According to the Americans with Disabilities Act, an individual with a disability is defined as a person who

1. has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more life activities;
2. has a record of such impairment; or
3. is regarded as having such impairment.

Major life activities, as amended in 2008, include but are not limited to

• caring for oneself
• performing manual tasks
• seeing
• hearing
• eating
• sleeping
• walking
• standing
• lifting
• bending
• speaking
• breathing
• learning
• reading
• concentrating
• thinking
• communicating
• working

Also included are major bodily functions such as

• functions of the immune system
• normal cell growth
• digestive
• bowel
• bladder
• neurological
• brain
• circulatory
• respiratory
• endocrine
• hemic
• lymphatic
• musculoskeletal
• special sense organs and skin
• genitourinary
• cardiovascular systems
• reproductive functions

The ADA Coordinator’s office will determine accommodations as mandated under federal law. Please remember that student needs are highly individualized and what works for one student with a particular disability may not be effective for another student with the same disability.  Examples of accommodations are numerous.  Below is a list of some common accommodations:

• Extended time for exams
• Low-distraction testing rooms
• Large print exams
• Oral testing
• Interpreters
• Notetakers
• Copies of Notes and PowerPoint
• Recording lectures
• Books on tape or digital format
• Accessible room and/or desk
• Preferential seating

Black River Technical College offers various resources for students with any of the following:

• mobility impairments,
• are blind or have low vision,
• are deaf or hard of hearing, and
• learning disabilities.

This technology includes, but is not limited to adaptive equipment for computers. The Accessibility Services office has created a summary of all of the adaptive equipment, computer technologies, etc. available on campus.

• ReadSpeaker is an integrated text-to-speech in Moodle. Read Speaker Student Guide 2
• Dragon Naturally Speaking- is a text-to-speech software that works with the Windows operating system.
• Access Text helps low-vision students by obtaining electronic files from textbook publishers. These files are used to create accessible versions of the textbooks. Students can then read online with a magnifier built into their computer.
• Bookshare has books available in electronic format for students.
• Digital Recorders to record lectures.
• Magnifiers to help students who have low vision.
• Interpreters for students who are deaf or hard of hearing.
• Headphones  
• Colored transparent highlighters designed for reading (helps with fluency, tracking, and comprehension).
• Medical Spellex is designed for students with dyslexia who are in the medical field.
• Digital Voice Recorder is an ink pen that records.

If a student has a seizure disorder it is a possibility that the student may have an episode while on campus. Every student who has a seizure disorder should be encouraged to notify the ADA Coordinator of the degree of their disorder, preferred procedures, and emergency contacts. A copy of this agreement will be given to instructors, security, and administrators as needed or at the discretion of the student.

If you have a history of seizures, please complete the Student Seizure Disorder Agreement and turn it into the ADA Coordinator.