Disability Services
Disability Services is here to help students with disabilities have equal access to all areas of an Ashland Community & Technical College education. Our services are based on individual needs.
Mission
Our philosophy is one of respect for the individual needs and goals of each student. We advocate for students by providing services that are both supportive and empowering, working collaboratively within our campuses and the communities the college serves.
What does Disability Services do?
Colleges are required by federal statutes to provide equal access to their facilities, educational programs, campus activities and employment opportunities for qualified individuals with disabilities. Disability Services (DS) exists to help ensure this access for students by providing various services, often referred to as "academic accommodations."
How to request services
Information about accommodations you previously received from another school are not included in your transcripts from those schools. You must request Disability Services separately from admission to ACTC, just follow these steps:
- Complete the Disability Services Student Profile and Disability Services FERPA release and return them to Disability Services
- Provide appropriate documentation of a disability
- Meet with the Disability Services director to discuss individual needs and concerns to develop a plan of services
We will work with you to determine if you need accommodations to help you have equal access while at ACTC. Deciding on accommodations is an interactive process. It involves a conversation between you and Disability Services. We determine accommodations on a case-by-case basis. We build your accommodations on the functional limitations from your documentation and in our discussion. The discussion lets you tell us how your disability affects your learning.
Contact Disability Services at the beginning of the term or as soon as you know that you will need accommodations. Some accommodations take longer to arrange than others.
Accommodations are not retroactive. Any grades or actions you take in class before the professor is notified of the need for accommodation usually cannot be changed. This is another reason to meet with Disability Services before the semester begins.
You should not request accommodations directly from the course instructor without having an accommodation memo from Disability Services. An accommodation memo will be provided after you consult with us.
What are common accommodations?
These are examples of accommodations that Disability Services has provided in the past. Since accommodations are decided on a case-by-case basis, this is not a complete list.
- American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation
- materials in accessible format
- access to lecture notes
- tests in a distraction-reduced environment
- tests read orally
- extended time on written tests
- adaptive technology
How do students let their instructors know they are eligible to receive accommodations?
You only need to provide your documentation and go through the intake process once (unless you have experienced significant changes in the impact of your disability or you have not been enrolled at the college for several years). However, You must contact the office at the beginning of each semester and complete a Request for Accommodations form to give DS permission to create formal letters of notification for your instructors, which lists all your approved accommodations. These notifications are provided to instructors via email, or a hard copy printed for the you to deliver in person.
Confidentiality
Your disability information is not kept alongside your other college records. Disability Services takes your right to privacy seriously and we only disclose disability-related information with the faculty and staff on a need-to-know basis.
Contact Information
Heather Shelton, Director
606-326-2051
Heather.Shelton@KCTCS.edu
C. Lance Frazier, Assistant
606-326-2239
Charles.Frazier@KCTCS.edu
Office Locations
College Drive Campus: Room 220, Main Building
Technology Drive Campus: Admissions Area, Room 157E
