ADA and Student Enrollment
The Tennessee College of Applied Technology is committed to providing program access and accommodations for all academically qualified students with disabilities. This commitment is consistent with the College’s obligation under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (“the Rehab Act”) and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). Qualified students are defined as individuals who, with or without reasonable modifications and accommodations, meet the essential eligibility requirements for the program services and activities offered by the College. A disability is defined as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of an individual’s major life activities.
It is the responsibility of the student to initiate the process to request reasonable accommodations. Students seeking accommodations should contact the TCAT Disability Services Contact prior to their first trimester of enrollment, immediately upon the start of their program, or as soon as the need arises, and provide current medical documentation of their qualifying disability. Documentation should include, at a minimum, a written summary from a professional who is licensed to practice in the field appropriate for diagnosing and/or treating the disability in question.
After receiving a request for reasonable accommodation with appropriate medical documentation, the TCAT will engage in an interactive process with the student to determine appropriate and reasonable accommodation(s) in relation to the documented disability and program requirements. Reasonable accommodations will be determined on an individualized basis, through that interactive process, based on the nature of the student’s disability and the nature of the academic program. Accommodations that would materially alter or waive educational program requirements and/or standards are not considered to be reasonable accommodations.
A request form for disability assistance is available by contacting the Disability Services Contact.
Disability Services Contact
Please contact Student Services at studentservices@tcaknoxville.edu if you have questions about disability services or accomodation requests.
Definition
Disability is defined as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activity; a record of such an impairment; or being regarded as having such an impairment.
Qualified individuals are individuals who, with or without reasonable accommodation(s), meet the essential eligibility requirements for the specific program(s), service(s) and/or activity offered by the TCAT.
How to Apply for Reasonable Accommodations
In order to receive reasonable accommodations, students with disabilities must complete the following steps:
- Self-identify to the TCAT Disability Services Contact.
- Complete the Application for Accommodation.
- Provide current documentation of the disability (documentation is typically not be more than 3 – 4 years old and contains a written summary from a professional who is licensed to practice in the field appropriate for diagnosing and/or treating the disability in question).
- Participate in the interactive process
Students will be considered for reasonable accommodations only after the Application for Accommodation and appropriate medical documentation is provided to the Disability Services Contact. The documentation submitted by the student will be retained as a confidential record for use to document the existence of a qualifying disability and to determine the appropriate reasonable accommodation(s) for the student. This documentation will not be released to any person or organization for use outside this process without written consent from the student or when permitted/required by law.
Accommodation Plan
Following the interactive process, the Disability Services Contact will determine what reasonable accommodation(s) are available and develop a letter with an accommodation plan for qualified disabled students. The student will communicate the plan to their instructor(s), who will then implement the plan in the class/program. It is the student’s responsibility to notify the instructor of their need for accommodation. If a student is not receiving the appropriate accommodations, they should immediately notify the Disability Services Contact.
Appeals/Grievances
If a student disagrees with the accommodation plan provided following the interactive process or if the plan is not properly implemented in the classroom the student may
appeal to the Disability Services Contact at the TCAT. The student should state the nature of their disability, the accommodation plan issued by the Disability Contact, and why the accommodation plan is incorrect or insufficient.
If a student believes that they have been subject to discrimination or retaliation because of their disability, they should report their complaint to the Disability Services Contact so that it can be investigated consistent with TBR and TCAT policies against unlawful discrimination and retaliation