The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 defines a person with a disability as, "someone with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. A person is considered to be a person with a disability if s/he has the disability, has a record of the disability, or is regarded as having the disability."

Great Bay provides services to students with disabilities through the Coordinator of Disability Services. Students access these services by bringing documentation of their disability to the Coordinator of Disability Services and meeting to develop a plan of service.

On the first day of class faculty should make an announcement to all students that services are available to students with documented disabilities. Students should be encouraged to meet with the Coordinator of Disability Services if they believe they have such a disability. Contact information is included below.

Any student who comes to the instructor asking for accommodations related to a disability should be referred to the Coordinator of Disability Services unless they already have a Reasonable Accommodation Plan to be signed. Faculty members can contact the Coordinator of Disability Services directly about such students only if they have the permission of the student. Otherwise, the student should be encouraged to contact the Coordinator of Disability Services independently. Accessing services is totally voluntary, and a student does not have to disclose a disability if s/he does not choose to. Again, it is very important to recognize the confidential nature of any such information.

Students with Reasonable Accommodation Plans are likely to see the instructor on the first day of class, but may bring a plan at any point in the semester. Accommodations are not retroactive; they are to be provided from the date the RAP is presented to the instructor forward until the end of the semester. Accommodations from a previous semester do not need to be provided without a new RAP.

Once an instructor signs the plan she/he is responsible for providing the accommodations outlined. It is therefore very important that instructors understand the plan and how services will be provided. If the instructor has any concerns or questions about how to provide an accommodation, s/he should contact the Coordinator of Disability Services as soon as possible. The signed original of the Reasonable Accommodation Plan (RAP) is returned to the Coordinator of Disability Services by the student and kept on file. A copy of the plan is provided to the instructor, who should keep it in a secure location, as the document is confidential. Information from the plan should not be shared with anyone without the student's written consent.

Note-takers

The Coordinator of Disability Services makes arrangements with another student in the class to provide copies of his/her notes at the end of each class. Carbonless paper is provided for this purpose if desired. On the first day of class the student and note-taker will meet at the instructor's desk to exchange notes and make introductions. Once they have met each other, they may make any arrangement for sharing notes that is comfortable for both students.

If a student is expecting notes and none arrive, s/he should follow-up with the Coordinator of Disability Services. If a student delivers notes that are not picked up, the instructor should hold onto them until the next class. If notes are still not picked up at the end of the second class, the instructor or note-taker should contact the Coordinator of Disability Services.

Alternative Testing

At least a week before an exam or quiz, the student brings an Alternative Testing Form to the instructor for completion. The instructor is not responsible for reminding students about this form and does not need to make special arrangements for a student who has not delivered the form in a timely manner.

The instructor fills in the form with details about how the test should be administered. Items marked with asterisks should only be selected if supported by a Reasonable Accommodation Plan. The instructor delivers the form electronically or in person to the Center for Academic Planning and Support (CAPS). This needs to occur one week prior to the exam if arrangements for a scribe or reader need to be made. The Coordinator of Disability Services makes arrangements for readers and scribes as appropriate.

The instructor delivers the exam or quiz to CAPS prior to the date of the testing.
Upon completion of testing, the exam or quiz will be placed in a sealed envelope and returned to the instructor in his/her mailbox by CAPS staff.