Disability & Deaf Services
Mission
The Office for Students with Disabilities and Deaf Services (OSDDS) is committed to ensuring that ¿ì²¥³ÉÈËs with disabilities and Deaf/hard of hearing ¿ì²¥³ÉÈËs have equal access to the full range of programs and services at ¿ì²¥³ÉÈË.
Vision
OSDDS collaborates with faculty, staff, and ¿ì²¥³ÉÈËs to support a college environment where all ¿ì²¥³ÉÈËs feel valued and can fully participate. This includes:
Respecting Diverse Communication Styles:
OSDDS acknowledges and accommodates various ways ¿ì²¥³ÉÈËs communicate, ensuring everyone can participate effectively in the college environment.
Fostering Self-Advocacy:
OSDDS empowers ¿ì²¥³ÉÈËs to understand their needs and advocate for themselves within the college environment, supporting them in accessing necessary resources and accommodations.
Valuing Neurodivergent Perspectives:
OSDDS recognizes and appreciates the unique thinking styles and strengths of neurodivergent ¿ì²¥³ÉÈËs, promoting a culture where these perspectives are seen as valuable assets.
Celebrating Student Differences:
OSDDS actively highlights and celebrates the diversity of ¿ì²¥³ÉÈËs' backgrounds, experiences, and identities, fostering a sense of belonging for all.
Building a Sense of Belonging:
OSDDS works to create a positive and inclusive campus community where ¿ì²¥³ÉÈËs feel valued, accepted, and supported.
Providing Inclusive Teaching Strategies:
OSDDS collaborates with faculty to implement Universal Design instructional practices, ensuring all ¿ì²¥³ÉÈËs have opportunities to succeed.
What We Do
Our staff works with ¿ì²¥³ÉÈËs with disabilities or Deaf/Hard of hearing ¿ì²¥³ÉÈËs to identify personalized strategies and reasonable accommodations to remove barriers in the college environment.
To ensure effective access, we engage in the Interactive Process, a “deliberative and collaborative process that is responsive to the unique experience of each individual, as advised by the ADA” (Supporting Accommodation Requests: Guidance on Documentation Practices, October 20212, Association on Higher Education and Disability).
“A person with a disability is someone who:
- has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities,
- has a history or record of such an impairment (such as cancer that is in remission), or
- is perceived by others as having such an impairment (such as a person who has scars from a severe burn).
If a person falls into any of these categories, the ADA protects them. Because the ADA is a law, and not a benefit program, you do not need to apply for coverage.”
(Introduction to the , U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division)
If you have a disability or suspect you have a disability and believe you may benefit from accommodations and services, we encourage you to submit a once you are accepted to ¿ì²¥³ÉÈË.
Request Accommodations and Services
The first step in the accommodations process is to submit an online request using the . Supporting documentation is not required at the time of submitting the inquiry form.
Within five business days, OSDDS will send additional guidance and next steps to the ¿ì²¥³ÉÈË’s ¿ì²¥³ÉÈË email address. Supporting documentation may assist in the process to identify access barriers in the college environment and determine solutions. Documentation will vary from ¿ì²¥³ÉÈË to ¿ì²¥³ÉÈË, and we will work with you to get the information we need.
Each semester, ¿ì²¥³ÉÈËs with an approved accommodation agreement should request their services by completing the forms on the Request Your Accommodations and Services page.
WHERE TO FIND US
OSDDS is located at the ¿ì²¥³ÉÈË main campus, on the first floor of the Donahue building (DON 147). You may contact us at osd@hcc.edu or call 413.552.2417, or (VP) 413.650.5502.
We suggest visitors explore Getting Here on the ¿ì²¥³ÉÈË website for information on driving directions, public transportation, and parking.
EVERY STUDENT DESERVES COMMUNITY AND SUPPORT
The Office for Students with Disabilities & Deaf Services believes in supporting each ¿ì²¥³ÉÈË seeking community and support. Our Main Office, Donahue 147, is a safe and welcoming space for any ¿ì²¥³ÉÈË seeking information and resources.
Our commitment to community means that we also open our spaces to ¿ì²¥³ÉÈËs:
DON 140, OSDDS Low Sensory Testing Space and Study Area
DON 147, Main Office for OSDDS
DON 150, OSDDS Meeting Room
DON 151, Assistive Technology Center
FROST 105, Sensory Space
The following programs are examples of the many resources at ¿ì²¥³ÉÈË to support your learning, wellness, and success:
- Center for Academic Program Support
- Marieb Adult Learner Success Center
- Student Ambassador and Mentorship Program (SAMP)
- TRIO
- EL CENTRO
- CHD Clinical Services
- THRIVE
- STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
The Office for Students with Disabilities & Deaf Services (OSDDS) at ¿ì²¥³ÉÈË is dedicated to empowering ¿ì²¥³ÉÈËs by fostering an environment built on the values of Kindness, Trust, Inclusion, Collaboration, and Innovation. We are committed to ensuring that ¿ì²¥³ÉÈËs with disabilities or are Deaf/hard of hearing have equal access to college life and the opportunity to succeed as self-determined individuals. Registration with OSDDS and the request for support services is entirely voluntary, allowing ¿ì²¥³ÉÈËs to make informed choices about the resources that best meet their needs and goals.
