Mission
The Disability Services Program promotes equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities to gain the maximum benefit from their educational/learning experience by participating fully in their regular courses and activities at Hawai‘i Community College.
Access
Hawai‘i Community College offers courses and programs at various campuses and physical locations, and is committed to providing equal access to all of these locations or course activities.
- Priority registration if physical access is a concern
- Relocation of classes, as the last resort to ensure physical access
- Handicapped parking stalls
- Assistance in accessing library material
- Materials provided in alternate formats such as assistance with RFB tape textbooks, or enlargement of printed material
- Liaison with Hawai‘i County Department of Education Special Education (DOE SPED) high school transition teachers and counselor, to ensure successful transition
Goals:
- A commitment to providing equal access to any of Hawaiʻi Community College’s campuses and/or physical locations
- Ensure access and educational equality in all of Hawai‘i Community College’s programs and activities
- Assist students with disabilities in maximizing their potential by encouraging independence, self-determination and full participation in their educational experience
- Provide reasonable academic accommodations for students with disabilities in the least restrictive environment possible
- Foster an environment for students with disabilities that are conducive to their learning
- Support students with disabilities in becoming independent, responsible and productive community members
- Provide consultation to students, faculty and staff on disability issues and general access information
"Students with disabilities" are defined as students who have self-identified themselves with the Disability Services Program, completed the intake process, provided necessary documentation of their disability & have been found eligible for services/accommodations.
General Services
All students in the Disability Services Program are offered the following general services:
- Assistance in navigating Hawaiʻi Community College's application and the Disability Services Program's intake process
- Priority registration
- Referral and collaboration with private and state community agencies to support students with disabilities and their academic success
- Mediation with faculty to advocate for the educational needs for students with disabilities
- A commitment to provide equal access to all Hawaiʻi Community College's locations and/or activities
- Ongoing disability related counseling and support to encourage academic success
- Liaison with Hawai‘i County Department of Education Special Education (DOE SPED) high school transition teachers and counselor, to ensure successful transition
Activities
The Disability Services Program counselor will determine all requests for reasonable accommodations. Decisions made regarding accommodations are based upon the current documentation and the program or course requirements.
- Engaging in collaborative discussions with students and faculty to determine reasonable accommodations
- Providing testing accommodations to students with disabilities (i.e. proxy exams, placement testing, extended time, distraction free, etc.)
- Proxy exams for students with disabilities who are registered for online distance education (DE) courses
- Providing access to assistive technology computers and software to support accommodations and foster independent learning
- Providing students success resources and disability-related materials
- Providing supports to students with disabilities to increase their academic & life skills
- Providing peer mentoring for students with disabilities for ongoing support and monitoring
Assistive Technology Lab
The Assistive Technology Lab located at the Manono Campus within the Kānanaola Center and Pālamanui campus in the Elama Building. The lab provides direct assistive technology resources and academic support services to Hawai‘i Community College’s students with disabilities.
Locations:
Manono Campus - Kānanaola
Building 379A, Room 2
Pālamanui Campus
Elama Building
To make an appointment to meet with the counselor to discuss any of these resources or services, please contact the Disability Services Program office.