SUNY Orange

Students with Disabilities

SUNY Orange welcomes students with disabilities and encourages them to access their approved accommodations/modifications so that they may receive equal educational opportunities. Reasonable academic accommodations/modifications will be made for students with documented disabilities in CCHS in consultation with the course instructor(s). All support services and accommodation/modification designation will be provided by the school district. However, no modification of the curriculum or instruction is allowed for college level courses. If a question or concern arises pertaining to accommodations/ modifications the CCHS faculty will direct inquiries to the CCHS Coordinator, who will contact the SUNY Orange Advocate for Services to Students with Disabilities, as necessary.

Rights and Responsibilities of Disabled Students:

A student that self-discloses that he/she has a disability has rights and responsibilities in the post-secondary setting.  The student has the right to accommodations and/or modifications in order to access college programs and services, provided that he/she:

  • has a documented disability, and the documentation shows the need for the requested service;
  • has met all college or program entry requirements that apply to him/her;
  • has given reasonable notice of his/her need for academic accommodations and/or modifications;
  • has followed established procedures in working with the district 504/ed liaison, and the faculty;
  • is not asking for a modification that fundamentally alters the requirements and expectations of the program, activity or service;
  • is not asking for an accommodation that would create a financial hardship on the school district.

CCHSP Disability Procedure:

A high school student with a documented disability wishing to take a course through CCHS must use the following procedure to receive post-secondary accommodations. 

  1. To receive accommodations/modifications at the college level, the student must self-disclose in writing.  The high school guidance counselor will give the student the SUNY Orange Disability Services Form to complete.  The SUNY Orange Disability Services Form must be completed, whether or not the student wishes to receive disability services.

The procedure, from this point forward, only applies if the student has indicated on the Disability Services Form that he/she wishes to self-disclose.

  1. The guidance counselor will send a copy of the completed SUNY Orange Disability Services Form to the CCHS Coordinator, Community College in the High School Program, SUNY Orange, 115 South Street, Middletown, NY 10940.  It is strongly recommended that this information be received by the CCHS Coordinator a minimum of one month prior to the start of class.
  2. The guidance counselor will also provide a copy of the signed SUNY Orange Disability Services Form, as well as, a list of the assigned accommodations/modifications to the CCHS instructor.  College instructors are not to be told the nature of the student’s disability(ies).  
  3. It is important to note that there may be differences between assigned accommodations and program modifications at the high school level versus the college level. Additionally, accommodations/modifications may vary from course to course, depending on the academic standards and technical requirements of the course.
  4. For example, there are three common high school modifications that are different at the college level.
    • “Un-timed tests” are not permitted, instead 1.5 or twice as long is usually indicated;
    • Generally, assignment extensions are not allowed, except at the instructor’s discretion.
    • Spelling is not waived, instead a spell checker may be allowed for exams.
  1. Any questions from the school district or the CCHS instructor concerning appropriate accommodations/modifications should be directed first to the CCHS Coordinator and when necessary, to the Advocate for Services to Students with Disabilities at SUNY Orange.  In this case, it may be necessary for the guidance counselor to send a copy of the student’s IEP and/or 504 plan(s) and any other pertinent disability information to the CCHS Coordinator.  The SUNY Orange Advocate for Services to Students with Disabilities will review the documented disability paperwork and provide accommodation and/or modification guidance when necessary. After appropriate consultation between the SUNY Orange Advocate for Services to Students with Disabilities and the CCHS faculty member, the College has the right to deny any high school assigned accommodation that reduces the academic standards of the course.