DSPS Student Resources

DSPS provides academic adjustments, auxiliary aids, services and/or instruction in accordance to Title V and Americans with Disabilities Act regulations, Services include the use of the following: 

• Adaptive furniture
• Alternate media
• Academic assistance
• Personal and academic counseling
• Test facilitation
• Mobility Assistance (TRAM)
• Learning Disability Testing Review
• High Tech Center
• Equipment Checkout

DSPS provides transport for students who have verified mobility challenges. If you feel you qualify for TRAM services, please visit the DSPS office and make an appointment with the DSPS Coordinator. You will then be asked to complete a TRAM Request and submit a copy of your schedule. For more information, please visit the DSPS TRAM page.

DSPS provides test facilitation for evening courses on a case-by-case basis. If arrangements need to be made, consult with your instructor about an alternate time and day to take your exam. DSPS will confirm with your instructor the alternative time and schedule you for a test facilitation.

To protect the integrity of the exam, DSPS prefers to proctor exams as close to the class exam time as possible. Students who have time conflicts are encouraged to discuss with their instructor an alternative time to take their exam. Please report directly to the DSPS office any changes to a scheduled exam.

No, DSPS is a voluntary program, so students registered with DSPS are not required to give instructors their AAP's and LOAs. It is highly recommended to deliver both documents to notify your instructors of your participation in the program and of any accommodations you may need during the duration of the course. The intent of these documents are to serve as bridge between you and your instructor to improve academic success.

Students may either visit the DSPS front desk in Upper Manzanita or call the DSPS front desk at 209-588-5130.

No, DSPS does not rent textbooks or provide financial assistance. Please ask for referrals to other services and resources on campus.

Students who are accommodated for Alternate Media can make an appointment with the Alternate Media Access Specialist. Please bring proof of purchase or rental.

DSPS assists the student and the instructor in providing reasonable accommodation. While instructors have the obligation to hold students with disabilities to the same standard as others in the course, they cannot deny accommodations regulated by Title V and ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act). If you feel an instructor has denied you an accommodation, please make an appointment to see the DSPS Coordinator. 

Yes, DSPS is required by law to keep your personal information private. In cases in which students would like DSPS staff to discuss disability or academic related information with instructors and/or parents/guardians, the student would need to sign a consent form.

Please visit the DSPS office to complete a Consent for Release Form and have the contact information (name, department, contact person, address, and fax number, etc.) of the designated academic institution available. Once completed, the DSPS Coordinator will send the information requested to the designated academic institution. 

Any student with a verified mobility limitation can enroll in an Adaptive HHP course. Documentation from a licensed professional who can verify a disability that affects mobility is needed to enroll.

According to YCCD Administrative Procedure 3440, a service animal is a dog (or, under certain conditions, a miniature horse) individually trained to perform specific tasks for a person with a disability. Service animals are permitted in areas of campus accessible to the public.

When a service animal's purpose is not apparent, staff may ask only two questions: (1) Is the service animal required because of a disability? and (2) What work or task has the animal been trained to perform? Staff may not request certification or documentation, require the animal to demonstrate its tasks, or ask about the person's disability.

An emotional support animal (ESA) provides comfort, companionship, or therapeutic support but is not trained to perform specific disability-related tasks. Unlike service animals, ESAs do not have automatic access to campus buildings under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Students seeking to bring an ESA to campus should contact Disabled Student Programs and Services (DSPS) to discuss potential accommodations.

For additional information, including campus guidelines and accommodation procedures, visit our Service Animal and Emotional Support Animal Resources page.

Students with testing accommodations can submit a test facilitation request through the DSPS portal.  Watch the video below or access this Instructional Guide for step-by-step instructions.

Important Note: It is the student's responsibility to arrange for certain services which are outside the scope of the Disability Services Center. These services include but are not limited to: attendant care, mobility training and sources of financial aid.

• Submit appropriate student forms to Disabled Student Programs and Services (DSPS) by the appropriate deadlines (e.g., application, disability verification form, consent of release, instructor permission form, FERPA release, student rights acknowledgment, etc.).
• Review DSPS website for accommodations, services, policies and procedures.
• Contact DSPS to schedule an appointment with the Faculty Coordinator/LD Specialist or the DSPS Counselor to review DSPS guidelines for appropriate documentation and qualifying criteria.
• Submit current professional documentation of disability with a Disabilities Verification Form. Pick up forms at DSPS office or on the DSPS HomePage.
• If qualifying criteria is met, schedule an appointment to register with DSPS and to discuss appropriate accommodations and services. The Special Programs front desk will contact you to schedule a registration appointment once the necessary documentation has been reviewed and accepted.
• Meet with the Faculty Coordinator and/or DSPS counselor to establish a Student Educational Contract and Educational Plan.
• Schedule an appointment with your rehabilitation counselor, if necessary. Keep your counselor fully informed of dates, costs, and other college requirements.
• If you are eligible for campus transportation, complete a Tram Request Form on the DSPS HomePage.
• If you are eligible for testing accommodations, complete a Test Accommodation Request Form for each test to be taken. These forms can be found at the DSPS/EOPS Front Office. Submit forms by designated deadlines (at least 48 hours in advance) in order to receive accommodations.
• Meet regularly with DSPS staff member to maintain open lines of communication and to ensure provision of accommodations.
• Watch for DSPS announcements and policy and procedures updates on the Columbia College DSPS website.

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Subsequent to the receipt of appropriate documentation, an AAP will be developed based on the following criteria:

• Does the student have a disability? "Disability" is defined in the Americans with Disability Act of 1990 (ADA) and ADAA (2008) as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. A physical impairment is a physiological condition, cosmetic disfigurement, or anatomical loss that affects one or more of the basic body systems/functions (e.g., neurological, musculoskeletal, respiratory, cardiovascular, digestive, bowel, bladder, etc.). A mental impairment is a "mental or psychological disorder such as intellectual disability, organic brain syndrome, emotional or mental illness, and specific learning disabilities."
• Does the disability substantially limit a major life activity? (e.g., walking, seeing, speaking, hearing, breathing, learning, performing manual tasks, caring for oneself, working, sitting, standing, bending, lifting, reaching, thinking, concentrating, communicating and sleeping). Is the student "otherwise qualified" for the course, program, or activity?
• Did the student initiate a request for an academic adjustment, auxiliary aid, or service? Did the request for an academic adjustment, auxiliary aid, and/or service follow established DSPS policy and procedure?
• Is the request reasonable and readily achievable? Does it result in a financial or administrative burden on the college?
• Does the requested academic adjustment, auxiliary aid and/or service fundamentally alter a course curriculum or course of study so significantly that it alters the required objectives or content of the curriculum?

You have the right to appeal should DSPS not approve an accommodation or later suspend an authorization.