Student Disability Services (SDS)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- I have a disability and have received support services in the past. How can I access services at Southwest?
- What is an accommodation form?
- What support services are available for students with disabilities at Southwest Tennessee Community College?
- What is the Academic Support Center (ASC)?
- I have not been diagnosed as having a learning disability in the past, but I think I may have one. What should I do?
- Who are the Student Disabilities Services Staff, and how can I contact them?
- Does Southwest offer any type of orientation for newly-enrolled students with disabilities?
Q: I have a disability and have received support services in the past. How can I access services at Southwest?
A: Students with disabilities enrolled at Southwest Tennessee Community College can access services by:
- Self-identification
It is the responsibility of the student with a disability to identify himself/herself to the Student Disability Services Office.
Macon Cove Campus
Office: Farris Room 2194
(Inside Testing Center Suite 2182)
Phone: (901) 333-4223
Fax: (901) 333-4788 |
Union Avenue Campus
Office: M Building Room 112A
(Inside Admissions Suite - M Building 110)
Phone: (901) 333-5116
Fax: (901) 333-5200 |
- Providing Documentation
Eligibility for services is based on providing appropriate documentation.
- Medical Documentation:
The medical documentation should be filled out by the designated diagnostician that is eligible to diagnose the particular disability the student has. It should obtain the date of the last diagnosis, the diagnosis, tests performed in order to reach the diagnosis, medications, functional limitations, and any recommendations the diagnostician may have to offer.
- How old documentation can be:
For students who have either Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or a learning disability the documentation can be, at the most, 3 years old. IEPs and Transition Plans are not documentation of a disability. For students with emotional/psychiatric disabilities, the documentation has to be updated every six months. (This does not require the student to go through a psycho-evaluation every six months; the office just needs a letter from the doctor explaining any changes/improvements that the student may be experiencing at that time.) For physical/permanent disabilities, there is not a time limit on how old their documentation can be.
- Reasons behind updated medical documentation:
The reason behind the need for updated testing and documentation is to better serve the students. Old documentation can hurt a student because as their disability progresses, their needs change and accommodations given to the student should meet the needs they are experiencing at that time.
[back to top]
Q: What is an accommodation form?
A: An accommodation form is a document issued by the Student Disability Services Office for students with disabilities. It is intended to provide flexibility and equalize opportunities for success. Based on a careful review of the documentation provided for the student, the accommodation form describes the academic modifications that will become part of the student’s program. Accommodations can not compromise the content of a course or the essential requirements of a degree. It is the student's responsibility to transmit the accommodation to his/her professors. The student must request an updated accomodation form each semester.
[back to top]
Q: What support services are available for students with disabilities at Southwest Tennessee Community College?
A: Southwest Tennessee Community College provides an array of free support services for students with disabilities. These services include the following:
- Academic Accommodations
- Academic Support Center (ASC)
- Professional Tutoring - Disability Computer Station with computer mouse and adjustable table
- Disability Computer Station with adjustable table, magnifying screen for monitor, and "Please Read" Software - American Sign Language (Signing Software for Deaf Students)
- Video: "Transitions to Postsecondary Learning", for students with learning disabilities and/or attention deficit disorder
- Video: American Sign Language (ASL) and Pidgin Sign Language (PSE), Grammar and Sentence Structure, Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic® (RFB&D), Audio Plus for the Visually Impaired – Plays books on CD
- ZoomText Software for the Visually Impaired
- Voice Reading Software for the Visually Impaired
- eClipse Reader; the most advanced software and CD players for reading
- Daisy talking books for the visually impaired
- Disability Support Group
- Developmental Study Skills – a study skills support class
[back to top]
Q: What is the Academic Support Center (ASC)?
A: The ASC provides services and resources to help Southwest students successfully reach their academic and career goals. These include tutoring, open academic computer labs, instructional resources (video, textbooks, etc.), and study areas. Tutoring at Southwest is free and is on a "drop in" basis. No appointment is necessary. On the Macon Cove Campus, the ASC is located in the Nabors Building, Room 101. On the Union Avenue Campus, the ASC is located in the F Building, Room 319. Also, the ASC can be found at the Gill, Maxine A. Smith, and Whitehaven Centers. Services and hours may vary by location.
[back to top]
Q:
I have not been diagnosed as having a learning disability in the past, but I think I may have one. What should I do?
A: If you think that you have an undiagnosed learning disability, you should contact the Student Disability Services Office for an appointment. The college does not provide diagnostic services. However, the Student Disability Services Staff can assist you in accessing support services and help you to decide whether you should pursue formal testing.
[back to top]
Q: Who are the Student Disabilities Services staff, and how can I contact them?
A: The Student Disabilities Services Coorrdinator is Verties Sails III. Mr. Sails maintains offices on both of the main campuses.
[back to top]
Q:
Does Southwest offer any type of orientation for newly-enrolled students with disabilities?
A: The Student Disability Services Office requests that all new students who register with our office visit weekly for the first 3 weeks of the semester. During these counseling sessions, the students learn about the support services available, and join in discussions regarding questions and concerns.
[back to top]
