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 to 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
Complaints
Informal Resolution:
Students who wish to participate in an informal resolution process, 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.