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Accessibility Services

Welcome! Accessibility Services at Georgia Northwestern Technical College coordinates support services for GNTC students who request accommodations and academic adjustments. We are committed to providing equal access for participation in all programs, services, and activities.

Students requesting accommodations for the first time need to make an appointment for a meeting with the Accessibility Services Coordinator to establish eligibility. The Accessibility Services Coordinator can provide details about services and accommodations that are available to qualified students with appropriate documentation. Early planning is encouraged to allow the Accessibility Services Coordinator adequate time to make the necessary arrangements for support services.

The Right to Access and the Opportunity for Success

The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 mandate that educational institutions provide students with disabilities the necessary accommodations to ensure equal access to all academic and co-curricular programs and services.

It is important to note that ensuring reasonable accommodation and equal access to academic offerings does not mean that students are guaranteed academic success. The way students with disabilities perform with accommodations varies as widely as the academic performance of non-disabled students.

Accommodations are meant to provide a level playing field to ensure that all students are presented with a learning opportunity in which the path to success is accessible; it is still up to each student to find that success by meeting course objectives.

Academic Adjustments Available with Supporting Documentation

  • Individualized Classroom Accommodation Form
  • Testing adjustments
    • Extended time
    • Quiet-test area
    • Access to adaptive software as needed
  • Preferred seating in classrooms
  • Note-taking assistance
  • Permission to audio record classroom lectures
  • Tutoring Services for all students
  • Other assistive technology
  • Referral to agencies serving people with disabilities
  • Alternate Format Materials (books and other course materials)
    • Large print
    • Braille
    • Audio
    • Electronic text
  • Assistive Technology;
    • Computers with adaptive software
    • Assistive listening devices
    • Magnification devices and software
  • Communication Access Services
    • American Sign Language (ASL) Interpreters
    • Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART)

Student Responsibilities

  • Self-identify at the Accessibility Services office of your home campus.
  • Participate in an intake interview to determine suitable accommodations.
  • Provide appropriate documentation of the disability which supports accommodation requests.
  • Meet all admission requirements to be admitted to Georgia Northwestern Technical College.
  • Meet all requirements to be admitted to the Program of Study of your choice.
  • Understand that other student services (Financial Aid, Admissions, Career, etc.) are the responsibility of the student
  • Adhere to the Code of Conduct in the Student Handbook.

Laws and regulations governing services provided to students in secondary education and students in post-secondary education differ. In college, it is the student's responsibility to self-disclose and complete all paperwork required by the Accessibility Services Office in order to receive support. For more information please read: Comparison of Services in High School and College

Accommodations are determined on an individual basis, the documentation provided, and the interview with the student. The intake interview, documentation review, and arrangements for accommodations can be a lengthy process. Students are encouraged to apply for services early to ensure that accommodations will be in place once classes begin.

Grievance Procedures

Please refer to Complaint Resolution or Appeals page for more information.

Confidentiality

All disability documentation and information is confidential between the student and Accessibility Services staff but may be disclosed in need-to-know emergency circumstances.

Documentation Guidelines

Current diagnostic and evaluative reports completed by a trained professional are required as documentation. Documentation must:

  • Be on an official letterhead
  • Be signed by a qualified professional
  • Establish how you are impacted by disability

All evaluations, test results, and medical records are confidential and are used for the sole purpose of determining eligibility for accommodations. The nature of the disability or temporary disabling condition is not released to any other party except with the written consent of the student. There is no disclosure to other college personnel.

Accommodation Delivery

The primary form of service delivery will be Accommodation Letters to the faculty member and student which will describe recommended accommodations. 

Instructors do not provide accommodations to a student who has not followed the procedures of self-identifying, providing appropriate documentation and providing an Accommodation Letter from the Accessibility Services office.

Students requesting accommodations should submit an Appointment Request Form or contact the Accessibility Services Coordinator, Brittany Elrod, for an appointment.

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