Accommodation for Physical and Learning Differences

Report by Jason Jeffrey, Office Manager, January 2008

Claremont McKenna College admits and employs all qualified people without regard to their physical abilities, in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The Dean of Students Office is primarily responsible for compliance with student-related aspects of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Other College departments also assist in the provision of accommodations for students. The Department of Human Resources works with faculty and staff who quality for ADA accommodations.

Students at CMC present the College with two different categories of need: physical needs and learning difference needs. Occasionally, a student may require both.

Physical Needs

The Claremont McKenna College campus is well-situated for students who have physical impairments, i.e., wheelchair-bound, or sight impaired. The campus is fairly flat with no steep grades; the location in Southern California presents an optimal climate without snow and ice, and relatively little rain. There are very few steps on campus; paths and hand rails have been installed in many locations. Because much of the campus has been renovated in the last decade, most buildings meet ADA codes.

The Dean of Students staff works with students who have physical needs on a case-by-case basis. For example:

• Housing. Based on the specific needs of the student, the Director of Residential Life will select the best fit for on-campus housing. The College maintains two studio apartments (in the Student Apartment Complex) which are ADA compliant. The College also has housing for men and women on the first floor of several residence halls with accessible ramps. For students with the need for an air-conditioned residence (often for asthma), the Director of Residential Life normally has ample space to meet the accommodation.
• Meals. Collins Dining Hall and the Hub are wheelchair accessible. The staff at Collins Hall are prepared to accommodate most meal requests for students with special dietary concerns.
• Academic Facilities. All the classrooms at CMC are wheelchair accessible by elevator, ramp, or direct entry. Some faculty offices on the second floor of Pitzer Hall, Seaman Hall, and Adams Hall are not accessible. The computer labs in Stark Hall and the Bauer Center, and the US Army ROTC Office are accessible.
• Recreational & Support Services. Most recreational and support services are wheelchair accessible including: the Emett Student Center, McKenna Auditorium, the Athenaeum, Ducey Gymnasium, the Dean of Students Office, Career Services, and the Crocker Reading Room. The only recreational area which is not accessible is the football stadium bleachers.
• Administrative Offices. All are accessible including: Admission and Financial Aid, Human Resources, Student Accounts, and the Registrar's Office.
• Transportation. On a case by case basis, and where there has been is a significant need, the Dean of Students Staff has provided transportation in a golf cart. After-hours transportation is similarly available through Campus Safety.
• Other Services and Programs. Intramural and varsity athletics have not heretofore been accessible to some students. However, there are other games and contests which are accessible to all students.
• The College is prepared to make physical adjustments to the campus as needed.

Learning Difference Needs

As with Physical Differences, the Dean of Students Office works with students who have a documented Learning Difference (LD) on a case-by-case basis. This policy is communicated to students in the Guide to Student Life each year.

Students with LD's are asked to provide CMC with documentation of their conditions and recommended accommodations at their own expense or under the coverage of their health care plan. Reports generated by LD professionals usually include: the date of testing, the types of tests administered, the scores on each test, a formal diagnosis (from the DSM-IV), and a set of accommodations to provide a successful learning environment and equal standing with non-LD students. Moreover, students are asked to provide evidence of testing that is no older than three-years.

Copies of such reports are forwarded to the LD specialist at the Monsour Counseling Center for review. If the report and recommended accommodations look appropriate, the Monsour psychologist will inform the Dean of Students Office via fax. An electronic message is then created for the student's faculty and sent at the end of the add/drop period. Should the student be cross-registered for classes at another Claremont College, a copy is also sent to the Dean of Students Office at that institution.

The most frequent LD accommodation is extended time on exams (e.g. time-and-a-half). In some cases, the use of a tape recorder, a private testing environment, or assistance with note taking is also recommended.

Finally, a file is created for the student and maintained by the Office Manager in the Dean of Students Office. Thereafter, at the beginning of each semester, we send an electronic message to the faculty of students with an approved LD.

In any given year there are approximately 40-50 students who have completed this protocol for LD accommodations.

For students who have not completed a formal testing with a licensed learning disability professional or educational psychologist, or when there is suspicion that an LD might be present, students are referred to the LD specialist at the Monsour Counseling Center.

For more information on CMC's LD policy, please contact Julia Strong (Office Manager) at jstrong@cmc.edu.