Student Access and Disability Services
Services for students with disabilities.
Elgin Community College's Student Access and Disabilities Services Office supports student success and retention through various opportunities and accommodations. The office also advocates for a universally accessible environment in which physical, electronic, and social barriers are reduced and students with disabilities have an equal opportunity to succeed.
Our Mission
We aim to cultivate an inclusive campus and learning environment, facilitate access for students with disabilities, and recognize disability from diverse perspectives.
Students may request accommodations for many disabilities. If you are unsure if your disability falls within any of the above-listed areas, please get in touch with us, and we can discuss possible services for you.
Student Disabilities Services Registration
New to Student Disabilities Services
If you have never met with a specialist within our office and need to schedule an intake appointment to discuss accommodations, please follow these steps as soon as possible:
- Apply to Elgin Community College (ECC).
- Wait to receive your ECC ID via email after completing your ECC application.
- If you have a disability in these areas, please complete the Student Access and Disabilities Services Registration Form.
- Provide required documentation.
- We encourage you to upload documentation on your disability to the Student Access and Disabilities Services Registration Form. You may also bring hard copies of the documentation to your intake appointment.
- After you've submitted the form, our Administrative Assistant will email your ECC student email account to schedule an intake appointment via phone, virtual meeting, or on campus. Questions? Call 847-214-7717 or email sds@elgin.edu.
- During the intake appointment, our Student Access & Disability Services professional will review your disability documentation, discuss with you how your disability affects you, and determine your eligibility for accommodations.
- If you are eligible for accommodations, our Student Access & Disability Services professional will explain how to request accommodation letters.
Returning Students
If you are already an ECC student and have received accommodation services in the past at ECC, you need to request services each semester so that we may notify your instructors about your accommodations. Follow these steps as soon as possible (and preferably before the semester begins):
- Complete the Accommodation Request Form.
- Login using your ECC username and password.
- Select the accommodations you need for your classes.
- Click submit.
- We will send your accommodation letter to your instructor(s) on the next business day.
Types of Accommodations
Reasonable accommodations are designed to provide equal access to students with disabilities. These are determined individually; therefore, not all accommodations are appropriate for every student. Accommodations may include, but are not limited to:
- Accessible formats of text and materials*
- Accessible furniture
- Adaptive computer hardware/software
- Assistive technology devices*
- Captionists*
- Extended test time/quiet testing area
- Extensions on assignments
- Flexibility in attendance
- Note-takers/recording devices
- Preferential seating
- Sign language interpreters*
- Test readers/scribes
Please contact the Student Access and Disabilities Services Office at least six weeks before the start of the semester to give us time to implement.
Request Sign Language Interpreting and Captioning Services
Apply to be a Peer Notetaker
Student Rights and Responsibilities
Students registered with the Student Access and Disabilities Services Office have rights.
ADA/Section 504 Compliance
Elgin Community College complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to ensure that no students, employees, visitors, or other beneficiaries of the ADA encounter discrimination on the basis of their disability. All college facilities, services, and programs must be accessible to students, employees, and visitors with disabilities unless doing so would be an undue burden to the college. ECC can provide reasonable accommodations to qualified students with disabilities for successful entrance into and completion of courses, but students should note that the college is not required to, nor should it, compromise on program admissions or essential course requirements. Qualified students with disabilities must contact the Student Access and Disabilities Services Office to request reasonable accommodations.
ECC Neurodiversity Statement
Neurodiversity reflects the range of individual differences in brain function and behavioral presentation, which is part of the expected variation of people. Elgin Community College (ECC) recognizes neurodivergence among its students, faculty, staff, trustees, administration, and community and values their unique perspectives, approaches, strengths, talents, and myriad contributions to our diverse community. Accordingly, ECC embraces “neurodiversity” as a core component in its mission to “improve people’s lives through learning.”
Committed to principles, policies, and practices of inclusion, equity, and justice, ECC will utilize existing and develop additional resources to:
- cultivate a more inclusive and supportive learning and operating environment,
- continue to integrate accessibility measures,
- implement Universal Design principles that will benefit all individuals, and
- overall, enrich the experiences of all members of our institution and community.
Report an Accessibility Barrier
Report a physical barrier to access, a general incident, or discrimination because of your disability.
Contact
Student Access and Disability Services
Building B, Room B105/B125
847-214-7717
Fax: 847-608-5479
sds@elgin.edu
Hours
Monday through Thursday: 8 am to 5 pm
Friday: 8 am to 4 pm