Frequently Asked Questions

Below are some frequently asked questions (FAQs) about Disability Resources.

What is considered a disability?
What do I need to document a disability?
Will my disability remain confidential?
What services are available?
How do I request disability services?
Can I use the handicapped parking?
What recourse do I have if I am discriminated against?

What is considered a disability?

MCC uses the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as a guide to define disability. A condition that substantially limits a major life activity (such as walking, talking, learning, hearing and/or seeing) makes a student eligible for services from Disability Resources. Services can be provided to students with visual or hearing impairments, students with learning disabilities, head injuries, chronic health conditions (such as diabetes, epilepsy, arthritis, carpel tunnel and psychiatric disabilities, etc.), mobility, speech and coordination impairments. Temporary conditions such as broken arms, sprained ankles, etc. are also included in this definition.

What do I need to document a disability?

All students with disabilities must provide proof of the disability and the need for accommodations before campus disability services can be provided. Documentation to establish that a student has a documented disability must be current for the disability and must be typed on official letterhead of the diagnosing practitioner. It can be either in the form of a letter or a recent evaluation. The practitioner must be a licensed and/or certified professional who is qualified to diagnose the stated disability. This documentation must be provided to the Disability Resource Coordinator.

Documentation to support the request for accommodations must be provided to the Disability Resource Coordinator, not the instructors, before accommodations will be granted and must be current for the disability. The documentation must be typed on official letterhead of the diagnosing practitioner. It can be either in the form of a letter or a recent evaluation. The practitioner must be a licensed and/or certified professional who is qualified to diagnose the stated disability.

Sufficient and appropriate disability documentation to support the request for accommodations must have the following components:

Diagnosis: state the medical or mental health impairment by a recognizable diagnosis; preferably from the most recent edition of ICD or DSM
Date first diagnosed: establish an initial date when a diagnosis was made or when the certifying practitioner accepted a previous diagnosis and began treatment or services
Names of relevant tests and results: establish how the practitioner arrived at the diagnosis; this is especially important when the disability is a learning disability, ADD/ADHD, psychological disability, or other disability diagnosed from the most recent edition of DSM
Severity of disability: establish the extent to which the disability substantially limits a major life activity or activities; explain the functional and substantial limitations from the impairment that may adversely affect the individual as a student in college
Method(s) of current treatment: include current use of any medications, ability or inability to control symptoms, and any side-effects of the medication that have been exhibited by this student which may adversely interfere with clear cognitive functioning
Recommendations: make recommendations based on the above functional and substantial limitations for postsecondary academic and physical accommodations to ameliorate the limitations

Documentation of a disability is not provided by Individualized Education Plans (IEP’S), 504 Plans, or Transition Plans. However, these documents are useful for documenting a history of accommodation and effective interventions for an individual with a disability.

Because a practitioner recommends a specific accommodation does not necessarily mean that the college must automatically grant that accommodation. Accommodations are to provide equal access to programs and services. The needs of each student with a disability are decided on a case-by-case basis according to the student’s schedule and current situation in college.

At the discretion of the Disability Services Coordinator, accommodations may be granted and provided for a limited time span with incomplete, outdated, or limited documentation. This decision is determined on a case-by-case basis.

Students are encouraged to contact the Disability Resource Coordinator early in the admission process to avoid problems that might arise due to their disability. The admissions office does not obtain disability information therefore, they will not know if the student requires special arrangements. It is the students’ responsibility to contact the Disability Resource Coordinator. Disability information is strictly confidential and does not become part of the students’ permanent file.

Will my disability remain confidential?

Madisonville Community College views all information regarding a student’s disability as confidential as required under federal law. To ensure the confidentiality of disability-related information in student records, Madisonville Community College has adopted the following guidelines:

No one is given access to student files at the Disability Resource Office except Disability Resource staff. Disability-related information will be shared with others within the institution on a limited and need-to-know basis only.
A student must give written consent for disability-related information to be released to individuals and agencies outside the institution.
Faculty are notified that a student has a disability and of the accommodations required to provide access to programs and classes but they are not told what the student’s disability is. Faculty to do not have access to view the student’s disability-related information nor may they share it with others without the student’s permission.
The student has the right to review his or her file. This must be done in the presence of the Disability Resource Coordinator.
A student may not remove information from his or her file, but he or she can request the Disability Resource Coordinator do so.

Information may be released, without student consent, in accordance with federal and state laws.

All written materials used to document a student’s disability, provision of reasonable accommodations, and contact with the Disability Resource Coordinator are maintained separate from a student’s permanent record. Materials maintained by the Disability Resource Office may include:

Biographical history
Disability documentation
Class schedules
Transcripts of grades
Coordinator notes

What services are available?

