Section 1. Purpose

This procedure sets forth the processes and courses of action the institution will take to adhere to those standards set forth in Policy 2055-1-01 – Student Accommodation Policy, as well as student responsibilities.

Section 2. Definitions

  • Access and/or accessibility: The quality of being reached, entered, obtained, used, or understood in the same or equivalent degree and timeframe as for others.
  • Disability: A physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.
  • Employees: Northwest Technical College personnel including all faculty, staff, administrators, teaching assistants, and student employees.
  • Visitors/Community Members/Volunteers: Anyone not otherwise affiliated with the institution that requires access to college information, spaces (physical and virtual), and/or events.
  • Student: An individual who:
    • Is enrolled in one or more courses, either credit or non-credit through the college;
    • Has withdrawn, transferred or graduated after an alleged violation of the student conduct code;
    • Is not officially enrolled for a particular term but who has a continuing relationship with the college;
    • Has been notified of acceptance for admission or has initiated the process of application for admission or financial aid;
    • Is living in a college residence hall although not enrolled at the college. has been admitted to the institution and is enrolled in courses.
  • Prospective Student: An individual who may apply to and, if admitted, attend courses at the institution later.
  • Self-Identification: The individual recognizes they have a disability/condition and chooses to share additional information related to the disability/condition with staff at the institution to receive accommodations.

Section 3. Procedure

A. Request for Accommodations

Information

Institutional Responsibilities

The institution shall share information and offer students the opportunity to self-identify with all students, prospective students, and visitors regarding accommodations and other assistance available to students with disabilities. This information will be at a minimum shared on the institution’s public website, during the application process, during student orientation, in course syllabi, and in course catalogs.

Student Responsibilities

The first part of this process is to self-identify as a student with a disability/condition requesting accommodations. Students attending a post-secondary institution who are seeking accommodations are responsible for identifying themselves to the Accessibility Services Office, as a person with a disability/condition/impairment. Students may request accommodations at any time before or during a semester. It is recommended that students make their request as soon as possible to avoid delays in implementing certain types of accommodation, such as alternative format materials, captioning, and/or interpreting services.

Application

Institutional Responsibilities
  • Northwest Technical College asks that each student requesting accommodation complete an application that includes the student’s identity information and information about their disability/condition and/or accommodation needs.
  • Northwest Technical College may also request documentation to verify eligibility. Individuals with apparent disabilities with apparent functional limitations are not required to provide documentation to verify eligibility. The following are acceptable forms of documentation:
    • Individualized Education Program (IEP).
    • Section 504 plan documentation.
    • Service record from other educational institutions.
    • Evaluation from qualified health or service professionals.
    • Disability record from another institution.
    • Military service-related disability documentation.
    • Additional information from qualified professionals for new accommodations or when previous documents such as IEPs or 504 plans were not in effect immediately before the individual exited high school.
  • During the interactive process it may become apparent that additional information is needed to better understand a particular need or request. Accessibility Services may request that a student provide documentation from a qualified professional to help determine accommodations that are reasonable and effective for the student. *Note that Accessibility Services may offer an equally effective alternative accommodation and does not have to approve any or all accommodations recommended by a qualified professional. Accessibility Services may provide temporary or provisional accommodations for a set period (such as one semester) to allow the student enough time to get any necessary documentation.

Documentation

Student Responsibilities

As a part of the self-identification process, students will need to share information about themselves, including their disability/condition and how it impacts them in an academic environment. Part of this disclosure may include providing documents that confirm eligibility or help staff better understand student needs. Acceptable forms of documentation to confirm eligibly include:

  • Individualized Education Program (IEP).
  • Section 504 plan documentation.
  • Service record from other educational institutions.
  • Evaluation from qualified health or service professionals.
  • Disability record from another institution.
  • Military service-related disability documentation.
  • Additional information from qualified professionals for new accommodations or when previous documents such as IEPs or 504 plans were not in effect immediately before the individual exited high school.

Interactive Process

Institutional Responsibilities

Staff from the Accessibility Services Office will engage in an interactive process with the student or prospective student. This process allows the staff member and the student to work together to understand the functional limitations the student experiences and determine the most appropriate and reasonable accommodations that ensure equitable access to their learning environment, activities, campus programs, etc.

Student Responsibilities

Students are responsible for engaging with staff from Accessibility Services in an interactive process. This is a conversation with the student that allows the staff member and the student to work together to understand the student’s needs and determine the most appropriate and reasonable accommodations that ensure equitable access to their learning environment, activities, campus programs, etc.

Notice of Denial

Institutional Responsibilities
  • Students who have been denied accommodation will receive written notification from Accessibility Services with the reason the particular accommodation cannot be provided. Reasons may include:
  • Accommodation was requested retroactively
  • Accommodation requested was not reasonable
  • Accommodation was not related to the student’s disability
  • Accommodation would create an undue administrative or financial burden
  • Accommodation would fundamentally alter essential elements of a course or program.
Student Responsibilities

Students who have been denied an accommodation request are responsible for acknowledging the denial and continuing to engage in the interactive process if they wish to provide further information to support their request.

