Disability Support Services assures equitable program access to the A-B Tech student disability community by advocating for an accessible learning environment through the removal of informational, physical, and attitudinal barriers. Our goals include coordinating and providing reasonable accommodations & related disability services, promoting self-advocacy within the student disability community, supporting faculty & staff regarding accessibility, and sharing disability awareness information throughout A-B Tech.
Disability Support Services is located in the K. Ray Bailey Student Services Center.
Mission and Goals of Disability Support Services
Support Services assures program access to Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College by students with disabilities. Its goals are:
- To coordinate and provide reasonable accommodations and related disability services.
- To advocate responsibly for an accessible and hospitable learning environment through the removal of informational, physical, and attitudinal barriers.
- To promote self-determination and personal responsibility for students with disabilities.
- To provide training and support to faculty and staff regarding the needs of students with disabilities.
- To provide the College with information regarding Disability issues.
If you are a student with a disability and require accommodations, it is your responsibility to request these services from Support Services since Federal law prohibits the college from making pre-admission inquiries about disabilities. It is best to be registered for classes before applying for accommodations.
Steps to apply for accommodations:
- Complete the Student Intake Form. If a paper copy is needed, email supportservices@abtech.edu or pick one up at the Bailey Student Service Center.
- Meet with a Support Services Advisor in person or via virtual.
- Provide documentation of the disability or disabilities that may impact your college experience. For examples, refer to Documentation Guidelines. The disclosure of this information is voluntary and is not used for admission purposes. You may bring your documentation to Bailey Student Services or email supportservices@abtech.edu.
If you don't have documentation, still contact us so we can review your options.
If all steps above are complete, and the student is eligible to receive accommodations for disabilities, the Support Services Advisor approves accommodations for each class in which the student is enrolled. Some accommodations may require more documentation and more time to coordinate.
Then an Accommodation Letter is emailed to the instructor and student. Students are encouraged to email/talk with their instructors about their accommodations. The Support Services staff are available for faculty consultation and meetings with students and faculty upon request.
Confidentiality Statement
In accordance with the law and with sound ethical counseling practice, specific information regarding a student's particular disability will not be shared with a third party without the student's express permission to do so unless requested by the College attorney or if required by law. By completing the steps above, the student is giving permission to disclose information regarding the need for accommodations, but not about their specific disability. It is the student's right not to disclose specific information regarding their disability to instructors. If a student would like Support Services staff to disclose any educational information to anyone other than the student, please complete the college's Release of Information form.
Students who have had accommodation letters with A-B Tech: Remember to request your letters when you register each semester at supportservices@abtech.edu.
There are differences between high school and college accommodations. If you are a high school dual enrolled, middle college, or early college student, then you have to request accommodations through Support Services for your college classes. Please see the Differences Between High School and College Accommodations handout to compare the differences.
Accommodations at A-B Tech - Student Version
Accommodations at A-B Tech - Parent & Counselor Version
In postsecondary education, it is illegal for an institution to inquire about disability prior to admission, so it is the responsibility of the student to identify Support Services should he/she/they need accommodation. Documentation is helpful in identifying barriers experienced by the student.
Acceptable documentation of disability includes:
- medical reports
- physician's statements
- psychological evaluations
- psycho-educational evaluations
If a statement from a provider, the following criteria are required:
- letterhead
- provider credentials
- provider signature
- dated
- diagnosis and/or impact on the individual
This list is not meant to be totally exclusive but establishes the tone of accepted documentation. If a student does not have disability documentation, still contact us so we may review your options.
Read&Write
Read&Write is a Text-to-Speech software with multiple tools embedded in it. We have a limited number of licenses, so please contact Support Services to access this resource.
Read these instructions first before clicking on the link below.
- After you click on the link to access Read&Write software, click on "Try Read&Write".
- On the next page click "Start Your Trial Today"
- Click “I am A Student” and for why you’re trialing dialog box type “for accommodation” and then select “Start your Free Trial”
- Select the platform (Windows, Mac, Google, Android, etc.) you want.
- Once the trial is downloaded, watch the instructional video.
- You will then be prompted to enter your student email address. Make sure you choose Microsoft email to input your student email.
- Accept permissions to access your Microsoft account. You may also have to log into your email if you haven't already done so. If the email does not work, please contact Support Services.
If you have questions or concerns, please contact TextHelp through one of the following:
- Toll-free phone: (888) 248-0652
- Email: support@texthelp.com
- Contact Form: TextHelp Contact Form
You may also be interested in TextHelp tutorials. There are also many YouTube videos to assist in learning how to navigate Read&Write.
Visitors to campus or campus events who need accommodations (like ASL interpreter), please contact supportservices@abtech.edu at least a week prior to the event to determine accommodations.
All lots on campus have designated parking spaces for individuals with disabilities. Individuals must display the State of North Carolina Disability Placard to park in these spaces. If students or employees need temporary permission to use an accessible designated space (i.e. while in the process of applying or for short-term situations like a broken leg), please visit the link below and submit the form to the Department of Transportation. A-B Tech does not distribute disability placards or decide who receives them.
Application for Temporary Disability Placard
Please refer all other parking questions to A-B Tech Police at (828) 279-3166.
Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College is invested in full compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act signed into law in 1990. Support Services ensures that the programs and facilities of the college are accessible to all students and visitors. The College focuses on the student as an individual and works toward equal opportunity, full integration into the campus environment, physical accessibility, and the provision of reasonable accommodations, auxiliary aids, and services to students.
Access to Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College is a civil right. Programs at the College must be readily accessible to and usable by people with disabilities. For more information about your civil rights and/or the Americans with Disabilities Act, please refer to The Office of Civil Rights.
Student Responsibilities
Students with disabilities are expected to meet the same level of academic standards as all other students with or without accommodations. While the ADA protects the civil rights of qualified students with disabilities, it also affirms their right to refuse any accommodation. Thus, students are not required to register with Support Services, identify themselves to instructors, staff, or other students as having a disability, or accept accommodations they do not need or want.
However, if students wish to compete with their peers on a level playing field and if they wish to enjoy their right to access and equality, they must advocate for those
rights. There is no civil rights protection for individuals who don't identify themselves and request the appropriate accommodations.
The Support Services Office promotes student self-advocacy. Students are encouraged to approach instructors and discuss any Support Services they may have in a specific setting. This philosophy promotes independence and develops the skills students will need to function successfully in the world of work.
Faculty/Staff Responsibilities
Every member of the College community must share the responsibility to create an environment in which individuals are able to ask the question "What about access?" and raise concerns without fear of retaliation. Each faculty or staff member has the following responsibilities in providing access to Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College:
- Maintain admission and academic standards
- Provide reasonable accommodations to students with disabilities upon request, once an accommodations letter is presented
- Refer students who disclose a disability to Support Services
Institutional Responsibilities
Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College will meet the following responsibilities:
- Prohibit unlawful discrimination against qualified people with disabilities
- Comply with or when possible to exceed the most progressive legal requirements for access
- Recognize that access is linked to quality, and that academic freedom and standards cannot be compromised
- Recognize the need for ongoing training for staff and faculty
Informal Resolution:
Students who wish to participate in an informal resolution process or to report an access concern or barrier, please contact the Director of Student Support Services
- Email: heatherdpack@abtech.edu
- Phone: (828) 398-7141 or (828) 337-3337
If there is a conflict of interest with the Director, please contact the Advisor for Disability Services
- Email: mindyjcoleman@abtech.edu
- Phone: (828) 398-7587
Formal Resolution:
A student who wishes to file a formal complaint of alleged discrimination on the basis of disability should follow the College's Student Complaint procedure.