Accessibility Services

Trocaire College offers students with documented disabilities reasonable accommodations and services to enable them to participate in the mainstream of the educational process fully. 

Trocaire College’s mission involves recognizing the individual needs of a diverse student body. The Office of Accessibility Services in the Wellness Center works with students to provide accommodations and services for students with documented disabilities and mental health impairments. 

For more information, please refer to our Accessibility Services Manual.

What is a Disability? 

Under applicable state and federal laws, an individual with a disability is defined as a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, has a history of such impairment, or is regarded as having such impairment. 

A qualified individual with a disability meets a program’s essential functions or requirements with or without reasonable accommodations. 

Determining Eligibility

To determine eligibility for accommodations through Trocaire, any student seeking services are required to provide the Office of Accessibility Services with the appropriate medical, psychological, and/or educational documentation of their disability or mental health impairment from a licensed professional. 

The letter must be on letterhead, signed by the licensed provider stating the diagnosed disability, how the disability impacts the student’s everyday life and functionality, and what the provider is recommending for the student to be successful.  We encourage students to provide results of psychoeducational testing, IEP, 504 Plan, and/or documentation previous college(s) regarding accommodations previously utilized. 

Students should contact the Office of Accessibility Services to discuss what documentation they may have and/or to obtain assistance in getting linked to an appropriate community provider to have an evaluation/testing done if they think they may be a student in need of accommodations. 

Requests for accommodations are evaluated based on the review of documentation provided as well as the student’s self-report and observation regarding current functional limitations. 

Please Note: While students can initiate the accommodation process at any time throughout the semester, it is recommended that a student make contact as early as possible. Accommodations begin at the time that a student is found eligible and instructors are notified, and cannot be granted retroactively. 

Please fill out this form before your appointment with Accessibility Services.

Accommodations

Accommodations are determined on a case-by-case, course-by-course basis. Accessibility Services will work with students to determine reasonable accommodations and supports. Academic Accommodations may include, but are not limited to: 

  • Extended testing time
  • Reduced distraction testing environments (offered through the Palisano Learning Center)
  • The use of assistive technology
  • Textbooks in alternative formats
  • Note taking support technology (LiveScribe pens)
Additional Resources

ACCES-VR
Accessible Academics
Effective College Planning For Students With Disabilities – MANUAL for Students, Parents and High School Personnel (CCDA)
Effective College Planning For Students With Disabilities – WORKBOOK for Students, Parents and High School Personnel (CCDA)
Planning and Time Management Tools and Advice for College Students
Students with Disabilities Preparing for Postsecondary Education (U.S. Dept of ED OCR)
Western New York Collegiate Consortium and Disability Advocates (CCDA) 

Overview of Laws

Rehabilitation Act
The Rehabilitation Act prohibits federal agencies and their grantees and contractors from discriminating against people based on disability in employment, programs, and activities. 

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (ADA/504)
A federal statute that guarantees the rights of disabled people to equal opportunity in all programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance.  It prohibits discrimination against qualified individuals solely on the basis of disability.  Section 504 regulations apply to state education agencies, elementary and secondary school systems, colleges and universities, libraries, vocational schools, and state vocational rehabilitation agencies. 

Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
The ADA was signed into law to protect individuals with disabilities against discrimination in employment, in programs operated by city, county, and state entities, public and private transportation, public accommodations, and telecommunication services.  The 2008 amendment act of ADA emphasizes that the definition of disability should be construed in favor of broad coverage of individuals to the maximum extent permitted by the terms of the ADA and generally shall not require extensive analysis. 

Privacy

Our student’s privacy is important to us. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. Student’s disability records are kept secured in the Office of Accessibility Services and are not released without the student’s permission. 

Click here for more information on FERPA 

Accessibility Forms:

Accessibility Services: Intake Form

Accessibility Services: Intake Form

"*" indicates required fields

Please fill out this form before your appointment with Accessibility Services.
Student Name*
Home Address*
MM slash DD slash YYYY
Max. file size: 20 MB.
Disability type (check all that apply):*
Consent*
Consent*
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Accessibility Services: Accommodation Renewal Form

Accessibility Services: Accommodation Renewal Form

"*" indicates required fields

This form is only used to request academic accommodations for which you have had prior approval by Accessibility Services at Trocaire College. Renewal form is valid for current academic semester only.
Student Name*
Please list instructor name and course number whom you would like notified of accommodations (ex: Instructor: Jacob Fisher; Course Name & Number: NU 114)
Would you like to schedule a meeting with Accessibility Services to discuss current accommodations, needs for assistive technology, or additional supports?*
Consent*
Questions? Contact us! Email: WellnessCenter@trocaire.edu | Phone: 716-827-2579
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Testing Accommodations: Exam Submission Form

Testing Accommodations: Exam Submission Form

"*" indicates required fields

Faculty: If a student in your course has requested a proctoring appointment through the PLC for paper-pencil testing, please complete the required fields below.
MM slash DD slash YYYY
Student Name*
Instructor Name*
Please check all that apply:*
Accommodations checked above must be pre-approved by Accessibility Services and included on your Faculty Notification form.
Drop files here or
Max. file size: 20 MB.
    Please upload the student’s exam and any additional forms or pages they may need for their exam. If there are specific instructions regarding these pages (order, access, printing, etc.), please include within the Special Instruction field above.
    This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

    Non-Discrimination Statement:

    Trocaire College does not discriminate in admission, employment, the administration of its educational policies, scholarship and loan programs, and other institutionally administered programs based on an individual’s actual or perceived race, color, creed, religion, religious practice, national origin, ethnic group, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, political affiliation, age, marital status, military status, veteran status, disability, domestic violence victim status, genetic information or any other basis prohibited by New York state and/or federal non-discrimination laws.  Retaliation against an individual because he or she made a complaint, testified, or participated in any manner in an investigation or proceeding will not be tolerated and is unlawful under Civil Rights laws. 

    The College’s policy is by federal and state laws and regulations prohibiting discrimination and harassment, including the Americans with Disabilities Act, (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and the New York State Human Rights Law. 

    For more information, please contact:
    Kathleen Saunders
    VP Enrollment and Student Affairs
    Interim Director of Wellness
    Main Campus, Room 120
    saundersk@Trocaire.edu