Disability Services

Halifax Community College adheres to the policies set forth in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, which mandates that individuals with a disability be granted equal access to all educational opportunities. Additionally, Halifax Community College adheres to the North Carolina Community College Disability Services Resource Guide.

Halifax Community College, in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, seeks to provide equal access to education for students with a disability. In accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, federal law states that " No otherwise qualified person with a disability in the United States ... shall, solely by reason of ... disability, be denied the benefits of, be excluded from participation in, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance."

A person with a disability includes "any person who (1) has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities, (2) has a record of such impairment, or (3) is regarded as having such impairment."

A "qualified person with a disability" is defined as one "who meets the academic and technical standards requisite to admission or participation in the educational program or activity."

Any student wishing to be considered for classroom accommodations must contact and self-disclose to a counselor from the Counseling Center in Room 323.

Through the Counseling Center, Disability Services serves and supports students with documented disabilities. Our mission is to:

Adapt the college's general services to the specialized, individual needs of otherwise qualified students with disabilities.
Provide equal access to Halifax Community College programs, facilities, and activities.
Serve students with disabilities as defined by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the ADA Amendments of 2008, and the N.C. Persons with Disabilities Protection Act.
Adhere to the North Carolina Community College Disability Services Resource Guide.
Assist Halifax Community College students receive accommodations through appropriate documentation from a qualified professional. Accommodations are provided to equalize access to college with the general college population.
In order to receive Disability Services, the student must:
Self-advocate and Self-identify as having a disability to a counselor with the Counseling Center- preferably before classes begin each semester and two weeks before the first test to allow for paperwork.
Be responsible for providing the Counseling Center with the medical, educational, or psychological documentation of the disability from the appropriate professional. HCC is not financially responsible for any costs incurred gathering this information. Once this information is received, a two-week window is required for the counselor to do paperwork and make arrangements for the accommodation.
Self-advocate and self-disclose the accommodation plan to instructors-preferably two weeks before a test. Instructors are not required to accept testing accommodations requested the day before or the day of a test.
Students with disabilities and all other students are required to do college level work. Instructors are not required to reduce or adjust essential requirements of a course to accommodate students. Accommodations only equalize the playing field with all other college students. For example, a student with a disability may be allowed to take tests alone in a room to support increased focus.