Access Office (Disability Services)

Accommodations

Classroom accommodations are designed to help level the playing field for students with disabilities. Accommodations should not offer an unfair advantage to a student because the student has a disability. 

Refer to the list below for the most common approved accommodations.

• Exams Accommodations
• Evacuation Assistance
• Use of a Recording Device
• A Volunteer Note-taker
• A Reader or Scribe
• Interpreting Services
• Adaptive Equipment
• Opportunity to leave the class suddenly
• Students may be late to class due to walking difficulties
• Other

Service Requests

If you need disability services, please complete the form at the link below. The link below is for all students with disabilities needing disability services at NVC. This includes new students with disabilities, returning students with disabilities and students with disabilities needing accommodations for the TSI placement exam.

• Request for Disability Services

Your next steps:

• After you have completed the request form at the link above, a staff member from the Access office will reach out to you to discuss your next steps. Please check your NVC student email account in ACES for any communication from us regarding your request. 

Online Resources

Northwest Vista College offers the following resources. NVC does not fund or endorse any of these resources and encourages readers to seek additional information as needed. 

GENERAL:

ADA and Facilities Access (Texas)

Affordable Colleges Online: College Guide for Students with Disabilities

American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD)

Americans with Disabilities Act Homepage (ADA)

About Autism (Autism Speaks)

Cyberbullying

Disability Resources for College Students 
Campus & Community Support, Advice, and Rights for Students with Disabilities

Graduate School Success for Students with Disabilities 

Higher Education for Students with Disabilities
Rights, Resources and Accredited Online Schools

Learning Disabilities Association of America

Learning Toolbox

Motivational Speaker with Disabilities
Encourages others to believe anything is possible...

National Center for Learning Disabilities

Service Animals and the ADA (Frequently Asked Questions)

Service Dogs/Animals (Texas Disability Law)

Succeeding in College

Wildcat Wisdom

READING & WRITING DISABILITIES:

Dyslexie Font
A special font developed and designed for people with dyslexia to make reading, learning and working easier...

International Dyslexia Association

Kurzweil Firefly Reading Tutorials

Learning Toolbox

National Center for Learning Disabilities

Online Speech-to-Text Resource (FREE)

Reading Tips

MATH DISABILITIES:

Dyscalculia.org

Learning Toolbox

Math Tips

National Center for Learning Disabilities

AD/HD (Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder):

Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA)

Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD)

Learning Toolbox

FACULTY/STAFF

Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD)

Diagram Center

DO-IT (Disability, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology)

Learning Toolbox

HEALTH/MENTAL HEALTH

Anxiety and Depression Association of America

Anxiety Disorders Association of America

NVC Counseling Services
Resources to help with mental health, sexual violence, drug abuse, suicide and more.

Sleep and Sleep Disorders

Web MD
Medical information to identify conditions, symptoms, treatments and definitions of health conditions.

EMPLOYMENT

ADA and Rights in the Workplace

Employment for People with Disabilities in Texas
Texas Workforce Commission - Vocational Rehabilitation Services

Job Accommodations Network (Ask Jan)
Employment and Accommodations Support for People with Disabilities

Special Education Guide
Career paths for students wanting to go into the special education field.

Information for Parents

College is different from the Secondary (K-12th grade) system with regard to students with disabilities. Whereas the law (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 2004) requires parents to be actively involved in the student’s education in K-12, College does not require parental involvement. However, the law (Americans with Disabilities Act, 1990) does require that students with disabilities be offered reasonable accommodation for college in order to have equal access to services such as education.

Another difference between  the secondary education system and college is that Colleges are not authorized to release information about students to anyone, including parents. The Federal Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 prohibit such disclosure without written consent from the student. Therefore, neither the Access office, faculty, or staff of Northwest Vista College may disclose information about a student including (but not limited to) grades, attendance, or behavior. Click here for more information about FERPA.  

As adults, students now have different rights and responsibilities. The rights of a student include:

1. A qualified student with a documented and approved disability has the right to reasonable accommodation for equal access to the services provided by Northwest Vista College.

2. The student has the right to not disclose his or her disability to any instructor or staff.

The responsibilities of students in college include:

1. The student is responsible for meeting the academic or technical standards of the school. At Northwest Vista College the student must have graduated from high school or received a GED. Click here for more information concerning admission to Northwest Vista College.  

2. The student is responsible for identifying him or herself as a student with a disability to the Access Office at Northwest Vista College. Although a guardian may participate in this process, the student must identify him or herself. The Access Office is located in Room DWWC 120 in Desert Willow Welcome Center. The student may also call (210-486-4466) or send an e-mail to nvc-access@grestcourseplus.com

3. The student is responsible for providing adequate documentation to support his or her claim of having a disability. Click here for more details concerning documentation of disability.

4. Once approved, the student is responsible for working with instructors and staff in order to receive the accommodations that are agreed upon by the student and the Access Office staff.

Making the transition from the secondary system to College can be an important step for students quickly becoming independent individuals. As a parent, here are a few important steps suggested by the National Center for Learning Disabilities that are involved in making this transition.

1. Develop self-determination skills in terms of understanding disability, how the disability impacts learning, and being able to discuss areas that are challenging as well as areas of strength. Also important is being able to disclose the disability when appropriate.

2. Learning the strategies that are most effective to compensate for the disability.

3. Knowing which technologies can help to compensate for the disability.

4. Identifying needed resources, disability-specific and general, and using those resources that help the students academically, personally, and financially. This is a much-needed needed skill at the college level.

5. Understand the general difference between high school and college. Click here for details.

The Access Office would also like to be a resource for you and your son or daughter in making this transition. Please contact us via e-mail at nvc-access@grestcourseplus.com or by phone at 210-486-4466 if we can be of assistance to you.