Guidelines, Resources, & Forms

General Documentation Guidelines

The following guidelines have been modeled after the Association for Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD) Best Practices for Disability Documentation in Higher Education.

1. Student’s Self-Report: A student’s narrative of his or her experience of disability, barriers, and effective and ineffective accommodations is an important tool which, when structured by interview or questionnaire and interpreted, may be sufficient for establishing disability and a need for accommodation.
2. Observation and Interaction: Experienced disability professionals should feel comfortable using their observations of students’ language, performance and strategies as an appropriate tool in validating student narrative and self-report.
3. Information from External or Third Parties: Documentation from external sources may include educational or medical records, reports and assessments created by health care providers, school psychologists, teachers, or the educational system. This information is inclusive of documents that reflect education and accommodation history, such as Individual Education Program (IEP), Summary of Performance (SOP), and teacher observations.

NOTE: All submitted reports become the property of the Center for Accessibility Resources & Services and are kept in a confidential file.

Students should submit copies of documentation, not originals.

Review Process

After General Documentation Is Submitted & Reviewed

• If the student requests accommodations to take the Academic Assessment information can be forwarded to the Academic Placement & Testing Center.
• Assessment Waivers: At Northern Essex Community College, certain criteria may exempt a student from the full or partial Academic Assessment. This information will be discussed at the Request for Services Meeting (RSM).
• If the student requests assistive technology software and/or devices as part of their assessment accommodations a referral may be made to the Assistive Technology Specialist .

Meeting with Disability Services Specialist

Once a student has registered for classes, they must meet with a Disability Services Specialist for a Semester Accommodations Meeting (SAM) to develop a plan for accommodations for each class. This meeting is needed each semester the student wishes to use their accommodations.

Accommodations Plan

The student’s accommodations plan will be emailed to each of their instructors informing the instructors of the student’s classroom and testing accommodations.

Informal Dispute Resolution Process for Students Receiving Accommodations

Northern Essex Community College supports students and their right to voice their concerns when they believe that they have been denied equal access. This includes appropriate accommodations or discriminatory treatment as described in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and The Americans with Disabilities Act and Amendments (ADA-AA).  While we encourage students to resolve their concerns directly with the Northern Essex Community College staff person involved, we recognize that this may not always be appropriate and offer the following informal and formal resolution procedures.

The following informal process is for students receiving services from the Center for Accessibility Resources & Services (CARS) or Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services (DHHS) to resolve issues of immediate concern at NECC.

1. If a student is not satisfied with their approved accommodations: Students are encouraged to discuss their concerns with their Disability Services Specialist or DHHS Manager.
2. If a student is not satisfied with their instructor’s implementation of their approved accommodations: Disability Services Specialists/DHHS Manager will assist students in resolving concerns facilitating communication with the staff person, faculty, program, or department.  Disability Services Specialists/DHHS Manager may contact the appropriate department chair, dean, or other staff in an effort to clarify and resolve the situation.
3. Most situations are resolved through the Disability Services Specialist/DHHS Manager support and mediation. Contact Information:
   • Cheryl Wilson, Disability Services Specialist – 978-556-3677, cwilson@necc.mass.edu
   • Jillian Knox, Disability Services Specialist – 978-556-3648, jknox@necc.mass.edu  
   • Donna Szekely, Disability Services Specialist (Lawrence) – 978-738-7449, dszekely@necc.mass.edu
   • Cecilia Hidalgo-Salcedo, Disability Services Specialist (Lawrence) – 978-738-7437, chidalgosalcedo@necc.mass.edu
   • Deb McKinney, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Specialist, dmckinney@necc.mass.edu  
4. If a student cannot resolve an issue after contacting their Disability Services Specialist or if they do not feel comfortable discussing this directly with the staff member, please contact:
   • Susan Martin, Director, Center for Accessibility Resources & Services (CARS) – 978-556-3647, smartin@necc.mass.edu
   • Milagros Almonte, Associate Director, Center for Accessibility Resources & Services (CARS) – 978-556-3796, amalmonte@necc.mass.edu
5.  If a student cannot resolve an issue after contacting the Center for Accessibility Resources & Services Administrator, please contact:
   • Shannon Butler Mokoro, Executive Director for Student Success Services Student Affairs Division – 978-556-3709, sbutlermokoro@necc.mass.edu   
6. Students will be notified of the progress, findings, or resolution within a reasonable time period of fourteen business days.  Due to the urgency of many issues, it is likely that many problems will be resolved much sooner.
7. At any time during this informal resolution process, students may choose to submit a complaint or file a formal grievance.  Please refer to the Northern Essex Community College Affirmative Action, Nondiscrimination and Accessibility Policy for further information.

Janet Rene, Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity officer, Section 504 compliance office, and/or the Americans with Disabilities Act-ADA Coordinator, Northern Essex Community College, 100 Elliot Street, Haverhill, MA 01830 – 978-556-3953, jrene@necc.mass.edu.

If a student is dissatisfied with the outcome of the college’s efforts to resolve a disability related concern: Please contact the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights (OCR). 

Resources

• Resources for Neuro-Psychological and Psycho-Educational Testing for students who would like testing for LD, ADHD, or autism spectrum disorders since NECC does not provide testing services. The following local resources for testing are provided for information purposes and are not endorsed by NECC or the Center for Accessibility Resources & Services.
• See: General Information and Student Accommodations Information for more information on available resources & services
• See: Assistive Technology Information for more information on available technologies.

Forms

• Vision Information Form (PDF) Download to complete: to be filled out by student’s physician.
• A Disability Verification Form can be obtained by contacting the CARS Office. This form is filled out by student’s physician.
• A Voluntary Service Animal Registration Form can be obtained by contacting the CARS office.