About Disability Services
The mission of the Blinn College District Office of Disability Services is to ensure students with disabilities have equal access in their educational pursuits. We provide students an opportunity to obtain their academic goals by fostering inclusion and support.
The mission of the Blinn College District Office of Disability Services is to ensure students with disabilities have equal access to their educational pursuits. We provide students’ an opportunity to obtain their academic goals by fostering inclusion and support.
We look forward to working with you during your tenure at Blinn College District.
The Office of Disability Services provides a variety of resources and support, including:
- Assistance with course and testing accommodation
- Communication with instructors
- Campus accessibility information
- Campus disability awareness education
- Sign language interpretation or transcription services
- Coordination of support programs with other campus departments
- Assistance in resolving concerns
- Information for community resources
The Office of Disability Services provides access to students with disabilities, the student is responsible for their success. Our objective is to support this process and encourage students to strive to obtain their goals.
Please contact your respective campus office to schedule an appointment with our office. Appointments are available during normal business hours, both in person and virtually.
Accommodations are tailored to the individual rather than the disability and are based on information contained in each student's documentation and intake information. Students with the same type of disability may receive distinct types of in-class accommodation. Possible accommodation includes, but is not limited to:
- Supplemental note-taking services
- Extended time on exams and quizzes
- Alternative test location that provides a reduced distraction environment
- Priority seating
- Test reader
- Test scribe
- Books in electronic format
- A sign language interpreter
- Allowance of assistive devices, such as recorders or a computer, for note taking
Accommodations for distance education, blended or other courses with online components may differ from in person or traditional courses. Please contact the Office of Disability Services for assistance.
The Office of Disability Services (ODS) is committed to ensuring that all information regarding a student is maintained as confidential as required or permitted by law. Information provided to ODS is considered confidential and is not disclosed to a third party or other department within Blinn College District without written permission of the student.
ODS will never release a student's documentation to any third party or other institution without approval from the student.
To request your documentation, please click here or contact your respective campus.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990:
According to the ADA, an individual with a disability is defined as a person who: (1) has a physical or mental impairment that limits one or more life activities; (2) has a record of such impairment; or (3) is regarded as having such impairment. Major life activities include but are not limited to walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, working, caring for oneself, and performing manual tasks.
The ADA prohibits discrimination solely based on disability in employment, public services, and accommodations. The person in consideration must be otherwise qualified for the job, program, or service.
The ADA details administrative requirements, complaint procedures, and the consequences for non-compliance related to both services and employment. The ADA requires provision of reasonable, effective accommodation for eligible students across educational activities and settings.
The Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008
On September 25, 2008, the President signed the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008 ("ADA Amendments Act" or "Act"). The Act emphasizes that the definition of disability should be construed in favor of broad coverage of individuals to the maximum extent permitted by the terms of the ADA and shall not require extensive analysis.
The Act makes significant changes to the definition of the term "disability" by rejecting the holdings in several Supreme Court decisions and portions of EEOC's ADA regulations. The effect of these changes is to make it easier for an individual seeking protection under the ADA to establish that he or she has a disability within the meaning of the ADA.
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973:
Section 504 of The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibits discrimination based on disability in programs, public and private, that receive federal financial assistance. Section 504 includes institutions regardless of whether they have open door, selective, or competitive admissions practices.
People with disabilities have the same legal remedies that are available under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended in 1991. Thus, individuals who are discriminated against may file a complaint with the relevant federal agency or sue in federal court. Enforcement agencies encourage informal mediation and voluntary compliance.
How these Laws Apply to Higher Education:
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 were designed to ensure that colleges and universities are free from discrimination in their recruitment, admission, and treatment of students.
In the application of both laws, students with disabilities must be qualified to participate in college activities. A qualified student with a disability is one who meets the admission and essential eligibility requirements of a program or service, with or without:
- modifications of rules, policies, or procedures
- removal of architectural, communication, or transportation barriers
- provision of auxiliary aids and services.
Individuals who pose a direct threat to their own health or safety or the health or safety of others will not be considered qualified.
The law requires higher education institutions to ensure that all programs, services, or facilities are accessible to or usable by persons with disabilities. The law does NOT require:
- making each facility accessible if alternatives are effective
- a fundamental alteration of programs or services
- undue financial or administrative burden.
The College District is under no obligation to change academic requirements which the College District, programs, or majors can demonstrate are essential to the program of instruction or to any direct licensing requirement.
