Disability support services

Eligibility Requirements to Receive Accommodations from DSS 

Per the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504: 

“Individuals with disabilities are defined as persons with a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities. People who have a history of, or who are regarded as having a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, are also covered. Some examples of impairments which may substantially limit major life activities, maybe, but are not limited to: acquired brain injury, ADD, AIDS, Autism, blindness or visual impairment, cancer, deafness or hard of hearing, diabetes, heart disease, learning disabilities, and mental illness.” 

For additional information on the Rehabilitation Act, visit dol.gov.  

Individuals with disabilities are eligible to receive services from DSS to access programs and services at Stark State College. 

To receive academic accommodations, students should complete the Stark State admissions process. DSS staff can help you with this process if necessary. 

1. Complete the admissions application for Stark State College. 
2. Contact the Admissions Office at 330-494-6170 ext. 4382 to schedule an appointment to take the College entrance exam. If you need accommodations for this test, please contact DSS at 330-494-6170 ext. 4935. 
3. Complete the free application for federal student aid (FAFSA) if you intend to use federal student aid. 
4. Complete the DSS student application. 
5. Provide verification of your disability from your high school, an agency, physician, psychologist, or other licensed professional to the DSS office. If you do not have documentation of your disability, you may download the disability verification form or obtain it from DSS staff. If you need assistance in requesting documentation from previous colleges, high schools or another agency, we can assist you. 
6. Schedule an appointment with a DSS counselor in room B104 of the main campus or call 330-494-6170, ext. 4935.  Please bring your DSS application and documentation verifying your disability to your appointment. The documentation will be reviewed and appropriate accommodations discussed. 

Exam accommodations 

• Extended test time and distraction reduced environment. 

• Reader. 

• Scribe. 

Note-taking assistance 
There are several possible sources of class notes: 

• The teacher may have printed lecture notes that can be photocopied. 
• The student or the instructor may ask for a volunteer in the class to share notes with you. 
• You may wish to record the class. 

Interpreters and captioning 

If you need classroom sign language or captioning services, you should discuss specific needs with the department of disability services at least 30 days before the start of the semester. You can also request interpreters for other college activities, such as tutoring, meetings with teachers or counselors/advisors, and special programs. You may be asked to provide updated information from your doctor or audiologist. Download the disability verification for deaf/hard of hearing form. 

Enlarged print materials 

Includes handouts, tests and other classroom materials. 

Alternate format for textbooks 

CCTV 

Portable CCTVs can be used to magnify handouts, whiteboards and textbooks used in the classroom environment. 

Dragon naturally speaking 

A program that converts voice to text. 

iPad 

Used for its accessibility features. 

JAWS 

Screen reader. 

Read&Write Gold and Premier To Go 

Text reading software programs. 

Kurzweil 3000 

A text reader that is used predominately for testing. 

ZoomText 

Text reader and magnifier.