Office of Special Populations
If you have any questions about requesting assistance, please feel free to stop by, email, or call the Office of Special Populations. All inquiries will be handled in a confidential manner.
Berrien Hall, Room 100 & 100D
Berrien Hall, Room 316
Berrien Hall, Room 100
Wiregrass Georgia Technical College is committed to assisting students with documented specific learning disabilities, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), visual, hearing, mobility, psychiatric, and other health impairments. Students who have such impairments, as defined by the Americans with Disability Act, which substantially limit one or more major life activities, may be eligible for services. For more information visit: http://www.ada.gov/pubs/adastatute08.htm#12102.
The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504/The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504, provides the foundation for equal access for students with disabilities. Under this law, qualified individuals with disabilities are defined as persons with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. Major life activities 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, and working. The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 furthers civil rights of persons with disabilities by mandating equal education opportunity. Wiregrass Georgia Technical College complies with these laws to serve students with disabilities.
Some accommodations or services include:
- Extended time for class projects and tests
- Preferred seating in classrooms
- Permission to audio record classroom lectures
- Tutoring services
- Classroom relocation if needed for accessibility
- Sign language interpreters
- Readers
- Volunteer note-takers
- Magnification software
- Books in electronic format
- Other assistive technology
- Referral to agencies serving people with disabilities
Laws and regulations governing services provided to students in secondary education and students in post-secondary education differ. College is different from high school. In college, it is the student's responsibility to self-disclose and complete all paperwork required by the Office of Special Populations in order to receive support.
The Office of Special Populations serves students who have documented disabilities, have met the Wiregrass Georgia Technical College admissions criteria, and are otherwise qualified. The Office of Special Populations is the centralized department for receiving disability related documentation and approving requested accommodations. Students voluntarily register with the Office of Special Populations and provide documentation to support their requested accommodations. Disability services staff assess the individual’s disability with respect to the documentation presented and the accommodations requested. Documentation provided must meet Technical College System of Georgia criteria and should describe diagnosis, characteristics of the disability, as well as functional limitations for a college environment. Eligibility determination will be based on the degree (if any) to which the disability will affect a student's program of study and participation.
In addition to documentation, a student with disabilities must be otherwise qualified for admission to or participation in a program of study with or without a reasonable accommodation.
Accommodations are determined on an individual basis, based on documentation provided, and the interview with the student. The intake interview, documentation review, and arrangements for accommodations can be a lengthy process. Students are encouraged to apply for services early to ensure that accommodations will be in place once classes begin.
Confidentiality
All disability documentation and information is confidential between the student and disability services staff but may be disclosed under need-to-know emergency circumstances.
Grievance Procedures
Please refer to the Student Catalog, or Student Grievance Procedures, for information concerning complaint resolution.
