Office of Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD)

The mission of the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities is ‘to facilitate the academic success of students with disabilities through the provision of appropriate educational supports and settings while nurturing personal development’.

The goal of the office of Services for Students with Disabilities is to ensure that students are able to have access and participate in the classes and programs available at Queensborough Community College.

The office additionally serves as a liaison to faculty and the community regarding disability issues.

It is the responsibility of the student to register with the office of Services for Students with Disabilities in order to be eligible for services. Reasonable accommodations will be determined and provided on an individualized basis upon completion and review of disability documentation (see documentation guidelines).

Services provided by the SSD

Depending upon the individual need, supported by appropriate documentation, the following services may be provided:

• Individualized counseling
• Early Advisement
• Early registration
• Coordination and facilitation of reasonable accommodations on an individualized basis
• Administration of exams with accommodations
• Coordination of note taking services
• Technical assistance with reading and/or scribing
• Assistance with arrangements for recorded or alternate format texts/ study materials
• Coordination of ASL interpreting services
• Alternate format print material: i.e. enlarged print, Braille
• classroom relocation as needed
• Assistive technology (see SSD Lab)
• Advocacy
• Liaison with college and community
• Student Organization for the Disabled (Club)

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SSD Lab

The SSD Lab, located in Library Room 115, is an academic support center for students with disabilities. This is the center where students may take exams with accommodations, receive individualized tutoring or study at the ADA accessible workstations. Computer stations are equipped with specialized hardware and software to meet the needs of all students. The center is open daily with evening and weekend hours. Hours are posted at the beginning of each semester.

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Assistive Technology

Assistive Technology - Assistive Technology (AT) is any item, piece of equipment, or product system used to increase, maintain, or improve access for individuals with disabilities. The Office of Services for Students with Disabilities is working to bring state of the art assistive technology solutions to campus. The AT lab contains the following resources and equipment:

Voice Recognition Software (Dragon Naturally Speaking Professional) – enables students to write and/or navigate the computer screen by simply dictating commands to a computer system that is trained to recognize their voices. Recommended for: motor disabilities and/or students with learning disabilities.

Screen Readers (Jaws) – Provides access to software applications and the Internet to students who are unable to see a traditional computer monitor. Accessibility is created via voice output system that literally reads the contents to users. Recommended for: blind and low-vision students.

Screen Enlargers (Zoom Text) – Enables students who have difficulty viewing the screen on a standard computer monitor to enlarge the content from as little as 1.2 times incrementally up to 16 times. Magnification can be used in conjunction with available speech output features. Recommended for: low-vision students.

Braille Translation Software (Duxbury) – Converts text and/or graphics to Braille files in order to be read by students who are Braille readers. Files can be printed through a Braille embosser or read by students who have a refreshable Braille display. Recommended for: blind and low-vision students.

Kurzweil 1000 Reading & Writing System—Enables students who are unable to see a computer monitor to read/write and edit material by having it read aloud by the computer and then using keystrokes to manipulate all the formatting commands. Material is opened from a file, scanned in, or created within the program, then saved as a document for output. Recommended for: blind and low-vision students

Kurzweil 3000 Reading & Writing System – Assists students whose disabilities affect their reading comprehension and/or writing skills by simultaneously reading text aloud and highlighting each spoken word on a computer display. Students can pause on any word, and have instant access to dictionary, thesaurus, grammar check, and note-taking features. Students can also use the system’s scanner, voice-output and recording capabilities to create books-on-tape. Recommended for: learning disabilities and/or low-vision students.

CCTV (Optelec) – Video magnifiers magnify material up to 44-times their original size. By placing viewing material under a built in camera, the image is magnified while the individual user focuses to the desired enlargement; output is displayed on the attached monitor Recommended for: low-vision students.

*All workstations are configured on height adjustable tables.

Assistive technology is available in all labs throughout campus. All labs are reconfigured with:

• Height adjustable tables
• Oversized monitors
• Scanner
• Screen reading software
• Screen enlarging software
• Specialized reading and writing software

Additional assistive technology is available upon request through the SSD office.

Queensborough Community College is also the home to two additional specialized programs, which serve the needs of students with disabilities.

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Learn and Earn Program

Learn and Earn is a specialized program for students with Learning Disabilities, which provides students with a one-year supportive transition into the college mainstream and into professional career programs while providing career and academic guidance within an atmosphere that fosters success.

This unique program is a collaborative effort between Queensborough Community College, Abilities Inc, Vocational & Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID), and the Board of Education.

The Learn and Earn program offers three different options for students in the program:

Option 1: This option is for students who are qualified and plan to remain in college upon completion of Learn and Earn to pursue a degree or certificate. Students pursue the Learn and Earn career course in conjunction with the recommended (depending upon placement results) academic classes and continue on upon completion of Learn & Earn.

Option 2: This option is geared towards preparing students for employment through development and improvement of vocational skills, including job hunting, interviewing, and self-advocating skills. This option allows students to enter directly into the job market while improving basic math, reading and writing skills necessary to maintain employment.

Option 3: This option included placement in a vocational training program to improve targeted skills. A student can opt for this program choice if direct employment or pursuit of an academic career is not appropriate. Vocational counselors to ascertain areas of strength, ability and interest would evaluate the student. Training programs vary according to student needs and interests.

All students applying to the Learn & Earn program must meet eligibility requirements set forth by the VESID agency. (see appendix, VESID).

For further information, contact Ms. Angela Roland, Learn and Earn Program at 718 281 5443.

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External Education for the Homebound

The External Education Program for the Homebound was a special program designed for the special academic needs of students with disabilities who cannot attend college in the traditional manner. This had been funded through grants from the U.S. Department of Education since 1976. Unfortunately in 2005, the federal government made the decision not to continue funding this grant program.

Queensborough Community College is committed to providing continued services to support the students who had been in the Homebound Program at the time of the loss of funding.

Students of the former Homebound program will be served under the auspices of the office of Services for Students with Disabilities.

As of Fall 2005, no new students will be accepted into the Homebound Program and all new students will be required to attend classes on campus.

In the event that a student must periodically miss classes for disability related reasons, they must contact the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities to arrange for class to be taped or to make other arrangements to obtain assignments.

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