
  • the miniature horse is under the owner’s control
  • the facility can accommodate the miniature horse’s type, size, and weight
  • the miniature horse’s presence will not compromise legitimate safety requirements necessary for the safe operation of the facility

Support/Assistance Animal

A "support/assistance animal" is an animal that provides emotional or other support that alleviates one or more identified symptoms or effects of a person's disability. Unlike service animals, support/assistance animals are not required to be trained to perform work or tasks and they include species other than dogs and miniature horses. Support/Assistance animals are not considered service animals and are not allowed to accompany persons with disabilities indoors on Tulsa Community College campuses as a service animal is allowed to do.

Responsibilities of Individuals with Service Animals

It is not required for individuals to register their service animal with Accessibility Resources, but if an individual wish to do so, they may submit the Accommodation Request Form. The student must provide evidence that the animal is in good health and vaccinated against diseases common to the breed of an animal as recommended by the American Veterinary Medical Association. At the time of submission of the request please have the following documentation.

  • Veterinarian name and contact information
  • Copy of current vaccination records
  • TCC is not responsible for the care or supervision of service animals. People with disabilities are responsible for the cost, care, and supervision of service animals, including:
    • compliance with any laws pertaining to animal licensing, vaccination, and owner identification;
    • keeping the animal under control and taking effective action when it is out of control;
    • feeding and walking the animal and disposing of its waste.

TCC is not responsible for the care or supervision of service animals. People with disabilities are responsible for the cost, care, and supervision of service animals, including:

  • compliance with any laws pertaining to animal licensing, vaccination, and owner identification
  • keeping the animal under control and taking effective action when it is out of control
  • feeding and walking the animal and disposing of its waste

TCC will not require any surcharges or fees for service animals. However, a person with a disability may be charged for damage caused by a service animal to the same extent that TCC would normally charge a person for the damage they cause. People with disabilities who are accompanied by service animals must comply with the same college rules regarding noise, safety, disruption, and cleanliness as people without disabilities as outlined in the Student Handbook under the Student Code of Conduct Procedures.

Service Animal Removal

TCC may pose some restrictions on and may even exclude a service animal in certain circumstances as directed by the Americans with Disabilities Act. A service animal may be excluded if:

  • it is out of control and effective action is not taken to control it;
  • it is not housebroken;
  • it poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others that cannot be mitigated by reasonable modifications of policies, practices or procedures, or the provision of auxiliary aids or services.

Assessing the Removal: In considering whether a service animal poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others, TCC will make an individualized assessment, based on reasonable judgment, current medical knowledge, or the best available objective evidence, to determine:

  • the nature, duration, and severity of the risk;
  • the probability that the potential injury will actually occur; and
  • whether reasonable modifications of policies, practices, procedures or the provision of auxiliary aids or services, will mitigate the risk.

If there is an immediate safety concern, TCC Police should be notified. TCC Police have full authority to provide temporary restrictions or temporary removal of a service animal. If restrictions or removal of a service animal is needed, Accessibility Resources should be notified. The Dean of Students & Accessibility will provide a written statement to the person with a disability explaining any restrictions or removal of a service animal.
The Dean of Students & Accessibility will provide a written statement of explanation to any person with a disability if a determination is made that the presence of that person's service animal would fundamentally alter the nature of a program, service, or activity.

In the event that restriction or removal of a service animal is determined to be necessary, the person with a disability will still be given the opportunity to participate in the service, program, or activity without having the service animal present. The above provisions on restrictions and exclusions are not intended to cover modifications to reasonable accommodations. The reasonable accommodation process and modifications to reasonable accommodations are covered under TCC's policy on reasonable accommodations, located in the Student Handbook under Academic Accommodations and Services.

Guidelines for Members of the TCC Community

To ensure equal access and nondiscrimination of people with disabilities, members of the TCC community must abide by the following practices:

  • Allow service animals to accompany people with disabilities on campus
  • Do not ask for details about a person's disabilities
  • Do not pet a service animal, as it distracts the animal from its work
  • Do not feed a service animal
  • Do not deliberately startle, tease, or taunt a service animal
  • Do not separate or attempt to separate a person from his/her service animal

Those with a disability that may be affected by the presence of animals, should please contact Accessibility Resources at ar@tulsacc.edu. TCC is committed to ensuring that the needs of all people with disabilities are met and will determine how to resolve any conflicts or problems as expeditiously as possible.