Renewal of Accommodations

Institutional Responsibilities

The institution shall not require students with approved and established accommodations to provide documentation confirming their eligibility in order to continue accommodations into a new semester. However, Northwest Technical College will require the student to notify the Accessibility Services Office of their need for an accommodation letter each semester. At Northwest Technical College, this is done by logging in to the Accessibility Services portal, and requesting the accommodations for the appropriate semester.

Student Responsibilities

Students with approved and established accommodations are not required to provide documentation confirming their eligibility for continued accommodations. However, Northwest Technical College will require the student to notify the Accessibility Services Office of their need for academic accommodations each semester. At Northwest Technical College, this is done by logging in to the Accessibility Services portal and requesting the accommodations for the appropriate semester.

Delivery of the Accommodation Letter

Institutional Responsibilities

The institution is responsible for documenting the approved accommodations for each student. At Northwest Technical College, academic accommodations letters are typically sent directly to both faculty and students.

Student Responsibilities

Students at Northwest Technical College will be responsible for requesting their accommodations each semester and while not necessary, are encouraged to discuss the accommodations specifically with their instructors.

Concerns/Complaints

Institutional Responsibilities

The college/university shall have an internal concern/complaint process to address student concerns/complaints related to student accommodations. The Student Complaints and Grievances Policy dictates the methods and timelines with which the College will conduct a review of the concern.

Student Responsibilities

Students who believe approved accommodations have not been allowed or provided by faculty or other college/university employees are encouraged to resolve the matter utilizing the interactive process with Accessibility Services. Students also may follow the Student Complaints and Grievances Policy. Students may also file a complaint directly with the U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights (section 504) or the Department of Justice (ADA) if they feel they have been denied access to, or the benefit of, any college academic program or activity. Students are not required by law to use the institutional grievance/complaint process before filing a complaint with the Office of Civil Rights (OCR). A complaint must be filed within 180 calendar days of the date of the alleged discrimination.

B. Testing Accommodation Requests

Institutional Responsibilities

  • The Accessibility Services Office provides the following to students with testing accommodations specific to their approved accommodations:
    • Private Spaces for testing
    • Noise mitigation in testing rooms (ear plugs, over-the-ear noise mitigation, white noise machines)
    • Human Readers
    • Scribes
    • Adaptive furniture
    • Student Responsibilities
  • Each student with approved testing accommodations that necessitate scheduling the exam with Accessibility Services is required to schedule their test ahead of time using either the online scheduling form or by connecting with the Test Proctor Coordinator or other staff in the testing center. Two business days’ notice is preferred to ensure adequate space and communication between the Test Proctor Coordinator and the faculty of the course. Failure to schedule ahead of time may result in a delay or inability of the center to provide accommodations for testing.

C. American Sign Language Interpreters/CART Service Requests

Institutional Responsibilities

The Accessibility Services Office provides ASL interpreters and/or CART services for students with these specific accommodations.

Student Responsibilities

The student with accommodations for ASL interpreters and/or CART services is responsible for informing the Accessibility Services Office of the need for ASL interpreters and/or CART services for each semester. The student is also responsible for communicating the precise scheduled need for such services related to the student’s particular schedule. Student requests for ASL interpreting and/or CART services will be honored to the best of the ability of the Accessibility Services Office, however, last-minute adjustments or requests may not be able to be met. Provision of ASL Interpreting and/or CART services is limited to College-sponsored/sanctioned events. Students who need these services for private needs are individually responsible for the scheduling and payment of these services.

D. Alternative Format Materials Request

Institutional Responsibilities

The Accessibility Services Office provides materials in a variety of formats, such as Braille, audio, large print, digital, etc. to students with approved accommodations for formats that differ from what is typically provided. The Accessibility Services Office will, when the student has provided the appropriate notification and sufficient proof of purchase, procure the alternative format and provide it to the student either in physical form or digital format sufficient to be accessed using technology.

Student Responsibilities

Students with approved accommodations for alternative format materials, such as textbooks, are required to notify the Accessibility Services Office in a timely manner of the need for such materials. The varying time in which it takes to prepare sed materials may vary and may be out of the control of the Accessibility Services Office, especially when a third party is involved in the production of the materials. Students are expected to, whenever possible, utilize the alternative format function within their Accessibility Portal to request texts. Other materials may be made accessible upon demand provided adequate notification is given by the students. While every effort to prepare accessible online materials is assumed by part of the college, students are expected to communicate timely with Accessibility Services if they encounter materials that are not accessible.

Section 4. Authority

This procedure is issued pursuant to the authority granted the Americans with Disability Act of 1990 (ADA); Sections 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act; WCAG 2.0 Level AA; MN Statutes 16E.03; MN Statutes 363A.42; MN Statutes 363A.43; MN Statutes 135A.163 RISE Act; State of Minnesota Accessibility Standard; Minnesota Human Rights Act MN Statute 363A; the 21st Century Communications and Accessibility Act (CVAA) Pub. L. 111-260; and Minnesota State Policy 1B.4 Access and Accommodation for Individuals with Disabilities; The Architectural Barriers Act of 1968. Other authority may also apply.

Section 5. Effective Date

This procedure shall become effective upon signature by the President and shall remain in effect until modified or expressly revoked.

Section 6. Responsibility

The President or their designee is responsible for the implementation of this procedure.

Date of Implementation: 08/17/2026 | Next Review Date: 08/17/2031