Center for Accessibility Resources & Services

The Center for Accessibility Resources & Services facilitates accommodations to provide equal access and support services to all Northern Essex programs and activities.

Connect With the Resources & Services You Need to Succeed at NECC

The Center for Accessibility Resources & Services (CARS), located on both the Haverhill and Lawrence campuses, ensures equal access to all credit and noncredit courses at NECC. If you are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, or a student with a documented disability, CARS can connect you with the essential tools and accommodations needed for academic success.

• Get Connected: CARS coordinates the tools, resources, and accommodations you need to succeed.
• Register Early: We recommend registering even if you do not currently plan to use accommodations.
• Confidential & Prepared: All paperwork is strictly confidential. Filing early, even if you feel you do not currently need accommodations, allows CARS to assist you immediately if unexpected needs arise.
• Documentation Note: High school IEPs and 504 Plans fall under different K–12 laws and are not sufficient on their own for college-level accommodations. However, they can still provide helpful background and may be included as part of a comprehensive documentation package. Students can present documentation without requesting services or accommodations. 

Differences Between High School and College for Students with Disabilities

Potential Accommodations and Support Services Include but are not Limited to:

Accommodations

• Accessible furniture
• Alternative format textbooks/materials
• Assistive Technology
• Audio record lectures
• Classroom and environmental modifications, such as preferential seating and testing accommodations
• Enlarged materials
• Extended time for testing
• Note taking support
• Paraprofessional accommodations assistant  (such as scribes, visual aide)
• Special computer software and other devices

Resources and Support Services Include

• Accessible media
• Accessibility planning
• Consultation and training to staff, faculty, administrators, students and the community about the College’s legal obligations under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act.
• Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services
• Deaf Cultural Awareness
• Disability related educational support and advising
• Faculty mediation
• Student access services
• Universal Design
• Workshops

Services We Do Not Provide

• Escorts to and from class
• Equipment and software for off-campus use
• Financial assistance
• Learning disability testing
• Modified coursework
• Personal-care attendants
• Retroactive Accommodations
• Transportation

General Information and Student Accommodations Information

Go to Our Getting Started page to get the process started.

Know Your Rights

• The Current ADA Regulations
• What are public or private college-university’s responsibilities to students with disabilities?
• Transition of Students with Disabilities to Postsecondary Education: A Guide for High School Educators

Local High School Transitional Program

• Massachusetts Inclusive Postsecondary Education (MAIPSE)

Community Resources

For help with;

• Getting a job, paying for school, assistive technology, personal management, home maintenance and more.

Massachusetts Commission for the Blind

New Hampshire Services for the Blind & Vision Impaired

• Peer support, executive functioning, family support, medication management and more.

Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services (DDS)

• Applying for housing and other benefits. Also access to workshops and social groups. 

Massachusetts Independent Living Centers

• Getting a job, paying for school, home health aid, assistive technology, car modifications, home modifications, etc.

MassAbility

• Service coordination, day and vocational services, personal care services, community support services and more.

New Hampshire Developmental Services

Questions? Please contact us at 978-556-3654