Cape Fear Community College

Disability Support Services

Mandate/Mission Statement

Cape Fear Community College will be responsible for assuring that students with disabilities have equal, effective and meaningful access to all programs, goods and services through the use of nondiscriminatory policies and procedures, and the provision of reasonable accommodations, auxiliary aids, and services as indicated necessary by the functional limitations of a qualified disability.

Authority

Services are provided in compliance with The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and its attachments, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

Location

The main office of Disability Support Services is located in Room A215 in the Galehouse building at the downtown campus. The mailing address is 411 N. Front Street, Wilmington, NC 28401.  Contact information is as follows:

Susan Dermid, Coordinator
sdermid@cfcc.edu Phone: 910-362-7012

Gwen Morris, Assistant Coordinator
gmorris@cfcc.edu Phone: 910-362-7158

Fax: 910-362-7080

Disability Support Services is also located in Room 100D in the McKeithan Center at the north campus. To ensure availability, please call the downtown office to make an appointment if you must be seen at the north campus location.

Disability Defined

A disability is an impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activity(ies).  The major categories of disabilities that Disability Support Services provides accommodations for (but are not limited to) the following:

Student Responsibilities

To qualify for disability support services, students must furnish up-to-date documentation of their disabilities. The documentation must include a diagnostic statement, document the functional impact of the disability, include recommendations for accommodations and state the credentials of the diagnosing professional. Inquiries regarding appropriate documentation should be directed to the Coordinator of Disability Services.

Students should make requests for accommodations when registering with Disability Support Services. If classroom adaptations, interpreters, or academic aides are necessary to participate in class, advanced notice of 4 weeks is required to coordinate such services.

Students are also encouraged to apply for support services through the N.C. Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services, the N.C. Commission for the Blind and/or the Veteran's Administration, etc. Additional medical/psychological evaluations may be requested if current documentation is not up-to-date or if accommodations requested are not supported by the documentation. Students will receive an accommodation checklist from Disability Services. Based on the students documented needs, and it will be their responsibility for communicating eligibility for these or other reasonable accommodations confidentially to their instructors via this form. No accommodations will be provided without these forms being distributed to instructors.

Files in the Disability Support Services office are purged on a continual basis. Since documentation of a disability is usually not considered current after a period of five years from the initial eligibility date, all files that exceed five years old are destroyed. Students who wish to reapply for services after the five-year limit must furnish updated documentation of their disability with associated current functional limitations and requests for accommodations.

Services

Services may include, but are not limited to:

  1. Academic and career counseling
  2. Accommodations for class requirements
  3. Accommodations for testing
  4. Interpreter support services
  5. Academic aide support services
  6. Priority registration
  7. Assistive Technology
  8. Coordination of disability support resources
  9. Student advocacy
  10. Transfer/transition services
  11. Elevator priority, if needed
  12. Note takers
  13. Tutoring through the LRC Learning Lab
  14. Books in alternative formats

Personal Attendant

Cape Fear Community College makes every reasonable effort to accommodate individuals with disabilities as addressed by the Americans with Disabilities Act. In keeping with this commitment, personal attendants who accompany individuals with disabilities documented through Disability Services will be allowed entrance into the classroom. Students must sign and file with Disability Services a copy of the Personal Attendant Policy.

Parking

Parking is available on the contiguous Wilmington streets via the use of North Carolina DMV handicapped parking placards/tags and in designated areas in CFCC parking lots. Temporary accessible parking may be provided via documentation of need to the CFCC Business Office.

Service Dogs

Service dogs are permitted in class when considered an appropriate accommodation due to a documented disability.

Grievance Procedure

Grievances based on discrimination, accommodation issues and/or denial of services based on disability are to be filed initially with the Coordinator of Disability Services at A215 in the Galehouse building. If this action does not result in resolution of the problems within the standards of CFCC's policies and procedures and/or the standards of the class/curriculum, then students may appeal decisions under the guidelines of the General Grievance Procedures outlined in the Student Catalog/Handbook.

Seizure Disorders

Students with a history of seizures should register with DSS and provide medical documentation to ensure appropriate protocol is followed in the event of a seizure.

Evacuation Procedures

In the event of fire or other physical threat, students with ambulatory disabilities are to go with or without assistance to the nearest stairwell area. Faculty and staff will assist with evacuation management efforts until such time as the Wilmington Police and Fire Departments arrive on scene to assist in student evacuation from the building. Elevators are not to be used for evacuation by any persons. Emergency evacuation devices for non-ambulatory persons are located at the upper levels of the stairs in the "N" and "L" buildings, and the Student Development office in the McKeithan Center.

TTYs

There are three Teletypewriters for deaf students available in the following locations:


Downtown Campus: Galehouse Bldg. room A-215 (Disability Support Office) 910-362-7098
"L" Bldg. 2nd floor (Learning Resource Center) 910-362-7284
North Campus: McKeithan Center (Learning Resource Center) 910-362-7551

Interpreter Guidelines

I.D.E.A. and A.D.A

Please note the similarities and differences between high school accommodations under I.D.E.A. and the post-secondary accommodations under A.D.A.

Temporary Disabilities

Although providing services and accommodations for persons with temporary disabilities is not the responsibility of the Disabilities Support Services office, and is not guaranteed by The Americans with Disabilities Act, whenever feasible, we will assist students dealing with the inconveniences that may accompany acute medical conditions. Services and accommodations are generally limited to contacting instructors, getting assignments/notes, helping with make-up exams, arranging for withdrawals/incompletes and assistance with accessible parking. These types of accommodations are approved at the discretion of the instructors and/or Department Chairs. Please be aware that absences are not exempted by disability. For more information, please contact the Disabilities Support Services Office.

Resources

Accommodated Testing Form
Disabilities Services Resource Guide
CFCC Disability Services Faculty and Staff Handbook
Accomodating Students with Disabilities - online course from Utah State University