The office of Disability Support Services for Students assures program access to the college by students with disabilities. Access to Flathead Valley Community College is a civil right and the college prohibits discrimination against qualified persons with disabilities.
- We coordinate and provide reasonable accommodations
- Advocate for an accessible and hospitable learning environment
- Promote self advocacy on the part of students we serve
The following laws give people with disabilities full civil rights protection at FVCC
- Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act;
- The Americans with Disabilities Act;
- The Montana Human Rights Act.
Student Responsibilities
- Persons with disabilities or suspected disabilities should contact the Disability Specialist as a FIRST STEP in arranging accommodations.
- The specialist will review current documentation or have an interactive dialogue with the student to verify the disability and to determine how functional limitations affect academic work.
- Students may be referred to physicians, psychologists or qualified diagnosticians for assessment before accommodations are granted.
- Payment for assessments is the responsibility of the student.
- To check out assistive software or devices, the student must first contact the Disability Specialist
Disability Services Responsibilities
- Coordinate and provide individual accommodations based on the logical link between the functional limitation and the accommodation.
- Reasonable accommodations are changes in the learning environment that permit student with disabilities to compete on equal footing with their peers at college.
- The accommodations modify non-essential elements of college programs.
Accommodations may include but are not limited to:
- Audiobooks, note takers, scribes, alternative testing, ASL interpreters and assistive technology.
- Current software include but are not limited to : Pocket Plex Talk, Smart Pen, Digital recorder, Kurzweil, Dragon Naturally Speaking, Natural Reader and FM System
- FVCC has an institutional membership to Learning Ally and eligible student with course books available through this source will receive a login and password from the Disability Specialist.
For more information, contact the Student Support Center (406) 756-3880, or email the Director of Student Services: apaulson@fvcc.edu.