If a student makes a disability or need known to the college, requests accommodations, and provides official documentation to support the need for accommodations, the Office of Accessibility Support Services (OASS) will determine reasonable modifications or accommodations. This process is an interactive and collaborative process that requires the direct involvement of the OASS staff.

All students are personally financially responsible for outside medical visits, fees, and processes associated with obtaining proper documentation. California College of ASU cannot assist prospective or current students to obtain outside documentation.

The student must once approved, request accommodations in each instance that they are needed. For example, the student must provide a purchased copy of a text in order to have it converted to an alternative format. For testing accommodations, the student must provide the OASS with the dates and times of exams and may be required to participate in the arrangements for such accommodations. The college is not responsible for knowing a student’s schedule or arranging accommodations without some form of initiation from the student.

California College of ASU encourages any persons with questions about the college’s compliance with disability laws to contact the Section 504/ADA Coordinator listed above. More information about federal disability laws can be found on the website for the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights at www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/index.html.

Any person who believes that they have suffered discrimination or harassment (including peer harassment) based upon an actual or perceived disability while at the college or while participating in any of the college’s programs or activities should follow the Section 504/ADA Grievance Procedure.

California College of ASU is committed to ensuring that no otherwise qualified individual with a disability is excluded from participation in, subjected to discrimination in connection with, or denied the benefits of any college program or activity due to the individual’s actual or perceived disability( including peer harassment).

The college has adopted this internal Section 504/ADA Grievance Procedure to provide for the prompt and equitable resolution of complaints alleging violations of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504), Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (Title Ill), and other relevant disability laws. Section 504 prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance, and Title III prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability by private entities that provide places of public accommodation.

The college has designated the following individual as the Section 504/ADA Coordinator on the Los Angeles main campus:

Jessica Johnson Mills
Director of Student Success
Section 504/ADA Coordinator
California College of ASU
18618 Oxnard Street
Los Angeles, CA 91356
jjohnsonmills@columbiacollege.edu

This Section 504/ADA Grievance Procedure constitutes the college’s formal grievance procedure for Section 504/ADA complaints. The college does not have an informal grievance procedure for Section 504/ADA complaints, and mediation is not available.

HOW TO FILE A SECTION 504/ADA COMPLAINT
Complaints of disability discrimination may be submitted by students, employees and third parties, regardless of whether the complainant has requested accommodations from the college. Complaints should be submitted to the Section 504/ADA Coordinator or designee.
In the event that the Section 504/ADA Coordinator or designee is alleged to have been involved in the discrimination, complaints may be submitted to Kelly Parker, Vice President of Student Affairs, at kparker@columbiacollege.edu.

Complaints may be submitted to the Section 504/ADA Coordinator or designee in person, by standard mail, or by email, and should contain the name and contact information of the person filing the complaint, as well as a brief description of the nature of the complaint. The college recommends that complaints be submitted as soon as the complainant becomes aware of the discrimination. While there is no time limit on reporting complaints of discrimination, the college’s ability to respond fully may be severely limited by the passage of time.

INVESTIGATION OF A SECTION 504/ADA COMPLAINT
Upon receipt of the complaint, the Section 504/ADA Coordinator or designee will conduct a prompt, thorough, and impartial investigation of the complaint. The college will provide a similar and timely opportunity for both the complainant and respondent (if applicable) to identify witnesses and provide evidence relevant to the complaint.

NOTICE OF OUTCOME
Upon completion of the investigation, the Section 504/ADA Coordinator or designee will provide the complainant and respondent (if applicable) with written notice of the results of the investigation, including whether the discrimination occurred, a description of the resolution, any sanctions imposed that are directly related to the complaint, the rationale for the determination, and any remedial actions taken, if applicable. The results of the investigation shall be final. If it is determined that the discrimination occurred, the college will take steps to prevent recurrence and to correct its discriminatory effects on the complainant and others, if appropriate.

TIMEFRAME FOR A SECTION 504/ADA GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE
The college will make its best efforts to complete the Section 504/ADA Grievance Procedure within sixty (60) days of receipt of the complaint. However, because the length of investigations may vary due to the complexity and unique factors of each case, the timeframe may be extended for good cause to ensure that the Section 504/ADA Grievance Procedure is prompt, but also adequate, fair, and impartial.

STANDARD OF EVIDENCE
The preponderance of the evidence standard (more likely than not) will be used for investigating and making findings.

RETALIATION
Retaliation against any complainant under this Section 504/ADA Grievance Procedure or against any person who assists a complainant in the pursuit of a complaint under this Section 504/ADA Grievance Procedure is prohibited.

CONFIDENTIALITY
The college will keep all complaints and investigations private to the extent possible, and information will be disclosed only on a need-to-know basis. It is the expectation of the college that all individuals involved will also maintain confidentiality and share information only on a need-to-know basis. However, individuals are not restricted from discussing and sharing information related to complaints made by or against them with others who may support or assist them in with the Section 504/ADA Grievance Procedure.

