Getting Started

Procedure

• Step 1: Acceptance to Pine Technical and Community College
• Step 2: Submit new student request for services form.
• Step 3: After PTCC has received and reviewed your request, PTCC will contact you to set up an appointment to meet and discuss your accommodations plan and services.
• Step 4: Work with PTCC to complete additional documentation forms. See criteria below.

Eligibility for Services

To receive services for accessibility and accommodation, you must be a registered student at Pine Technical and Community College and have a disability recognized under the Americans with Disabilities Act. It is recommended that verification of a disability should be provided prior to receiving accommodations. Verification may be in the form of confirmation of a disability from a previous school, institution or medical/psychological documentation related to your disability.

Criteria for Documentation of a Disability

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, individuals with disabilities are guaranteed certain protections and rights to equal access to programs and services. In order to access these rights, an individual must present documentation indicating that the disability substantially limits some major life activity.

Acceptable documentation varies depending on the nature of the disability, but generally speaking should be recent within the past three years. The approval of accommodations will be based on the documentation provided and interactive intake meeting. A postsecondary institution has the discretion to require additional documentation if the existing documentation is incomplete or inadequate to determine the extent of the disability or the need for reasonable accommodations.
Reasonable accommodations are made on an individual basis and cannot fundamentally alter the basic nature or essential curricular components of the institution’s courses or programs.

It is crucial that the documentation be specific and address the following to determine which services the student will be eligible to receive:

1. Identification of the nature, severity, and current status of the disability.
2. How the disability affects the student in a post-secondary setting.
3. Information regarding medication that the individual is using and the treatment that he/she is undergoing. This should also include the impact on the individual’s ability to function in an academic setting.
4. The documentation needs to be dated and signed by a qualified professional and it should be no older than three years.
5. Suggestions and recommendations regarding possible accommodations in a post-secondary setting.

For questions regarding criteria for documentation, call 320-629-5174 and email Jen.Rancour@pine.edu