Requesting Disability-Related Services and Accommodations as a Student
In order to qualify for accommodations in postsecondary settings, students must self-identify as having a disability to the Office of Accessibility Resources (OAR). The first step to receive disability-related services and accommodations as a student or prospective student with a disability at MVCC, please Request for Disability Services & Accommodations. Without this request we may not know you are planning on attending MVCC or need accessibility services. This is very important to initiate the process and connecting with our office. Once this is completed, please see below.
For further information, the procedures to receive accommodations are outlined below:
Present the Office of Accessibility Resources (Utica Campus) or Student Services Office (Rome Campus) with thorough documentation that clearly demonstrates a disability that will impact some aspect of the educational process. This documentation must be provided by the professional(s) with the appropriate credentials to diagnose, treat, and monitor each diagnosed disability (see Documentation Guidelines).
Directly contact the Office of Accessibility Resources (Utica Campus) or Student Services Office (Rome Campus) to engage in an interactive process to determine reasonable accommodations. We will discuss your documentation and jointly determine appropriate services and accommodations for each course or activity.
Sign an Accommodation Plan. Either OAR or yourself can provide each instructor with plan. OAR supports the registered students in learning to advocate for themselves and recognizing who needs to know their disability recognized accommodations. Additionally, students will need to follow all pertinent disability-related policies and procedures necessary to implement the accommodation plan.
For online courses, e-mail an Office of Accessibility Resources staff member, requesting that a copy of your signed Accommodation Plan be e-mailed to your online instructor(s).
If you require any type of disability-related accommodations in the Residence Halls, it is your responsibility to contact the Office of Accessibility Resources.
Maintain regular, ongoing communication with the Office of Accessibility Resources staff with whom you are working regarding the services and accommodations you’re receiving, and notify the staff immediately if any additional needs or problems arise.
Contact the Office of Accessibility Resources at the start of each subsequent semester to provide necessary updates and obtain copies of your Plan.
All other individuals with disabilities who would like to learn more about accessibility and related information and services should contact the Office of Accessibility Resources in Utica (315-792-5644) or Rome (315-334-7744).
Self-Report
When requesting accommodations, it can sometimes be helpful to provide additional information about your disability based on your personal perspective. You may be able to provide further explanation of what your documentation states, allowing us to better determine the most appropriate accommodations for you.
Our office requires documentation in order to determine accommodations. However, if your documentation is old or outdated, a self-report of your disability, how it affects you in school, and what accommodations you require, can be extremely helpful. Also, if it is taking a great deal of time to acquire the documentation, a student's self-report may allow us to approve some provisional accommodations until we receive the documentation. This would depend on each unique situation and individual student.
The form can also be used when requesting specific disability-related accommodations in the Residence Halls. The self-report is not required and may not be appropriate in all situations, however there are times when it can be very useful. Submitting the self-report does not exclude you from also having to submit the appropriate documentation as outlined by our guidelines. If you'd like to fill out this self-report in an effort to provide our office with more information about you, click on the link below, print out the form and fill it in. You can then return it to our office (WH -inside theLearning Commons Rooms 129A-E in Utica or PC A30 in Rome) or fax it to 315-731-5868. You can also fill this out right in our office. If you require the form in an accessible format, please contact the office via phone or e-mail.