Access Services

• Mental health disabilities (increasing across all US colleges)
• Anxiety, Depression, P.T.S.D.
• A.D.D./A.D.H.D.
• Dyslexia learning disabilities
• Processing disorders
• Autism
• Physical disabilities
• Chronic health disabilities
• Vision and hearing disabilities

• Assistance in learning self-advocacy skills and tools
• Assistance with note-taking in the classroom
• Audio recording
• Testing accommodations
• Access to assistive technologies/1:1 instruction with Laquida Williams is available
• Speech to text programs
• Alternative textbook accommodation
• Interpreters and real-time captioning

• Differences Between High School and College for Students with Disabilities (.docx)

The purpose of medical documentation is to help establish the presence of disability and need for accommodation services. TCC Access Services office works to follow AHEAD’s guidance on documentation guidelines. For more information, visit the AHEAD website. 

Sources and Forms of Documentation 

Acceptable sources of documentation for substantiating a student’s disability and request for particular accommodations can take a variety of forms: 

Primary Documentation: Student’s Self-report 

The student is a vital source of information regarding how he or she may be “limited by impairment.” (xi) A student’s narrative of his or her experience of disability, barriers, and effective and ineffective accommodations is an important tool which, when structured by interview or questionnaire and interpreted, may be sufficient for establishing disability and a need for accommodation. 

Secondary Documentation: Observation and Interaction 

The impressions and conclusions formed by higher education disability professionals during interviews and conversations with students or in evaluating the effectiveness of previously implemented or provisional accommodations are important forms of documentation. Experienced disability professionals should feel comfortable using their observations of students’ language, performance and strategies as an appropriate tool in validating student narrative and self-report. 

Tertiary Documentation: Information From External or Third Parties 

Documentation from external sources may include educational or medical records, reports and assessments created by health care providers, school psychologists, teachers, or the educational system. This information is inclusive of documents that reflect education and accommodation history, such as Individual Education Program (IEP), Summary Of Performance (SOP), and teacher observations (xii). External documentation will vary in its relevance and value depending on the original context, credentials of the evaluator, the level of detail provided, and the comprehensiveness of the narrative. However, all forms of documentation are meaningful and should be mined for pertinent information.

In order to ensure sufficient time to make provisions for appropriate accommodations and auxiliary aid(s), students must request to activate accommodations in a timely manner. Ideally, renewal requests are completed before the start of the new quarter, or within the first week. Students not yet registered with Access Services must first complete a confidential intake appointment with a staff member to discuss and determine reasonable accommodations. 

Some accommodations take longer than others to implement. Below is a list of services and timeline for requests in most circumstances. If a request is submitted after the relevant deadline, Access Services will make every reasonable effort to activate but completed timeline may be adjusted based on submission date. 

Accommodations can be approved and activated throughout the quarter, but are not retroactive. Untimely requests may result in delay, substitutions or the inability to fulfill the request(s). 

1. Alternative Textbook Materials: It can take up to 3-6 weeks to locate required materials. Please submit textbook requests as early as possible. 
2. If other accessible instructional materials are required, such as video captions or other materials in Canvas, allow up to 5 business days. 
3. Assistive Technology and training: Please allow up to 5 business days for required tools and training to be provided. 
4. Communication Access: If you require A.S.L. or C.A.R.T. services please submit your request and class schedule as early as possible, ideally before the start of the quarter. 
5. Advance notice of 48 hours is required for individual requests such as events, tutoring sessions, meetings with professors, etc.