Disability Services

Yes. Students are responsible for disclosing their disability, providing documentation, participating in the intake process, sharing their accommodation letter with instructors, and requesting reasonable accommodations as early as possible in the semester.

You may contact ADS by phone at 774.357.2955 or email at ODSAccess@BristolCC.edu. You will be asked to complete the Disability Disclosure Form to initiate the process of requesting accommodations. Then a Coordinator of Disability Services will contact you to set up an initial intake appointment. You may choose to have this intake virtually, in-person on any of our campus locations, or by phone. You are also welcome to invite other adults who are familiar with your disability to attend your meeting.

No. Your high school IEP or 504 plan does not automatically roll over to college. IEPs and 504 plans are documents used in the K-12 setting and regulated with legislation that does not apply to higher education. However, sharing your IEP or 504 plan along with educational testing information and personal history may help your ADS Coordinator to determine reasonable college accommodations. You must self-disclose your disability and register with ADS to discuss accommodations that will address disability-related barriers in college.

During the intake appointment with your ADS Coordinator, you will discuss many things, including:

• the differences between high school and college for students with disabilities
• your academic history and supports
• how to request accommodations at Bristol
• academic resources and strategies that may be helpful to consider

It is useful to bring any previous diagnostic testing you have had to your intake and to be prepared to reflect on how your disability(ies) impacts your learning. You will also review strategies/tools/accommodations that have previously helped to reduce your disability-related barrier(s).

Yes. Students needing to take the Accuplacer Placement Test before registering for classes should register with ADS before making an appointment for the Accuplacer test. Information about placement tests, including TEAS, may be found at the Testing Center. 

After your initial intake meeting, you and your ADS Coordinator will develop an Accommodation Letter which identifies reasonable accommodations for which you are eligible. This letter does not address the additional academic resources (such as tutoring) or specialized strategies you may pursue to help your learning. Ideally at the beginning of each semester, you will share your confidential Accommodation Letter with each professor using your Bristol student email. This will assure your professors that you are registered with ADS and eligible to request accommodations listed based on the course design and modality. ADS does not automatically send Accommodation Letters to professors for students, and accommodations are not provided retroactively. If you and your professor are having difficulty implementing a requested accommodation, please contact your ADS Coordinator for additional support.

Students with disabilities in the college setting are provided rights through three civil rights laws: the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. Students with disabilities in college have the right to equal access of academic content and material (including electronic or digital content); to receive reasonable academic accommodations based on their disability(ies); to have their disability and diagnostic information kept confidential; to participate in all college activities and events; and to file a complaint if they feel they have been discriminated against.

Bristol Community College contracts with outside agencies for ASL interpreter support, by request. Once you are registered with ADS, you and your ADS Coordinator will review the process for requesting interpreters for classroom and extra-curricular activities. Interpreters and resources are available for both in-person and virtual course sessions and other meetings or College events.

Yes. Any student with a disability, including temporary disabilities (ex. broken limbs, recovery from illness or surgery) may qualify for accommodations by registering with ADS, completing the Disability Disclosure Form, and meeting with an ADS Coordinator. Documentation related to the disability barrier(s) may be requested.

Eligible students requesting reasonable accommodations will:

• Disclose their disability with ADS, complete the Disability Disclosure Form, schedule an intake with an ADS Coordinator, and submit necessary documentation.
• Submit the accommodation letter to each faculty as early as possible, ideally the first week of the semester.
• Communicate with professors to request the accommodations needed and how they will be implemented in each class.
• Stay in contact with their professors and ADS Coordinator to ensure accommodations are being met and to address any issues that arise in a timely manner.

A Coordinator of Disability Services (ADS Coordinator) is a professional staff member within ADS who supports students with disabilities and establishes accommodations. This process begins with a one-on-one intake meeting where the student can discuss any disability-related barriers and what accommodations would be reasonable to provide an equitable and accessible learning opportunity. 

What Your ADS Coordinator Does Do:

• Meets with you to support your access at Bristol.
• Becomes familiar with your disability.
• Works with you to write an accommodation letter for you to share with your instructors each semester. 
• Recommends strategies or resources to help you adjust and navigate college learning.
• Outreach to faculty and staff to support you, with your request or permission.
• Communicates with outside agencies whom you are connected to, with your permission.
• Advocates for you and helps you learn to advocate for yourself.
• Helps schedule certain services such as ASL interpreters and classroom captionists or note-takers.
• Helps review your class schedule once you have met with your advisor.
• Refers you to campus services which can help you, such as:
  • Advising
  • Basic Needs
  • Counseling
  • Financial Aid
  • Tutoring

What your ADS Coordinator Doesn’t Do: 

(Which might be a change from high school!)

• Tutor.
• Evaluate or diagnose your disability.
• Provide personal assistance around campus or for personal care (ex. campus mobility).
• Call your parents to discuss your progress.
• Check up on your attendance or assignments.
• Ask instructors to change their class requirements for you.
• Meet with outside agency personnel without you being present or part of the conversation.

Yes. Reach out to Access & Disability Services so you can meet with your ADS Coordinator to discuss any changes or updates with your information. You and your ADS Coordinator will then review your previous accommodation letter and update it for the current semester. You may need to provide additional documentation if requesting new or different accommodations.

All students registering with the Access & Disability Services must complete the Disability Disclosure Form, which will be kept in the student’s private file with our office. Relevant documentation may be requested, based on the student’s disability and requested accommodations. Documentation may include (but is not limited to) a recent high school IEP or 504 plan, neuropsychological evaluation, medical notes, therapy/counseling reports, or a detailed letter from a medical or health care provider.

Any student with a disability who feels they have been discriminated against, treated differently because of their disability, and/or feels their rights have been violated may file a student complaint and/or pursue resolution under the Policy on Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity, and Diversity (PAA).