Welcome to Accessibility Resources (AR). We are glad you are here!

AR is a center for disability education, awareness, and resources for students, staff, and faculty. AR Staff are trained in determining college level accommodations for adult learners. AR Staff accomplish this through the facilitation of the interactive process. Unlike K-12, college students with disabilities are expected to engage with AR in exploring their institutional access barriers, ensuring students have access for participation in all campus programs and activities.

IMPORTANT: Every individual situation is unique; regardless of what medical documentation you may or may not have, please contact our office to have a discussion about how we may be able to work together. We understand obtaining documentation may be difficult and we want to partner with you to address any academic barriers you may be experiencing.

AR Facts and Figures

• Over 300 students annually are registered with the AR Office and are qualified to use accommodations.
• The overwhelming majority of SWDs at BTC have unapparent disability conditions, like mental health conditions, learning disabilities, AD(H)D, chronic and acute medical conditions, and neurological conditions.
• AR Students are retained at a higher rate than students without disabilities at BTC.

AR staff do their best to ensure students with disabilities have equal access for participation in campus courses, programs, and activities. Once a student registers with AR, they are regarded as a student with a disability and receive protection against disability discrimination based on federal and state law.

To apply:

1. Click on the “AR Application” button at the top of this page.
2. Be sure to read all information before submitting the application.
3. Completely fill out the AR Application.
4. If you have documentation you would like to share with AR to support your application, you may upload it when you complete the AR Application.

Once AR receives your application:

• You will be invited to an Access Planning Meeting (APM) by email where you will have the opportunity to discuss your history of disability, understand the purpose of academic accommodations in the college setting, learn what type of documentation works for college-level accommodations, and discuss the barriers you experience or may experience in the college classroom.
• Based on your discussion, there will be a determination of college-level accommodations based on your specific disability(ies). These accommodations are determined by (a) your self-report in your AR Application, (b) information obtained through your Access Planning Meeting, and (c) your disability documentation.
• You will have access to myAR where you will be able to interact with AR staff, renew accommodations, and manage your AR requests.

If you have specific questions about this process, please email ar@btc.edu.

Accessibility Resources (AR) at Bellingham Technical College is committed to providing a place for students with disabilities to grow and develop as adult learners. As students with disabilities become their own advocates, they take on specific responsibilities as college students and are responsible for much of their own learning. AR will do their best to help families understand the expectations we have for their students, as well as connect students and families with the resources necessary to promote student learning. The individual advising and collaborative interactions students experience with Accessibility Resources professionals are intentionally designed to help students identify and articulate their strengths and challenges as they prepare to pursue a career path.

NOTE TO PARENTS AND THIRD-PARTY SUPPORT STAFF:

We understand that the transition from High School to College can be difficult for parents as well as students. Please keep in mind, college students are adult learners and are expected to do their own work, fill out/submit forms, and engage with campus staff/faculty independently. College staff and faculty are not required to provide information to parents or third-party advocates on student progress, attendance, grades or accommodations. 

Any third party individual (parent, vocational counselor, etc.) who logs into any BTC student portal (Canvas, myAR, ctcLink, etc.) with someone else's student identification and credentials constitutes improper use and is in violation of State and Federal Privacy Laws. 

Accessibility Resources staff will not meet with parents or third-party advocates without the student present. Accessibility Resources staff also reserve the right to meet with the student alone. It is expected the student will communicate their needs to AR as an adult learner. Requests by parents or third-party advocates will not be accepted.

Future Students & Families

• Center for Change in Transition Services

• Guide for Educators, Parents, and Students with Disabilities as they Consider Postsecondary Education

• Documentation Guidelines

• Job Accommodation Network

• College Readiness for Students with Disabilities - Parent and Educator One Pager

• Getting Ready for College - Student One Pager

• U.S. Department of Ed: Transition of Students with Disabilities to Postsecondary Education: A Guide for High School Educator

Current Students

• Canvas Login

• Good Scheduling Habits

• Student Handbook

• Transfer Student Checklist

• Transferring Documentation Between Schools

Renewing quarterly accommodations:

In college, accommodations do not roll over from quarter to quarter. It is the student’s responsibility to request accommodations each quarter they would like to use them. While AR does their best to remind students, it is ultimately the student’s responsibility. Accommodations are not retroactive.

How do I renew through myAR?

Go to the myAR page to renew your accommodation.

Common Tips on Disability Etiquette

• Treat adults as adults. For example, don't patronize people who use wheelchairs by patting them on the head.
• Don't assume a person with a disability needs help. Ask first. Also, listen to instructions the person gives.
• Talk to the person with a disability, not their friend or family member.
• Relax. Don't worry if you use the term "See you later"; to a person with a visual impairment or "I have to be running" to a person who uses a wheelchair.
• To get the attention of a person who is deaf or hard of hearing, tap them on the shoulder or wave your hand. Look directly at the person and speak clearly. Not all people with a hearing loss can read lips. Remember to speak directly to the person with a hearing loss, not their interpreter.
• When talking for a long time with a person who uses a wheelchair, put yourself at eye level so they do not have to strain their neck to look up.
• Don't hang on a person's wheelchair. That is part of their personal space.
• Some people use "person first" language, like person with a disability or person with Autism. Other people like "identity first" language, like disabled person or Autistic person. Each person will have their own preference - it's okay to ask.

