FAQ on Accommodations and Disability Services

Federal disability law defines a person with a disability as “an individual who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, including, but not limited to, performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, walking, communicating, reading, learning, focusing and concentrating.”

An accommodation is the modification, adjustment, or elimination of a barrier to a program or service to enable an individual with a disability to participate on an equal basis. Extra time for test-taking, conversion of documents into accessible formats, and real-time captioning are examples of accommodations that can be made.

Students should complete the registration form to apply for accommodation services through the Student Access and Disability Services Office. Students should upload documentation of their disability to the registration form or provide it during the intake appointment. Through an interactive process, the Student Access and Disability Services staff member will review the documentation and discuss the student’s eligibility for accommodations with the student.

The student’s accommodation eligibility is based on the student’s disability documentation, the student’s self-report, information on the functional impact of the disability on the student’s education, and disability-related barriers that the student experiences in receiving equal access to ECC’s programs and services.

After applying to ECC, students need to initiate the request for accommodation services as soon as possible.

No. Because each college sets its own documentation guidelines, accommodations do not automatically transfer to ECC. Our Student Access and Disability Services documentation requirements are designed specifically for the ECC campus environment.

If you previously attended another college, you may submit your disability record or accommodation plan from that institution as part of your request. However, you will still need to meet ECC’s documentation requirements to receive accommodations here. We also recommend filling out our form to request accommodations at ECC.

Complete the Accommodation Request Form.

If you plan on taking a standardized test (e.g., GED, NCLEX, etc.) that an outside agency administers, you should contact the Student Access and Disability Services Office at least two months before taking the test for information and assistance in requesting accommodations on those tests. Please complete the Student Access and Disabilities Services Registration Form.

Yes. Depending on the severity and duration of your condition, temporary accommodations may be available. For example, if you injure your writing hand, we may be able to provide note-taking support or access to speech-to-text technology to help you complete your coursework.

Please follow the instructions under New to Student Access and Disability Services to register for services.

Disclosing your disability is always your choice. When you meet with your academic advisor to plan for your classes, you may tell your advisor that you met with a Student Access and Disability Services staff member and are eligible for academic accommodations.

All your disability records are confidential, so if you don’t mention your disability or accommodations to your advisor, your advisor will not know that you are registered with the Student Access and Disability Services Office.

Your academic advisor is available to help you select classes that best meet your needs and degree requirements.

No. Your disability status is confidential. The decision to inform your instructors is entirely up to you. Additionally, once you request your accommodation letters, the Student Access and Disability Services Office will only provide your instructors with information on your approved accommodations. It will not disclose information on your specific diagnosis.

No. Instructors should not request copies of your disability documentation. Students must only share their disability documentation with the Student Access and Disability Services Office.

We encourage students to follow up with their instructors at the beginning of each semester. By doing so, students show that they are engaged in the course. Checking in with your instructors is important in advocating for your needs. Once you have requested accommodation letters, you may contact your instructors to introduce yourself. A sample email is below:

Hi Professor XXXX,

My name is XXX. I am a student in your XXX course. I am writing to inform you that you have received an email from the Student Access and Disability Services Office listing my approved accommodations for your course. I would be happy to meet with you to discuss my accommodations.

I look forward to working together with you during this semester.

Thank you in advance for your assistance.

Best regards,

XXXX

Disability status is confidential. ECC will not ask about your disability on the admissions application. If you need accommodations to participate in the admissions process, please contact the Student Access and Disability Services Office by email at sds@elgin.edu.

No. The information you provide to the Student Access and Disability Services Office is confidential.

Yes. ECC encourages students to meet with a Student Access and Disability Services staff member if they encounter academic, physical, or attitudinal challenges due to a disability. A staff member will discuss campus resources, supports, and the process for obtaining documentation with the student.

If you believe you have a learning disability, ADHD, or another type of disability, don't hesitate to contact the Student Access and Disability Services Office for information on where to go for a neuropsychological evaluation. By participating in the evaluation, you may gain a better understanding of the challenges you have been experiencing and identify strategies, assistive technology, and services that best support your life goals. Contact us at sds@elgin.edu, and we'll be happy to answer any questions you may have. 

No. Students can still receive accommodations in college; however, IEPs, 504 Plans, and other high school accommodation plans/records apply only to K-12 settings. Students must meet with the Student Access and Disability Services staff members to identify accommodations available at the college level. After you apply to the college and wait to receive your ECC ID, you can fill out the Student Access and Disability Services Registration form. 

ReadSpeaker is a tool that allows all ECC students to listen to specific material on D2L. Check out this short video on the great benefits of ReadSpeaker. For other helpful videos on how to use this simple tool, visit:

• ReadSpeaker webReader 3.2: How-To Videos
• ReadSpeaker docReader: How-To Videos

The Student Access and Disability Services Office has a limited number of licenses for Kurzweil software, which provides audio support while reading articles, webpages, and other materials. Kurzweil also assists when writing papers because it highlights text while you’re typing an essay, reads aloud what you have typed, and has other helpful tools for writing. To learn more about Kurzweil, watch a demo of Kurzweil. Contact the Student Access and Disability Services Office by email at sds@elgin.edu to inquire if you qualify for a license of Kurzweil.

Talk instead of typing on your computer:

• Check out these instructions on enabling the dictation feature in Microsoft Word.
• Check out these instructions on enabling Google Dictate in your Google Docs.

Listen to the text that you have typed:

• Check out these instructions on how to use the Read Aloud feature in Microsoft Word.
• Check out these instructions on how to use the Select-to-Speak/ChromeVox feature in Google Docs. It is only available on Chromebooks.

In addition to viewing the captions/transcript in Zoom and the captions in Google Meet, you may benefit from using a note-taking app, such as Evernote and Otter.ai.

The Student Access and Disability Services Office has a limited supply of assistive listening devices, audio recorders, and other devices that may assist you in your educational goals at ECC. If you want to borrow assistive technology from the Student Access and Disability Services Office for a semester, please email sds@elgin.edu or call 847-214-7717 to discuss the eligibility requirements.

The Renner Academic Library has a computer with screen-reading software, screen magnification software, speech-to-text software, and a CCTV for students to use for homework. For more information, please email sds@elgin.edu or call 847-214-7717.

Students with disabilities may meet with an Accessibility Specialist or Student Success Coach for assistance with executive function skills, time management skills, organizational skills, and study skills. If you would like to learn strategies to help you succeed in your classes, please email sds@elgin.edu or call 847-214-7717.