Policies and Procedures

Oklahoma City Community College Nondiscrimination Policy for Students with Disabilities

Oklahoma City Community College is committed to the spirit and letter of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The College has also been subject to the nondiscrimination provisions of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Under Section 504, the College has instituted various administrative policies, practices, and procedures to ensure nondiscrimination against individuals with disabilities. These policies, practices, and procedures have been amended to comply with requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504.

Accordingly, "no qualified individual with a disability shall, by reason of such disability, be either excluded from participation in or be denied the benefits of the services, programs, or activities" of Oklahoma City Community College.

Compliance Responsibility

Responsibility for coordinating Oklahoma City Community College's compliance with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act for the College's programs and activities resides with the Office of Student Accessibility and Support (405-682-1611 extension 7520) and the ADA Coordinator (405-682-1611, extension 7850) except for any actions regarding employment .

Accessibility: The Key to Equal Opportunity

Assurance of equal educational opportunity rests upon legal foundations established by federal law, specifically Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and The ADA of 1990. {Section 202. Discrimination. 42 of the ADA begins with these words: USC 12132} "Subject to the provisions of this title, no qualified individual2 with a disability shall, by reason of such disability, be excluded from participation in or be denied the benefits of the services, programs, or activities of a public entity, or be subjected to discrimination by any such entity."

By federal law, a person with a disability is any person who:

1. has a mental or physical impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities of that person,
2. has a record of such impairment; or
3. who while not actually disabled, is regarded as having such an impairment
4. has a record of being discriminated against because of being regarded as disabled.
5. has a person with a disability dependent on him or her (associated with a person who has a disability.)

Section 504[29 USC 794] of The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (most recently in 1998), begins with these words:

"No otherwise qualified individual1. with a disability shall, solely by reason of her or his disability, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefit of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance ". Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, applies to any college or university that receives federal funds in any program. Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act has similar language, and expanded Section 504 protection to private business.

The term "otherwise qualified" means an individual with a disability who, with or without reasonable modifications to rules, policies, or practices, the removal of architectural, communication, or transportation barriers, or the provision of auxiliary aids and services, meets the essential eligibility requirements for the receipt of services or the participation in programs or activities provided by a public entity [Sec.201. Definition. 42 USC 12115.c.(2)].

What does "otherwise qualified" mean at a community college known for "open admissions"?

Students with disabilities are admitted to Oklahoma City Community College on the same basis as all other students, without regard to accommodations (and information about disabilities is not sought or recorded in the Office of Admissions and Records).

Students with disabilities must meet the same prerequisites specified for all students for each class. Appropriate accommodations, use of adaptive technology or other services such as American Sign Language interpretation may be used in testing situations where minimum reading, writing or mathematical abilities are accessed to establish course prerequisite minimums. However, persons with disabilities must meet the same prerequisite requirements as all other students. Similarly, students with disabilities must meet the same academic program requirements as are established by the College for all students and as are outlined in the College Catalog.

Students with disabilities may request appropriate accommodations as they pursue their academic studies. Accommodations are all about ACCESS to the College programs and services, including access to quality academic standards.