Accommodations and Access Services

Services offered include:

• Advising on disability-related issues in class and on campus
• Assistive technology consultation
• Sign language interpreting
• Text in alternative formats
• Testing accommodations

To be eligible for services, students must have a disability (as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act as Amended) and provide documentation of the disability and need for accommodation. Eligible students must also meet the academic and technical standards required for admission to college programs or activities.

1. Students should make an initial appointment with the support office at their college (contact information in Support Offices and Contacts at Our Colleges accordion box).
   • Students need to register for accommodations with the support office at their college, as they do not automatically carry over from high school.
   • Students are responsible for self-disclosing their disability to the support office and for providing documentation in order to determine eligibility. Some services may require six weeks or more to arrange.
   • Students should contact the support office at their college as early as possible in their educational planning to avoid delays in service.
2. After the meeting is completed, individualized academic adjustments will be determined.
   • To receive the determined accommodations in class, students must request a letter of accommodation from the support office. Letters of accommodation need to be requested each quarter.
   • Accommodations in college may not be exactly the same as accommodations in high school, but high school accommodations may inform college accommodations.
   • Students should complete an intake with the support office before taking placement exams if they need accommodations for those tests.

North Seattle College

Disability Services
email: ds@seattlecolleges.edu 

Seattle Central College

Accessibility Resource Center
email: ARC.Central@seattlecolleges.edu 

South Seattle College

Access Services
email: access.south@seattlecolleges.edu 

Washington Telecommunication Relay Services (WATRS)

WATRS website | phone: 1-800-833-6384 or Text Telephone (TTY): 711

A reasonable accommodation is a modification or adjustment to a job, work environment, policy, practice, or procedure that enables a qualified individual with a disability to perform the essential functions of their position or to enjoy equal employment opportunities, provided the accommodation does not impose an undue hardship on the College.

Reasonable accommodations are available across all aspects of employment, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, job assignments, training, evaluation, promotion, compensation, leave, and participation in employer-sponsored programs and activities.

Examples of accommodations may include (but are not limited to):

• Adjustments to work schedules, start/end times, or break periods
• Ergonomic equipment, assistive technology, or adaptive devices
• Modifications to workspaces, job locations, or physical accessibility features
• Remote or hybrid work arrangements, when consistent with essential job functions
• Leave for medical needs, treatment, or disability-related recovery
• Communication access supports (e.g., captioning, sign language interpreters, accessible formats)
• Reassignment to a vacant position for which the employee is qualified, when accommodation in the current position is not reasonable or would impose an undue hardship
• Modification of workplace policies or practices, unless doing so would create an undue hardship

Employees and applicants may request an accommodation at any time.

Note: ADA accommodations are coordinated through Human Resources and address disability-related needs, while ergonomic requests are handled through Environmental Health and Safety and focus on general workspace setup and injury prevention. If an ergonomic request is connected to a disability, it may be referred to Human Resources for further review.

• Employees (ADA accommodations): Contact your college Human Resources (HR) Office. HR will coordinate the interactive process, including consultation, review of potential accommodations, and implementation in partnership with your supervisor.
• Employees (ergonomic accommodations): Contact Michelle Valint, Environmental Health and Safety Manager, for workspace assessments, equipment recommendations, and support related to ergonomics and injury prevention.
• Applicants: Contact Employee Services or the hiring authority listed in the job announcement to request accommodations during the recruitment or hiring process.

Once a request is made, Human Resources will engage in an interactive process with the employee to understand their abilities and limitations as they relate to essential job functions, identify barriers to job performance, and work collaboratively to assess and implement effective reasonable accommodation options that do not impose an undue hardship.