Current Students
The information below applies to currently enrolled Howard College District students. In addition to reading through other important resources, students can also review their rights and responsibilities regarding their accommodations.
It is the responsibility of the student to request services for each semester you are going to need accommodations. Every semester, Accessibility Services will create new accommodation letters for student’s current schedules. College policy allows instructors one week to set up accommodations once presented with letters of accommodations. With that in mind, students need to submit documentation and schedules early in order to obtain services.
Request Accessibility Services Online!
If you are planning to attend Howard College and need accessibility services, please complete this online application. Let us know what types of services you need. One of our campus contacts will reach out to you and help you through the process of getting the services you need to be a successful student.
Requests may take up to 3 business days to process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Contact the Accessibility Services Coordinator for your site at least 30 days prior to registration to obtain the necessary forms and arrange a time for an interactive interview.
Your history of accommodations will be discussed during the interactive interview and is considered when applying for accommodations to the academic environment. Colleges are not required to provide accommodations that fundamentally alter the nature of a class or that will pose an undue administrative or financial burden on the institution. Colleges are required to provide any reasonable accommodation that may be necessary for equal access to education.
No. Colleges are not required to design special programs for students with disabilities or have Individualized Educational Plans (IEP’s). Services received during K-12 are covered under different legislation than those received during college. A copy of your 504/IDEA/IEP plan may be useful to help the Accessibility Coordinator to know what has been helpful to a student in the past. However the range of accommodations and services available in college may differ from those in your previous plan.
Bring any documentation that you feel will help the Coordinator understand the nature and extent of your disability. If you are a recent high school graduate, then a copy of your 504/IEP /IDEA plan will be helpful.
No. However, we cannot help you with any accessibility concerns unless you register with our office.
Yes – IF you would like them to be. Students who are 18 years old or older are legally recognized as adults, so the student is responsible for their own accommodation requests and disability-related decisions. Students are encouraged to have an open dialogue with their parents, because parents can be a wonderful source of support. According to FERPA, you must complete a Consent to Release Information form to allow our staff speak with your parents.
No. In college, students with disabilities are covered under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and under the Americans with Disabilities Act. IDEA no longer applies. Since this is the case, the legal obligations change. There is no special education in college. Colleges do not have to seek out students with disabilities. It is the student’s responsibility to seek out services through Disability Services.
Colleges are not required to conduct or provide testing or evaluations to determine is a student has a disability. The student is responsible for providing current documentation, and any additional testing to support the requested accommodations, if necessary.