Services are determined on an individual basis and may include but are not limited to: ensuring physical access to classes, early registration, supportive counseling, referral to outside agencies, specialized equipment (FM listening devices, etc.); specialized computer software (Kurzweil 3000, Dragon Naturally Speaking, TextHelp, etc.); recorded textbooks; enlarged or taped text; note taking; readers; writers/scribes and testing accommodations.

The Disability Resource Coordinator also acts as student liaison with faculty, staff, administrators and other social agencies. The Disability Resource Coordinator works closely with Department for Vocational Rehabilitation on behalf of current and prospective students with disabilities.

Madisonville Community College does not provide accommodations of a personal nature. These would include wheelchairs for use on campus, personal care attendants and adaptive equipment to be used at home. For these services, you may want to contact the Department for Vocational Rehabilitation.

More information about what services are provided is available here.

How do I request disability services?

The student can request services by contacting the Disability Resource Coordinator. The student can make an appointment with the coordinator to discuss the application process, class advising, required documentation, appropriate accommodations and notification of faculty. Parents and counselors from social agencies such as Vocational Rehabilitation can make student referrals to the coordinator but services are voluntary and can only be provided upon request by the student.

To request services or for more information, contact Valerie Wolfe, Disability Resource Coordinator at (270) 824-1708 or by email at valerie.wolfe@kctcs.edu.

Can I use the handicapped parking?

Madisonville Community College does not issue handicapped parking permits. Students must have a state issued handicapped parking tag to use the handicapped parking spaces on campus. These tags are issued at your County Court Clerk's office.

If you have a state tag but find there are no handicapped spaces available when you need to park, report it to Ray Gillaspie, Dean of Business Affairs, at (270) 824-8592.

What recourse do I have if I am discriminated against?

Students who feel that they have been discriminated against or denied an opportunity because of a disabling condition are encouraged to contact the Disability Resource Coordinator promptly in an attempt to resolve the problem at an informal level.

Students who feel they have been discriminated against, harassed by students or employees, denied reasonable accommodations, and/or denied an opportunity to enroll in an education program, participate in activities, and / or employment because of their race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age religion, or marital status have the right to file an informal complaint as follows:

Informal Procedure:

If a student feels that he/she has been discriminated against, the student must first bring the problem to the attention of the EEO/Grievance Coordinator within five (5) school days of learning that the alleged cause for grievance has occurred. The coordinator will conduct a preliminary investigation of the alleged complaint.
The student, EEO / Grievance Coordinator, and other involved parties will work informally to negotiate a solution within five (5) school days (or a total of ten (10) days from filing a grievance.)
If the grievance cannot be satisfactorily resolved by working informally, the student may want to proceed to file a formal written grievance within five (5) school days. (A total of fifteen (15) school days from filing a grievance.)

Formal Procedure:

Within fifteen (15) school days of learning of the alleged discrimination or denial or service, a student will file written notice with the appointed institution EEO / Grievance Coordinator. The student may use the Formal Grievance Procedure form, which is available from the EEO/Grievance Coordinator. The notice shall identify the nature if the alleged discrimination, the date(s) of occurrence, expected outcomes, and shall be signed and dated by the student filing the grievance.
Within three (3) school days after the notice has been filed, the EEO / Grievance Coordinator will initiate an adequate, reliable, and impartial investigation of the grievance. The EEO / Grievance Coordinator's response will be given to the student within seven (7) school days from the date of filing written notice. The proposed solution to resolving the alleged grievance will have to be approved by the KCTCS President / Director and other parties involved.
If the student is not satisfied with the proposed solution, the student may appeal in writing to the KCTCS President / Director and / or their designee within five (5) school days of the proposed solution to be taken in Step 1. The Step 3 appeal written notice must contain all written documentation from Step 1 and the student's written reasons for not accepting the proposed solution to be taken. The KCTCS President / Director will respond in writing to the student within seven (7) school days from the date of the written appeal as to the action to be taken.
If the student is not satisfied with the recommended action to be taken by the KCTCS President / Director, the student may appeal in writing within five (5) school days to the attention of the Director of Diversity Programs, KCTCS, P.O. Box 14092, Lexington, KY 40512-4092. The student should mark the envelope "confidential". The Step 4 appeal must contain all written documentation related to Step 1 and Step 3 of this Formal Grievance Procedure. The student must include their written statement as to the reasons for not accepting the proposed solution to their alleged grievance. The Director of Diversity Programs will respond in writing within twenty (20) school days of the date of the Step 4 appeal as to the recommended action to be taken, or within fifty-five (55) school days from the initiation of the grievance procedure.
If the grievance is not resolved to the satisfaction of the student, the student may file an appeal with the Office of Civil Rights.