ADA

The ADA Accommodations Office at Jefferson State Community College is excited to announce the implementation of a new software that will streamline the accommodations process for students and faculty! This new software is called the “ADA Accommodations Portal.” Students will access the Portal to complete the 3-step process for requesting accommodations and once approved for accommodations they will use the Portal to notify their instructors of their accommodations. Instructors will use the Portal to view their students’ accommodations and acknowledge receipt of the notifications. Although your username will be the same, the Portal login/password is separate from your MyJSCC and alabama.edu accounts.

Enrollment Services handles all applications for admission.  Admission standards must be met by all students, regardless of disability.

All disability documentation must be submitted to the ADA Accommodations Office.  When to self-identify as a student with a disability is a decision for the student.  However, prospective students are encouraged to contact the ADA Accommodations Office for information regarding services and facilities.  If accommodations are needed for placement testing, disability documentation must be on file in the ADA Accommodations Office.

• Step One: It is recommended that students begin the process of establishing services with the ADA Accommodations Office well before the semester begins. The first step is for the student to access the ADA Accommodations Portal and submit an “Application for Accommodations.” The Portal is separate from your MyJSCC account. You will use your alabama.edu email address as the username and create your own password.
• Step Two: Provide documentation to verify eligibility for services. Typically, a licensed psychologist, physician, or other appropriate professional provides the evaluation, diagnosis, and recommended accommodations in a detailed report. The ADA Accommodations Office is responsible for determining the acceptability of documentation and reserves the right to require additional information to determine the nature and impact of an individual’s disability. Also, the ADA Office maintains the right to reject documentation that does not verify a student’s disability or delineates reasonable accommodations.  Please note that high school IEPs and “504 Plans” usually do not contain the necessary information to meet college-level documentation guidelines.  Documentation should be uploaded with the “Application for Accommodations” in the ADA Accommodations Portal. Students or providers may also email documentation to ada@jeffersonstate.edu or documentation can be mailed to 2601 Carson Road, Birmingham, AL 35215.
• Step Three: Schedule an intake appointment with the ADA Accommodations Office by emailing ada@jeffersonstate.edu. These appointments are typically conducted virtually and take an hour.

The ADA Office maintains all documents relating to a student's disability. They are regarded with the strictest confidentiality. No personal document will be released without written permission of the student.

The ADA Accommodations office staff is available to help you with equal access to the college environment. We are available to help with accommodation questions or, if needed, with assistance contacting other campus departments or community agencies.

New students requesting services must complete an online ADA application, provide appropriate college-level documentation of disability, then should contact the ADA Accommodations office to schedule a “virtual” intake appointment. 

For course accommodations, each semester eligible students may request official letters from the ADA Office webpage www.jeffersonstate.edu/ada by selecting “Forms for Student Use”. Once receiving the letter through the Jefferson State email system, students must sign and submit the letter to the instructor discussing accommodations needed for the course. For implementing extended time on exams for eligible students, we recommend students email the instructor a reminder of the accommodation a few days before each exam. If beginning an online test you don't see the time extension, immediately email the instructor awaiting their reply before starting.

Now is a time of real transition as we learn to adapt to change.  As students with disabilities, you are well-equipped to overcome challenges and obstacles more so than many.  

You can do this!