Services & Accommodations

How do I request Alternate Media?

DSPS offers a variety of ways for the student to pick up their Alternative Media text. Those include but are not limited to: CD, Flash Drive, and preferred Cloud service.

Studentsmust beapproved for alternate media by their DSPScounselor.

DSPS Alternate Media Procedures:

1. Submit your request
   
   Fill out an Alternate Media Request form. Students requesting materials in alternate formats must own/rent a copy of the textbook. For each textbook you are requesting in alternate format, you will need to know the title, edition, author, ISBN-10 or 13, and your/class instructor. You will also need to provide proof of ownership of the book.
   
   
2. Check your email
   
   Turnaround time for alternate media may vary depending on the format requested. Production of alternate media may take up to two weeks or more.
   
   
3. Pick up alternate media

Academic and career counseling is provided by the DSPS Counselor to assist students with:

• Understanding disabilities, functional limitations, and appropriate accommodations
• Vocational goals and career plans
• Educational planning and appropriate class selections
• University transfer requirements
• Other support services

Walk-In Support

(5 minutes or less in front office provided by DSPS Staff) The DSPS Staff will work to provide support and answers to quick questions to help elevate and reduce need for students to see a counselor for every question they might have. These questions should be short in nature and outside of the specific expertise of the DSPS Counselors. For all other counseling service needs, students should be referred to drop-in or counseling appointments as appropriate.

Drop In Counseling

Counseling Appointments (1 hour or hour depending on the appointment type and time of year) Designed to allow students a set period of time with a counselor for exploration of educational interest, transcript evaluation and matriculation concerns, identification and/or assistance with issues related to students educational goals, academic probation/disqualification concerns, request for waivers, and/or referral for additional testing or services.

How to Schedule Counseling Appointments: DSPS will open counseling appointments on Mondays, one week prior to the week we are scheduling. The goal for DSPS is to always have two weeks scheduled.

Students will have the opportunity to call/stop into DSPS on Fridays starting at 8:00am to make appointments for a week out on a first come, first served basis. Cancelations will still be filled as available on a first come basis. If at any time an appointment is available earlier, DSPS will do their best to offer students the first available appointment and only require students to call/come in on Mondays if we are completely booked and have no counseling appointments available.

New Student Intake Counseling All new students must have the following completed and turned into the DSPS office before scheduling an DSPS New Student Intake Counseling Appointment:

• Golden West Application on file
• Completed DSPS application
• Students Rights and Responsibilities
• Release of Information
• Disability Verification

Intake Counseling will focus on orientation to DSPS and GWC, disability verification, accommodation overview, educational goals and planning, transcript evaluation/matriculation, academic planning and scheduling and addressing any remaining questions and concerns.

Students status with DSPS will not be finalized until they have completed their New Student Intake Counseling Appointment and have signed their Student Educational Contract. At the completion of the New Student Intake the student will then be responsible to request and complete any accommodation request forms, (ie. testing, note taking, interpreter, equipment loan, etc.)

How to Schedule New Student Intake : New student intakes will be scheduled immediately upon students completing and turning in the New Student Packet. New Student Intakes and will be made for the next available appointment. DSPS aims to provide services in a timely manner and the DSPS staff strives to provide New Student Intake appointments within a two week time period, although during peak periods before the start of each semester DSPS will do its best to meet the needs of all our new and continuing students.

To make an appointment with the counselor, please call 714-895-8721

DSPS offers equipment loans to students on a semester-to-semester basis with approval from DSPS. Equipment must be returned to DSPS at the end of each semester unless prior arrangements have been made to extend the loan agreement. Students are responsible for the proper care of loaned equipment and are expected to return equipment in the same condition it was received. A DSPS Lending Agreement must be signed by students when they check-out equipment.

Equipment available for loan include:

Closed-Circuit Televisions (CCTVs)

Digital Recorders

Smartpens

iPads

Lookys

Assistive Listening Devices (ALD/ FM system)

Students requesting other types of assistive technology equipment loans should discuss their needs with their DSPS counselor.

Interested in Becoming a Volunteer Note Taker?

GWC Disabled Student Programs and Services (DSPS) is seeking volunteer Note Takers for all subjects.

If you are currently enrolled in classes and are interested in becoming a Note Taker, please send your contact information to dsps@gwc.cccd.edu.Be sure to include the CRN#s of the classes you are enrolled in and we will get back to you with the details.

Note-Taking Accommodations Information

The use of an in-class student note-taker is an accommodation that can be requested by current DSPS students who could qualify based on their verified disability. DPSP staff works closely with the student and instructors to assist in finding a volunteer from the class who is willing to share their notes with the student. When a note taker cannot be found, students eligible for this accommodation should contact the DSPS office to discuss possible alternatives.

 Volunteer Notetaking Instructions

• Fill out the Note-taking Agreement
• Fill out W-9 Form

Please contact dsps@gwc.cccd.edu for more information

How to request a reader/writer

To request a reader or writer you need to complete the Accommodation Request Form and mark the appropriate box reader or writer box.

Forms must be submitted to the DSPS office 7 days before the reader or writer is needed.