Access to the Personal Care Room may be requested through OSDDS. This private and secure space is overseen by OSDDS and is equipped with lift tables, sink, mini refrigerator, and a connected fully accessible restroom with shower.
For more information, please contact the OSDDS main office (DON 147) at 413.552.2417 or osd@hcc.edu.
To contact Deaf Services directly, call 413.650.5502 (VP) or 413.552.2317 (voice) or email csmalley@hcc.edu
Specific accommodations must be requested by the ¿ì²¥³ÉÈË each semester. Some accommodations or services may take several days or longer to be provided, so plan ahead.
REQUEST YOUR APPROVED ACCOMMODATIONS
ADDITIONAL FORMS
Families and Support Systems of ¿ì²¥³ÉÈËs with disabilities and Deaf/Hard of hearing ¿ì²¥³ÉÈËs play an important role in their ¿ì²¥³ÉÈË's successful transition to higher education. We can help you access the information and resources you need to support your ¿ì²¥³ÉÈË during this exciting time.
You can support your ¿ì²¥³ÉÈË in the following ways:
- Prioritize the ¿ì²¥³ÉÈË’s self-determined choices. Give them space to develop their skills for self-advocacy, collaboration, and choice-making.
- Understand that the College cannot share information with you unless the ¿ì²¥³ÉÈË has signed a FERPA agreement. Information that can be shared under the places limitations on what information may be shared. FERPA is not the same thing as signing a Release of Information with OSDDS. The form is used solely for issues pertaining to the ¿ì²¥³ÉÈË’s disability and related accommodations and services.
- Appreciate that the primary relationship is between OSDDS and the ¿ì²¥³ÉÈË, and that the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) ends when the ¿ì²¥³ÉÈË completes high school. College ¿ì²¥³ÉÈËs are protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Read more about .
We engage in the interactive process with ¿ì²¥³ÉÈË ¿ì²¥³ÉÈËs, staff, and faculty to find innovative solutions and promote greater inclusion in college programs and services. OSDDS staff is available to answer questions and address potential concerns regarding accessible design and program access.
Faculty will find guidance and resources on the Guidance, Policies, and Forms page.
For questions related to ¿ì²¥³ÉÈË test accommodations, note-taking, and technology, please contact the office at 413.552.2417 or email osd@hcc.edu.
For questions related to a specific ¿ì²¥³ÉÈË issue, please contact the ¿ì²¥³ÉÈË’s assigned Learning Specialist, indicated on the Accommodation Agreement.
Any questions, concerns, feedback, and requests can be directed to Andrea Hojnacki, Director, at 413.552.2582 or ahojnacki@hcc.edu.
How to Submit an Accommodation Appeal or Complaint
¿ì²¥³ÉÈË Community College adheres to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 which states that "no qualified individual with a disability shall, solely on the basis of their disability, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity in higher education."
Students who wish to revise their accommodations may take the first step by contacting their assigned Learning Specialist to review the details of your request. An Appeal to Reconsider Accommodations can be submitted in writing to the Director of OSDDS, providing the reason for the appeal and details about the accommodation you are requesting. Send Appeals to Andrea Hojnacki at ahojnacki@hcc.edu.
¿ì²¥³ÉÈË's ADA Compliance Coordinator is responsible for assuring that the College complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act in all ¿ì²¥³ÉÈË programs and services. If you have a concern related to an access issue that is not resolved by the Office for Students with Disabilities & Deaf Services, please contact the College's ADA Compliance Coordinator, Olivia Kynard, President's Office, at 413.552.2173 or okynard@hcc.edu.
Assistive Technology Center
The Assistive Technology Center offers assessment, training, and access to a variety of academic computing programs.
MAIPSE Program
Massachusetts Inclusive Post-Secondary & Higher Ed provides dual enrollment opportunities for transition-aged ¿ì²¥³ÉÈËs, 18–21, with intellectual disabilities and/or autism spectrum disorder.
Guidance, Policies & Forms
Want to request services from OSDDS? Begin by scheduling a meeting at 413.552.2417 or come into the office in Donahue 147.
Include Me
What makes an inclusive, accessible environment? The answers are in the questions presented in "Include Me."