The right of a person to a prompt and equitable resolution of the complaint submitted hereunder shall not be impaired by the person’s pursuit of other remedies, such as the filing of a Section 504/ADA complaint with the responsible federal agency, the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights (OCR). The OCR can be reached at:

U.S. Department of Education
Office for Civil Rights
400 Maryland Avenue SW
Washington, D.C. 20202
Phone: (202) 245-8300
Fax: (202) 245-8301
TDD: (877) 521-2172
Email: ocrdc@ed.gov

Download the Section 504/ADA Grievance Procedure

I think I have a disability, but how do I know what qualifies?

Many things can be considered a disability, but the main way to tell what qualifies is if the presence of symptoms due to a condition (medical, physical, and/or psychological) cause significant impairment or challenges in daily life. In post-secondary institutions like California College of ASU, these challenges must be a barrier to access to educational, co-curricular, or extracurricular activities. 

Qualifying disabilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Medical conditions: Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Seizure disorder / Epilepsy, Diabetes not adequately managed by medical treatment, Cystic Fibrosis, Multiple Sclerosis (MS), visual impairments or blindness, hearing impairments or deafness, concussion and subsequent symptoms
• Psychological conditions: anxiety and panic disorders, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), psychological trauma of any kind, Depression and related disorders, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), suicide ideation, autism spectrum disorders (ASD), insomnia, Bipolar Disorders (includes cyclothymia)
• Physical disabilities: broken or sprained appendages such as a broken foot, wheelchair-bound students, students on crutches or other walking aides
• Other: Learning disabilities, ADHD, processing disorders, intellectual disabilities

I am an incoming student and have just received my acceptance to CCA. If I have a(n) IEP/504 plan from high school, is this automatically implemented at CCA?

No. Any student that would like accommodations at CCA must contact the Office of Accessibility Support Services (OASS) by email at adastudents@columbiacollege.edu. Please also complete the Request for Accommodations form so that we may get to your request in a timely manner.

I am an incoming student that has just received my acceptance to CCA. How early can I start the accommodations process?

You may contact the Office of Accessibility Support Services as soon as you’re accepted, or even before you are accepted, to see what support we have at CCA. If you know you will need accommodations, please submit the Request for Accommodations form, and a staff member will reach out to you at the office’s earliest convenience.

I am the parent/guardian of a student recently accepted to CCA. Can I go through the accommodations process on behalf of my child?

Most likely no. There are very specific circumstances in which a parent can request accommodations on behalf of a student. Any student over the age of 18, that does not fall within specific circumstances, must request and approve their own accommodations.

I am part of the team that implemented accommodations for an incoming student at their last school. Can I request accommodations and go through the accommodations process on behalf of the student?

Most likely no. There are very rare and specific circumstances in which an administrator from another school can request accommodations on behalf of a student. Any student over the age of 18, that does not fall within these specific circumstances, must request and approve their own accommodations.

I am an instructor, and a student told me that they have accommodations I must implement. What should I do?

In most cases, OASS will send an accommodations letter to any instructor that will need to implement accommodations in their classroom. These letters are usually sent by email. Please follow up with OASS if you have not received a letter for a student that is requesting accommodations in your class.

I am an instructor that has a student in class that seems to need accommodations. Can I accommodate the student in class without consulting OASS?

It is strongly advised that you follow up with OASS if you plan to provide unofficial accommodations (i.e., accommodations not reviewed or approved by OASS prior to implementation) in your class. Sometimes, there are other methods or adjustments that can be made without implementing accommodations that may be beneficial to you as the instructor, as well as the student.

I am an instructor that has received an accommodations letter for a student. I do not understand how to implement the accommodations letter listed; what do I do?

Please follow up with OASS by email (adastudents@columbiacollege.edu), or by replying to the email you received from OASS, to schedule a time to chat about how to implement the accommodations. 

I am an instructor that has multiple students, each with different accommodations. Can I implement all accommodations for all my students with accessibility issues?

No. Accommodations are specific to each student’s challenges in the classroom. Each student has also gone through a thorough and interactive process to determine what accommodations would work best for them. Implementing universal accommodations for each student with accessibility needs may not work for the individual students. 

I am an instructor, and I have just received an accommodations letter for a student mid-term. Am I required to implement the accommodations?

Yes. Sometimes, students receive a disability diagnosis after the term has already started, and they may need accommodations immediately. It is the College’s responsibility to make sure the student has that support in place.

I am an instructor, and I have just received an accommodations letter for a student after the term has started. Am I required to allow the student to make up the work, using the new accommodations, that was submitted prior to the receipt of the accommodations letter?

Most likely not. Accommodations are rarely implemented retroactively, and if they are, it will state that in the accommodations letter.

That said, if you would like to give the student the opportunity to resubmit the assignments, using the new accommodations, you do have the ability to do so. If you have any questions about how to do this, please follow up with your Department Chair and OASS.

I am a current student that just went through the accommodations process and received my accommodations. Can I resubmit assignments using my new accommodations?

Most likely not. Accommodations are rarely implemented retroactively, and if they are, it will state that in the accommodations letter.

That said, if you request this from the instructor, and they have allowed you to do so, please follow up with your instructor.

I am a current student and have been recently given a diagnosis / discovered I have a disability. Is it too late to get accommodations?

Not at all! Disabilities, accessibility challenges, and learning differences can happen at any point in one’s life, and accommodations may need to be made. Please contact the Office of Accessibility Support Services (OASS) by email: adastudents@columbiacollege.edu.