Golden West College ensures that students who are deaf or hard of hearing will receive the level and type of auxiliary aids and services necessary for them to receive equal access to the information-content of any class or program the student enrolls or participates in. This includes access that is both timely and accurate dependent on the appropriate request time to provide such services.

GWC DSPS will give primary consideration to the type of auxiliary aid requested by the individual, unless another effective means of communication exists or primary request demonstrates a fundamental alteration or undue burden. Types of Auxiliary Aids (included but not limited to):

American Sign Language interpreter

Communication Access Real-Time Translation (CART)

FM System

Preferential seating

All campus videos are required to be captioned ensuring students have access to the same class information at the same time as non-disabled students

Instructional materials, websites, testing, and supplemental materials must be fully accessible to ensure access to all students regardless of their disability.

Sign language interpreting and Communication Access Real-Time Translation (CART) captioning is the result of an interactive process between the student, DSPS staff, and DSPS counselor. Services or auxiliary aids are available for deaf or hard-of-hearing students through the DSPS office upon students request in a timely and appropriate manner according to the request. Services are available for the following functions (including but not limited to):

Classroom instruction

Meetings with faculty and staff

Tutoring appointments

Club activities

Visits to Health Center

Special events on campus

Internships/Fieldwork, etc

For more information or to request services, please contact the DSPS office at 714-895-8721 (voice, relay calls accepted) or email dsps@gwc.cccd.edu.Students may also text their cancellations, absences, or questions to 714-882-1020.

Resources

Deaf/Hard of Hearing Request (Interpreting/CART)

Deaf/Hard of Hearing Service Agreement

Testing Accommodations, including arrangement, proctoring, and administration of tests are available for students who qualify as defined in Title V Regulations, Section 56002.

Golden West College will ensure that any student receiving extra test time as part of their approved testing accommodations is not required to miss any class instruction in order to secure the accommodation. This includes missing lectures in the class the student is testing for or any class that precedes or follows.

Student Responsibilities:

In order to receive these accommodations students must:

• Meet with a DSPS Counselor;
• Testing Accommodation Request

Any service animal might be trained to assist an individual with a specific disability-related need.*Guide dogs used by those with vision loss are the most commonly recognized. No licensing or certifying entity exists to legitimize the use of a service animal. Rather, the need of the individual with a disability and the specific function the service animal is trained to perform legitimize the use under federal and state laws. http://www.ada.gov/service_animals_2010.htm

Individuals who have obvious disabilities, such as blindness or quadriplegia, raise few questions. Those with hidden disabilities, hidden needs, such as hearing loss, epilepsy, autism, who use service animals may create questions.

• It is reasonable to question the presence of a service animal by asking, Is this a service animal required because of a disability?
• It is reasonable to ask for a description of the specific function the animal is trained to perform, What work or tasks has the service animal been trained to perform?
• It is NOT OK to ask the person to tell you nature of the disability, require medical documentation, require a specific identification card or training documentation for the service animal, or ask that the service animal demonstrate its ability to perform the work or task.
• If you are not satisfied with the explanation, please come to the DSPS office to discuss further.

Federal and state laws acknowledge that, in rare circumstances, access can be limited if health and safety are jeopardized by the presence of a service animal. An example is certain designated areas of a medical facility, i.e., nursing program practicum sites. Areas that pose a direct safety risk to the service animal are probably not reasonable locations for the owner either.

Mere speculation that the service animal might pose a potential health risk to others is not supported by law. If a fellow student/faculty or staff states a health problem (e.g. allergy) with the service animal, medical documentation regarding the problem will be required for the DSPS office, at 714-895-8721 to determine the appropriate solution for the situation.

If the service animal is disruptive to the learning environment or college events, directly aggressive or threatening, or not under the control of the handler at all times, then access by the individual with the animal will be prohibited with assistance from Public Safety, if necessary. Such access restriction should be referred to the DSPS office.

All members of the college community must behave properly with service animals.

• Do not attempt to pet the service animal.
• Do not attempt to feed the service animal.
• Do not deliberately startle or distract the service animal.
• Do not attempt to separate the service animal from its partner or training handler.

Emotional support animals (ESA) are not considered service animals under the ADA. They may be trained for a specific owner, but they are not trained for specific tasks or duties to aid a person with a disability, and this is the main difference between ESAs and service animals. This doesn’t minimize the support these animals provide for people with a psychological disorder. They’re considered companion animals and ease anxiety, depression, some phobias, and loneliness.  In order to be considered an emotional support animal, it must be prescribed by a mental health professional for a patient with a diagnosed psychological or emotional disorder, such as anxiety disorder, major depression, or panic attacks.

Unlike service animal owners, ESA owners have only limited legal rights and those typically require a letter of diagnosis from the owner’s doctor or psychiatrist. While they don’t have unlimited access to public spaces, the Fair Housing Act mandates “reasonable accommodations” for emotional support animals even in buildings that don’t allow pets.

All students looking to bring their ESA’s on campus will be required to apply for DSPS services.

To sign up for DSPS services please click here