Potential Students
If you are thinking about coming to or are currently enrolled at LaGuardia Community College, and you have a disability or think you may have a disability, this is the page for you.
A disability is defined as "a mental or physical impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities" (Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990). These may include physical disabilities, neurological impairments, chronic health problems, or psychiatric disabilities.
Here's a list of some of the questions potential students ask us. Click on the question to read its answer.
- What does the Office for Students with Disabilities do?
- Are there admissions requirements for students with disabilities?
- How do I register with the Office for Students with Disabilities?
- What documentation is required?
- How can I get documentation?
- Which accommodations does the college provide?
- What should I know about parking?
What does the Office for Students with Disabilities do?
The Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) provides services to students with disabilities to insure accessibility to college programs. OSD offers personal, academic, career and accommodations counseling, evaluation referrals, testing for learning disabilities and adaptive / assistive technology.
Are there admissions requirements for students with disabilities?
There are no special admissions requirements for students with disabilities at LaGuardia Community College. Students with disabilities must satisfy the same requirements and undergo the same process for admission as every other student. The question frequently comes up about whether a prospective student should disclose a disability during the admissions process. Since disability information is NOT going to affect admission to the College, as a general rule it is better to disclose your disability as early as possible in order to assure proper services.
How do I register with the Office for Students with Disabilities?
In order to receive disability-related accommodations and services, you should abide by the following process:
- Apply and be accepted for admission to LaGuardia Community College through the regular admissions process.
- Provide current and comprehensive documentation of a diagnosed disability which requires accommodation.(See Documentation Section)
- Register with OSD at the beginning of each semester.
In order to register with the office, a student must present documentation of a legally recognized disability. You can submit your information to our office in M102 or by fax at (718) 482-6055. After documentation is submitted:
- A counselor will review all documentation and determine whether the student is eligible to receive OSD services based on the documented disability.
- • Each student is assigned to a Counselor who will meet with the student to determine appropriate accommodations. During this initial meeting with the Counselor, OSD policies and procedures are discussed with the student.
- Appropriate accommodations are determined by the counselor and student based on the documented needs, previous accommodations, and functional limitations of the student. (See Accommodations Section)
- • The student is responsible for delivering the accommodations letters generated in this meeting to the instructors. Students are encouraged to meet with their instructors to discuss their testing and other accommodations and to answer any questions the instructors may have, but they DO NOT have to disclose their disability and should instead refer instructors to OSD. If the instructor has questions regarding the student, OSD does not disclose information without written permission from the student.
What documentation is required?
The documentation submitted to our office should be current (in most cases three to five years), comprehensive, and include the following:
- A specific diagnosis (including level of severity.)
- The specific findings in support of this diagnosis including relevant history, medication history, tests administered, test results, and an interpretation of those test results.
- A description of the student's functional limitations as they are directly related to the stated disabilities.
- Specific recommendations for academic accommodations for both the curriculum and testing, including an explanation of why these specific accommodations are needed.
- The evaluator's name, address, telephone number (in the event our office needs to contact the evaluator), and professional credentials relevant to the diagnosis.
- The documentation must be on letterhead, typed, dated, and signed.
The professional making the diagnosis of a disability should be an appropriately trained evaluator, such as a physician, psychologist, psychiatrist, therapist, social worker or educational diagnostician. For example, an audiologist would diagnose a hearing impairment; a psychiatrist, psychologist, or clinical social worker would diagnose a psychological disability. Documentation from a family member or family friend is NOT acceptable. OSD provides guidelines for documentation. If you have any questions about documentation that is requested, please feel free to contact a counselor at (718) 482-5279.
OSD reserves the right to request additional information or evaluations. However, information regarding resources such as release forms to use in obtaining an evaluation is available from our office. OSD serves as the repository for medical documentation of disabilities.
Documentation submitted to OSD is CONFIDENTIAL and used solely for the purpose of assisting students in identifying and securing accommodations and services to support their full participation at LaGuardia Community College. OSD does not provide anyone with copies of a student's documentation unless the student signs a release form.
Which accommodations does the college provide?
Accommodations are provided on an individual basis as needs arise. Examples of accommodations include extended testing time, interpreters, note taking, electronic reader services, electronic scribe services, books, and other adaptive technology services.
OSD assists students with issues and situations related to advocacy, accessibility, transportation services, and attendant care.
OSD is a resource for information including, but not limited to: tutoring services, study skills and time management, community resources, disability awareness, and other college services.
What should I know about parking?
To obtain handicapped parking on-campus, students need a state-issued handicapped parking display placard from the City and a LaGuardia parking permit from the Business Office in Room E-413.
Where can a student with a disability obtain a handicapped placard? A student with a disability can obtain a handicapped placard from: the Bursar's Office in Room MB-55.
NOTE: There is a fee for the permit.