4.1.3 Accommodations of Individuals with Disabilities

ACCOMMODATIONS FOR EMPLOYEES WITH DISABILITIES

The Director of Human Resources is the College's ADA/504 Coordinator, assuring compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.

Employees with requests for accommodations should contact the Director of Human Resources concerning documentation of the request.  Further information concerning employee disabilities can be found in the Equal Opportunity/Nondiscrimination Policy and the Personnel Information Policy located in this section.

ACCOMMODATION OF STUDENTS AND OTHER RECIPIENTS OF OR PARTICIPANTS IN COLLEGE SERVICES, PROGRAMS, OR ACTIVITIES WITH DISABILITIES

Non-Discrimination Policy.  Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (the "Disability Laws") require that no qualified individual with a disability be excluded from participation in or be denied the benefits of any of Craven Community College's services, programs, or activities on the basis of his or her disability.  Individuals with disabilities (i.e., individuals who have a mental or physical disability that substantially limits one or more major life activities, who have a record of such an impairment, or who are regarded as having such an impairment even if they do not) may not be subjected to retaliation, intimidation, or other mistreatment on the basis of their assertion or enforcement of these rights.  Similarly, the College will not discriminate against eligible recipients of or participants in College services, programs or activities on the basis of their relationship or association with an individual with a disability.

It is the College's policy to comply with the Disability Laws by providing reasonable modifications in its rules, policies, and practices, by removing architectural, communication, and transportation barriers, and by providing auxiliary aids and services, when necessary to insure that individuals with disabilities who meet the College's essential eligibility requirements for the receipt of services or participation in College programs or activities are afforded opportunities equal to those of non-disabled individuals.  College personnel are not to assume automatically that a disabled individual will need an accommodation or to "quiz" students and other persons unnecessarily about their disabilities.

However, individuals with disabilities who desire access to College services, programs, or activities are encouraged to request, in a timely manner, accommodation of their disabilities as provided below.

Accommodation Requests.   The College believes that you are in the best position to know what is needed to accommodate your disability.  Some accommodation requests can and should be handled on an informal basis.  When a request for accommodation is more extensive and cannot be handled on an informal basis, you should follow these procedures:

1. Giving College Personnel Sufficient Notice.  If you think that you will need an accommodation to meet the College's eligibility requirements for, receive, or participate in a College service, program, or activity, you should make this known to the College employee who is responsible for the service, program, or activity as soon as possible, so that the College will have sufficient time to consider your request and make any necessary arrangements.  Failure to Provide the College with Adequate NOTICE of Your Need for an Accommodation May Result in the Colleges Being Unable to Provide You with the Desired Accommodation or Any Other Accommodation in a Timely Manner.
2. Information To Be Provided.  When making an accommodation request, you should provide to the College employee with whom you are consulting any information about your disability or the requested accommodation that you think will be necessary or helpful to the College in making its determination.  Any alternative ideas for accommodation also should be mentioned.
3. Confidentiality.  The College will make every effort to maintain as confidential all accommodation requests and information it receives about your disability.  College instructors and other personnel have been instructed to inform only those persons who need to know of a request for accommodation and of the circumstances surrounding that request.
4. Processing of Accommodation Requests.  All requests for accommodation will be forwarded to the College's ADA/504 Coordinator, who will consult with the Executive Vice President/Chief Academic Officer,  the Vice President for Financial and Administrative Services, the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs, or the Director of the Academic Skills Center, and the President of the College in making accommodation determinations.  The College's ADA/504 Coordinator may be contacted at the following address and phone number: 

Director of Human Resources

Brock Building

Craven Community College

800 College Court

New Bern, NC  28562

Telephone:  (252) 638-7225

5.  Accommodation Determinations.   The College will make every effort to provide you with your requested accommodation or with an accommodation that will be equally effective in providing access to the particular service, program, or activity, taking into consideration the nature of the service, program, or activity and the financial resources and administrative obligations of the College.  Please note that although the College is required to make its services, programs, and activities accessible to persons who meet its essential eligibility requirements, the Disability Laws do not require the College to make all of its facilities accessible to such persons or to provide them with personal equipment or services to accommodate their disability.  The Disability Laws also permit the College to deny a requested accommodation if it would result in a fundamental alteration in the nature of a service, program, or activity or if it would create undue financial and administrative burdens for the College.  If the College determines that this is the case, it of course will explore other accommodation possibilities. 

6.   Denial of an Accommodation Request.  If the College determines that a requested accommodation would result in a fundamental alteration in the nature of a service, program, or activity provided by the College or would create undue financial and administrative burdens for the College, it will deny the accommodation request.  You will receive written notice of any denial of an accommodation detailing the reasons for the College's determination. 

7.   Approval of an Accommodation Request.  If the College determines that it is able to provide a requested accommodation, you will be contacted by the College's ADA/504 Coordinator or by the College employee who will be responsible for arranging the accommodation.

Grievance Rights.   Employees or participants in College services, programs, and activities who feel that they have been subjected to discrimination on the basis of a disability or whose accommodation requests have been denied are entitled to submit a complaint to the College as outlined in the Discipline, Non-Reappointment, and Grievance Procedure. 

Summary.   Because each individual's situation and each service, program, and activity are different, accommodation decisions will need to be made on a case-by-case basis.  It is the College's policy to afford disabled persons every reasonable opportunity to receive the benefits and services provided by the College and to succeed in the College's programs and activities.  The College aims to keep the lines of communication open between individuals with disabilities who will require reasonable accommodation and those instructors and other College personnel who are responsible for the services, programs, and activities which they are receiving or would like to be enrolled.

Approved by the Board of Trustees:  July 19, 1994

Revised May 23, 2005