The College District does not have to provide personal attendants, individually prescribed devices, readers for personal use or study, or other devices or services of a personal nature, such as tutoring or typing (United States Office of Civil Rights, July 2002).
The institution must provide auxiliary aid to ensure the participation of students in college classes and activities and must accommodate the academic participation of qualified students with disabilities.
The law does not require special treatment of students with disabilities but does require that students be given the opportunity for equal participation in the College District's programs. This is done by providing eligible and qualified students with appropriate academic adjustments necessary to facilitate the students' fullest participation in the College District's academic programs.
For more information, please visit https://www.ada.gov/.
Attendance and Disability
Federal law requires colleges and universities to consider reasonable modification of attendance policies if required to accommodate a student's disability. In making this determination, two questions must be answered:
Does the student have a documented disability that directly affects his/her ability to attend class on a regular basis? Disability Services will make this determination based on a review of documentation from the student's physician or psychologist and provide verification in a letter the student presents to the instructor.
Is attendance an essential part of the class? Would modification of attendance policies result in a fundamental alteration of the curriculum? Faculty members make this determination in consultation with ODS.
The Office of Civil Rights (OCR) has provided the following guidelines to assess if attendance is an essential part of a class:
- Is there classroom interaction between the instructor and students and among students?
- Do student contributions constitute a significant component of the learning process?
- Does the fundamental nature of the course rely on student participation as an essential method for learning?
- To what degree does a student's failure to attend constitute a significant loss to the educational experience of other students in the class?
- What does the course description and syllabus say?
- Which method is used to calculate the final grade?
- What are the classroom practices and policies regarding attendance?
ODS recommends that students with a disability-related need for flexibility in attendance meet with their instructors to discuss the extent to which modification in attendance policies may be reasonable for a particular class. The student and instructor should have a clear understanding of what accommodation can be made for disability-related absences. In cases where attendance is an essential part of the class, a medical or mental health withdrawal may be considered reasonable accommodation if absences become excessive. ODS is available to consult with faculty on issues concerning disability and attendance. No accommodation exists that allows a student to miss class simply because of their disability. Class attendance is considered an essential element of the course unless otherwise noted in the course syllabus.
Behavior Expectations
Regardless of the type or severity of a disability, all Blinn College District students must adhere to the policies, rules, and regulations of the Code of Conduct section in the Student Handbook as approved by the Board of Trustees.
For more information, please review the college’s policies, https://www.blinn.edu/syllabus-policies/.
Federal law requires colleges and universities to consider reasonable modification of attendance policies if required to accommodate a student's disability. In making this determination, two questions must be answered:
Does the student have a documented disability that directly affects his/her ability to attend class on a regular basis? Disability Services will make this determination based on a review of documentation from the student's physician or psychologist and provide verification in a letter the student presents to the instructor.
Is attendance an essential part of the class? Would modification of attendance policies result in a fundamental alteration of the curriculum? Faculty members make this determination in consultation with The Office of Disability Services (ODS).
The Office of Civil Rights (OCR) has provided the following guidelines to assess if attendance is an essential part of a class:
- Is there classroom interaction between the instructor and students and among students?
- Do student contributions constitute a significant component of the learning process?
- Does the fundamental nature of the course rely on student participation as an essential method for learning?
- To what degree does a student's failure to attend constitute a significant loss to the educational experience of other students in the class?
- What does the course description and syllabus say?
- Which method is used to calculate the final grade?
- What are the classroom practices and policies regarding attendance?
The Office Disability Services (ODS) requires that students with a disability-related need for flexibility in attendance meet with the ODS to discuss the extent to which modification in attendance policies may be reasonable for a particular class. Following this meeting, the student and instructor should have a clear understanding of what accommodations can be made for disability-related absences. To facilitate the discussion the letter of accommodation should be reviewed to clearly set out expectations. Disability Services is available to consult with instructors and students on issues concerning disability and attendance. Accommodation begins when faculty acknowledge receipt of letter. Accommodation should be implemented generally, within two business days. Accommodations are NOT retroactive.
The student may be absent from class periodically or have difficulty meeting some deadlines due to their disability. The student is expected to notify faculty by the end of the second working day after the absence or missed deadline. Students must not be asked for a doctor’s note for disability-related absences.
The following guidelines will be used when the student misses’ class or an assignment due to their disability:
Absences
Students should refer to their course syllabi for absence guidelines. The student is expected to make up any missed work and there should be a plan in place for the student to obtain notes or assignments due to their absence. Absences are prorated based on remaining weeks in course.