Center for Accessibility and Learning Services

Process for Receiving Disability Status at CHC

Contact the Admissions Office to obtain an Accommodations Packet or contact the Center for Accessibility and Learning Services (CALS) at 215-242-7738 or cals@chc.edu for this information or print the forms in the Accommodations Packet:

• • A Confidential Disability Disclosure Document/Intake Information form
  • A Request for appropriate documentation completed by the appropriately certified professional on official letterhead. Please refer to: Documentation and Verification.
  • A Final Release of Confidential Records/Student Record Release form
  • A copy of the CALS Policies and Procedures
  • The College reserves the right to require additional documentation. The Director of the Center for Accessibility and Learning Services will contact the student in writing if more documentation is required. In addition, she or a designee may also contact specialists listed on the Release of Confidential Records/Student Record Release form for additional information or clarification of information.

The completed Accommodations Packet including supporting documentation can be submitted to CALS. Please be aware that the review, approval, and orientation process can take up to four weeks and accommodations are not retroactive. All requests will be considered on an individual basis and will take into account each student’s unique situation.

The Director or designee will review the Accommodations Packet and make a determination of eligibility and provide suggestions for “reasonable” accommodations in relationship to Chestnut Hill College’s policies and federal law. If a student qualifies as “in need of accommodations,” a Notice of Accommodations Letter outlining the approved accommodations will be developed. The Director of the CALS or her designee will forward the letter to the student. When the student approves the letter, the CALS will send a copy to each instructor of the course the student is taking in order to activate the accommodations. Each instructor signs an agreement form and returns it to the CALS.

• If the Director determines that a student does not qualify for accommodations, a letter outlining the decision and the reason for the decision will be developed by him/her. The Director of the CALS will forward the letter to the student.
• If a student does not agree with the decision of the Director regarding the question of eligibility or the reasonable accommodations offered, then the student may submit a Disabilities Appeal Form. The form should be forwarded to the Vice President for Academic Affairs (VPAA), St. Joseph’s Hall, Room 332, 3rd Floor for review. The Disability Appeals Form can be obtained from the Director of CALS in St Joseph’s Hall, Room 240, 2^nd floor.

Student Responsibilities

Every student with a disability who requests accommodations has the responsibilities to:

• Meet the college’s qualifications and essential standards
• Identify him/herself in a timely manner as an individual with a disability when seeking an accommodation
• Follow Chestnut Hill College procedures for obtaining reasonable and appropriate accommodations
• Provide current documentation from an appropriate professional source that verifies the nature of the disability and the need for specific accommodations
• Inform the faculty member at the beginning of each semester about the disability, how performance may be affected, and necessary and reasonable accommodations. The student will be given an accommodation letter for each professor that will indicate this, but the student should have a conversation with the professors about their needs
• Meet procedural requirements established by the college for scheduling exams, requesting assistance, or making arrangements with your professor for getting the exam to the location of testing
• Contact the Director of the Center for Accessibility and Learning Services at the end of each semester so that the appropriate accommodations can be made in a timely manner for the following semester. Students are strongly encouraged to make this contact within the last four weeks of each semester. This includes filling out the required academic Accommodations Renewal Form that indicated the student’s needs