NHTI Learning Center

Disabilities Services

Welcome to Disabilities Services! Policies and Procedures for Receiving Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities at NHTI, Concord's Community College

It is the mission of CCSNH Disabilities Services to provide equal educational access, opportunities, and experiences to all qualified students with documented disabilities who register with the college's Disabilities Services office. Reasonable accommodations are provided to students to allow them to achieve at a level limited only by their abilities and not by their disabilities. Assistance is provided in a collaborative way to help students develop strong and effective independent learning and self-advocacy skills, as they assume responsibility for reaching their academic goals.

In compliance with Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1991, NHTI does not discriminate against students with disabilities in terms of program admissions and/or opportunities for academic success. Students with disabilities are encouraged to disclose the nature of their disabilities to the Coordinator of Disabilities Services prior to the beginning of their first semester at NHTI. Students with disabilities who choose not to disclose their disability will not be eligible for services unless they provide documentation of their disability to the Coordinator of Disabilities Services. The services available to students with disabilities vary according to students' individual needs. Information regarding students' disabilities is kept confidential.

Services Available for Students with Disabilities at NHTI

Free, Friendly, Confidential Services Available for Eligible Students

• Reasonable Accommodation Plans (RAP)
  Each RAP is individually prepared based upon documentation such as testing information, interviews and previous individual plans. A RAP outlines specific classroom accommodations to support success in classes.
• Disabilities Services Staff
  A full-time Coordinator and part-time Disabilities Services Specialists are available to formulate your RAP, support your program of study and help you achieve your goals.
• Equipment Loans
  Assistive technology equipment items such as spell checkers, tape recorders, calculators and AlphaSmart keyboards, are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Materials and Equipment for Academic Success
  We have carbon sets for note-takers, access to a Kurzweil scanner (text-to-voice software), Dragon Naturally Speaking Preferred (voice-to-text software), Zoomtext (print enlarger), Magnilink (magnification system), Teach Logic (amplification system), and information about accessing textbooks on tape through our subscription to Recordings for the Blind and Dyslexic.
• Tutoring
  You are encouraged to attend review sessions offered in various subjects. You may request a peer tutor through the Tutoring Coordinator at the Learning Center. Learning Support LC11x classes are also available (refer to NHTI Catalog for details).
• Referral for Diagnostic Testing
  We can assist you in accessing qualified evaluators who can provide additional information on your learning strengths, challenges and ways to learn more efficiently.

• A student with a diagnosed disability including students taking one course at NHTI*
• A student who has a history of a disability but has not previously received services*
• A student who has a history of school difficulties and who may have an undiagnosed learning disability or attention deficit disorder or other disability*

To Learn More About Services for Students with Disabilities attend an Information Session. (Schedule: PDF or Request a Copy in Print)

QUESTIONS? Contact Disabilities Services Staff

Steps to Access Disabilities Services at NHTI

Experience has shown us that students actively involved in their education who choose to use available resources tend to have a more successful college career than those who do not. Follow these steps to develop a Reasonable Accommodation Plan (RAP), to inform faculty of needs, and to actively participate in your learning.

What are the next steps to access Disabilities Services?

To access Disabilities Services, students complete these three steps:

1. Attend a Disabilities Services Information Session
   (Schedule: PDF or Request a Copy in Print)
2. Provide documentation of disabilities (most recent testing report and/or medical records)
3. Schedule an individual meeting with the Coordinator of Disabilities Services to develop a Reasonable Accommodation Plan.

We recommend that new students complete the above steps before meeting with your department head or academic advisor to register for classes.

Documentation for NHTI Disabilities Services

This information is NOT part of the admissions decision. It is not automatically sent by your school district. It is your responsibility to submit documentation of your disability after acceptance to NHTI if you would like to receive Disabilities Services. Your documentation will assist the Coordinator of Disabilities Services in developing your Reasonable Accommodation Plan (RAP).

What is documentation?

Documentation should include relevant records which describe your disability and your need for academic adjustments and support. These may include the most recent diagnostic testing conducted by a trained and qualified professional, such as a psychologist, educational diagnostician or health care professional. Your most recent Individualized Education Plan (IEP), 504 Plan, Summary of Performance document or other records from high school or other schools may also be helpful in planning; however, such documents alone are not sufficient documentation. Your documentation is kept confidential and separate from other records.

Your documentation should be up-to-date, address your current level of functioning and support your request for accommodations. Documentation is reviewed on a case-by-case basis based on its quality, date and completeness. Documentation varies with the disability and must include a diagnosis, the professional's credentials, the effect of the disability on a major life activity and the effect on academic performance. If you do not have recent documentation, the Coordinator of Disabilities Services is available to consult with you, for example, to provide a list of possible evaluators for updated educational documentation and/or suggestions for obtaining other documentation. NHTI does not provide diagnostic testing services.

Participation in Disabilities Services at NHTI is voluntary. However, NHTI is required, by law, to make them available to qualified students. If you choose NOT to inform your faculty about your needs, they are NOT legally required to provide accommodations.

Inform Your Faculty

Students with disabilities are responsible for informing their faculty about their learning challenges. Students select which faculty they will share their RAP with and meet with those faculty to provide a copy of the RAP and to discuss its contents.

Take an Active Part In Your Learning

Meet with your instructors during their office hours to ask questions and clarify material from the text and lectures. Stay in touch with your faculty advisor/ Department Head. The Learning Center offers NHTI students academic supports including requests for tutoring, drop-in Computer Lab and Math Lab, appointments in the Writing Center and Reading Center, computer-aided instruction, and the opportunity to improve study skills and form study groups. Use your reasonable accommodation plan, stay in contact with Disabilities Services, participate in academic coaching and use assistive technology.

Each semester you must give your RAP to your instructors if you want to use it. If you would like to make changes to your RAP, you must meet with the Coordinator of Disabilities Services. We recommend meeting prior to the start of the semester. If you begin your second semester with a strong grade point average, your need for services may decrease. If, on the other hand, you experienced difficulties during your first semester, we recommend that you consider making some changes.

Please refer to Policies and Procedures Manual for Services Available for Students with Disabilities for Faculty, Staff, and Student at the New Hampshire Technical Institute (PDF or Request a Copy in Print) for detailed information.