• What is Accessibility Resources (AR)?

  Accessibility Resources (AR) exists as a center of disability education and
  resources for students, staff, and faculty. The professionals in the AR Office are
  happy to help students navigate the landscape of higher education as well as
  locate necessary services. We are invested in your academic success and goal
  attainment. One of the primary functions of AR is to act as a facilitator for
  students to obtain and utilize accommodations necessary to ensure equal
  access for participation in campus programs and activities. Additionally, AR
  is a strong ally for students at every level of their disability awareness, student
  development, and academic pursuits.

• What is the Mission of AR at BTC:

  Accessibility Resources promotes an institutional culture of disability education and
  accessible learning. We strive to help students develop the self-advocacy and
  communication skills necessary to succeed when they leave our institution and gain
  employment in the workplace. The individual advising and collaborative interactions
  students experience with AR are intentionally designed to help students identify and
  articulate their strengths and challenges as they prepare to pursue a career path.

  AR Office Staff at BTC view their positions and responsibilities as threefold:

  • Keep current regarding changes in disability law and maintain institutional
    compliance through consistent awareness of potential ADA concerns. Protect
    the institution, faculty, and staff from potential litigation by educating employees.
    This is accomplished by providing frequent educational opportunities for faculty
    and staff, using small and large group settings or individual consultations.
  • Promote a culture of disability education. This is accomplished through the
    facilitation of student learning and development as well as disability education
    opportunities for students.
  • Move students toward greater disability awareness, competence, and
    responsibility while simultaneously ensuring the protection of students’ civil rights
    by promoting a learning environment free from discrimination and barriers.

• What is the Vision of AR at BTC?

  Through intentional conversation, collaboration, and the provision of academic
  adjustments and auxiliary aids, support students’ self-efficacy development, support
  students in order for them to regard themselves as capable learners, and aid in shifting
  the overall focus from accommodation to accessibility campus-wide.

• What are AR's Student Learning Outcomes?

  By the end of the second quarter of access to the services, as well as interaction with
  the professionals, in the AR Office at BTC, students will be able to: 

  
  1. Identify their specific disability(ies).
  2. Describe the educational difficulties (i.e. functional limitations) they experience in
  academic settings.
  3. Articulate the steps required to initially secure disability services at BTC.
  4. Articulate the steps required for quarterly renewal of accommodations.
  5. Demonstrate negotiation of their academic adjustments with their instructors.
  6. Identify, locate, and utilize additional campus and community resources available
  to them

• How do I register with the AR Office at BTC?

  • Complete the AR Application: www.btc.edu/ARApplication

  • You will be contacted to schedule an Access Planning Meeting
    (APM). At this time, you will be asked about previous history of
    accommodation in prior academic institutions. You will learn what
    constitutes useful documentation of your disability and asked to
    provide a report written by a diagnostician. A diagnostician is a
    medical doctor, psychologist, or psychiatrist with the training and
    credentials necessary to diagnose your particular disability.
  • Submit recent documentation of your disability prepared by a
    medical doctor, psychologist or psychiatrist
  • Sign a Release of Information Form

  IMPORTANT: An Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) from K-12 does
  not qualify as documentation. We may gain information from a Summary
  of Performance, 504 Plan, or IEP to aid in accommodation determination.
  You may be asked to provide more recent, additional documentation in
  order for AR to determine reasonable classroom and program
  accommodations.

  
  *Obtaining documentation can be a long process. Not having documentation at your first
  appointment will not create a barrier to accommodations for the current quarter.

  Provisional accommodations - for the first quarter only - may be approved until you
  acquire appropriate documentation. It is your responsibility to follow through on
  submitting documentation if you would like accommodations at BTC.

• How will I know what accommodations I qualify for?

  Accommodations are determined using a three-pronged approach. They are:

  • Student self-report including academic history, accommodations used at
    previous educational institutions, and description of barriers the student
    currently experiences in the classroom environment
  • Professional judgment of the AR professional conducting the APM and
    application information
  • Third-party documentation prepared by a qualified diagnostician trained to
    diagnose the student’s specific disability

  During your Access Planning Meeting, you should be prepared to discuss:

  • The history of your disability;
  • The limitations or challenges you experience in learning environments due
    to your disability, and;
  • list of accommodations you have received in previous institutions of
    learning.

  Appropriate accommodations will be determined in order to eliminate barriers to
  your education based on your documented disability. There are times when a
  facilitated discussion with your instructor may be requested in order to gain more
  information regarding the classroom environment and how accommodations will
  impact that environment.

• How do I request my accommodations?

  Your first accommodation plan will be determined at your Access Planning
  Meeting. AR will send a Letter of Accommodation to your instructor(s) for the
  current quarter – the instructor will not honor your accommodation until they
  receive this notification. Students are encouraged to let their instructors know:

  • They have registered with AR
  • They are requesting academic accommodations for their current class

   

• Do I have to request my accommodations each quarter I am a student at BTC?

  Yes! Your accommodations do not roll over from quarter to quarter. Just like
  submitting your financial aid application and registering for classes, it is your
  responsibility to make accommodation renewals a part of your academic
  planning.

  
  IMPORTANT – Verbal requests for accommodation are not honored. All requests
  must be through the Canvas renewal process.