A student who is blind attends graduation

Who qualifies?

To be eligible for disability-related services, students must have a disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Under the ADA and Section 504, a person has a disability if he or she has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities (walking, standing, seeing, speaking, hearing, sitting, breathing, taking care of oneself, etc.).

Classroom accommodations are designed to help level the playing field for students with disabilities. Accommodations should not offer an unfair advantage to a student because the student has a disability. Northwest Vista College is dedicated to creating opportunities for success for many different kinds of students. Some students may have disabilities that interfere with their ability to succeed in the classroom.

The Access Office (Disability Services) offers services to help level the playing field and create opportunities for success for students with disabilities.

On-campus location: DWWC 120 - interactive map
Email: nvc-access@alamo.edu
Phone: (210) 486-4466

What's my role?

As an instructor, your role is to ensure that students who have completed the accommodation process are afforded the accommodations they need. These will be specified in a letter/email you receive from the Disability Support Services Office.

An amputee student crosses the stage at graduation

Accommodations may be long-term (for example, for a student who suffers from seizures) or short-term (for example, for a student who is temporarily using crutches).

Normally, you will receive a letter or email from the Disability Support Services Office explaining or listing the accommodations you may need to provide for a specific student.

You are not obligated to provide accommodations to a student who self-identifies as having a specific need. Students must complete a Request for Services and appropriate documentation in order to receive accommodations.

If you believe that a student in your class would benefit from discussing their rights and options with a member of the Disability Support Services Office, please refer the student:

NVC Access Office (Disability Services)

Jennifer Alvizo
Senior Coordinator
Phone: (210) 486-4466
nvc-access@alamo.edu
jalvizo2@alamo.edu

JoDee Cortez
Senior Advisor
Phone: (210) 486-4466
nvc-access@alamo.edu

If you received a Letter of Accommodation and are having difficulties opening the letter, or if you have a student who has requested a letter, but has not received it, please reach out to our ACCESS office at nvc-access@alamo.edu or 210-486-4466.

Many other resources are available for faculty, including tools for specific conditions and for specific disciplines such as Math. Visit the Access Office (Disability Services) page for more information.