Textbooks and course materials can be provided in enlarged print, audio, braille, or digital formats to ensure accessibility. When requesting alternative formats, please submit your book receipt. Materials will be provided within a reasonable timeframe.
At San Juan College, your success matters. Accessibility Services is here to make sure you have equal access to everything our campus offers, inside and outside the classroom. Every path to success looks different, and we’re here to support yours. Our team provides accommodations, resources, and guidance to help remove barriers so you can focus on reaching your goals.
Menu of Accessibility Services:
- Steps to Request Accommodations
- Eligibility Requirements
- Academic Accommodations
- Housing Accommodations
- Appeals, Complaints, and Other Important Info
Steps to Request Accommodations
Begin early! Accommodations may take a few weeks to be finalized.
- Login to MySJC.
- Click on the Accessibility Services button under "Quick Links."
- Click the Start/Resume link under "Application Center"
- Complete the appropriate application:
- Academic Accommodations
- Housing Accommodations
- Upload the required documentation completed by a qualified provider.
- The Accessibility Services Coordinator will review your submission and reach out within a reasonable timeframe to schedule an intake appointment.
- After your intake, accommodations will be approved based on documentation and your discussion with the Accessibility Services Coordinator. You'll receive an email with your approved accommodation or the reason for denial.
Need help? Call us at (505) 566-3271 or email accessibilityservices@sanjuancollege.edu.
Eligibility Requirements
Eligibility for services is determined through:
- Completion of an accommodation application
- Uploading completed documentation
- Documentation MUST be from a medical, educational, or mental health professional and include:
- Your Disability/Diagnosis
- Recommended accommodations in an educational setting
- Examples:
- IEP from high school
- 504 plan
- Diagnosis statement from a Primary Care Provider
- Evaluation from a Medical or Behavioral Health Provider
- Documentation MUST be from a medical, educational, or mental health professional and include:
- Meeting with an Accessibility Services Coordinator
Additional documentation may be required to determine eligibility or develop effective accommodations.
Academic Accommodations
These accommodations help remove barriers created by course design or delivery, ensuring students with disabilities have equal access to academic success.
Students must:
- Self-disclose their disability
- Apply for services
- Request accommodations for each course, each semester
Examples of Academic Accommodations:
- Alternative Testing (e.g., testing alone or in a distraction-reduced setting)
- Alternative Formats (e.g., Braille or large print materials)
- Assistive Technology (e.g., speech-to-text or screen reader tools)
- Notetaking Assistance (e.g., electronic notetaking support or Smart Pens)
Important Notes:
- Accommodations take effect once they are approved and cannot be applied retroactively. Please request accommodations as early as possible to allow time for implementation.
- Accommodations cannot require faculty to change the essential content, requirements, or outcomes of a course.
Guidelines and Forms
Dual Credit Students
If you are a Dual Credit Student, you must follow the same steps as regular college students. IEP and/or 504 plans from high school do not automatically transfer.
Temporary Disabilities
If you need temporary accommodations, we may be able to provide them based on your situation. Apply as early as possible so we can help you get the support you need.
Deaf & Hard of Hearing Services
If you have a hearing impairment, San Juan College will make sure you have full access to your course content and classroom communication.
Services include:
- Captioning: Written text for videos and lectures to ensure accessibility.
- Interpreting Services: Live or virtual sign language interpreters to support classroom participation.
- CART (Communication Access Real-time Translation): Transcribes spoken content in real-time for students with hearing loss.
Classroom Access
Classroom accommodations give you the support you need to fully participate in in-person classes.
- Adjustable Table: Allows flexible desk height for mobility or ergonomic needs.
- Preferential Seating: Placement near front, away from distractions, or close to support devices.
- Attendance Flexibility: Allows adjustments for disability flare-ups or medical appointments.
- Breaks During Classes: Permits short, scheduled breaks to manage symptoms or medication needs.
Test-Taking Modifications
Test-Taking modifications ensure you’re assessed fairly while maintaining the same learning outcomes.
- Extended Time: Extra time for students needing additional support.
- Reader (AI or Live): Assistance reading test content aloud.
- Scribe: Writes responses dictated by the student.
- Testing Alone / Minimum Distraction: Reduces sensory or environmental distractions.
Adaptive Technology
Accessibility Services provides a range of assistive technologies to support students' academic success and access to learning materials:
Text-to-speech software reads digital text aloud and highlights words to support students with reading challenges.
Screen readers provide spoken access to on-screen content, helping students with visual impairments navigate and engage with course materials.
Smartpens record lectures and synchronize them with written notes, making it easy to review classroom content.
Electronic notetaking assistance provides a note-sharing platform that supports students with auditory or processing disabilities by giving them access to accurate, organized class notes.
Adaptive Technology Support and Equipment Availability
Adaptive Technology Support: Students can receive hands-on training and troubleshooting assistance with our Accessibility Training Specialist on the Main Campus.
Equipment Availability: Items like Smartpens and audio recorders may be borrowed on a semester basis. Availability is first-come, first-served. Equipment must be returned at the end of the semester.
Housing Accommodations
Housing accommodations help remove barriers related to your disability so you can fully access and participate in on-campus living.
Students must:
- Complete the SJC Housing application and required processes.
- Self-disclose their disability
- Apply for housing accommodations through Accessibility Services
- Submit updated requests each time they renew or change housing
Example of Housing Accommodations:
- Room modifications (e.g., strobe fire alarms, accessible bathroom features)
- Single-room assignments (when medically necessary)
- Placement adjustments (e.g., ground-floor location, quieter areas)
- Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) – permitted only in on-campus housing with approved documentation
Important Notes:
- Housing accommodations are not retroactive and may require advance notice for implementation.
- ESAs are considered a type of housing accommodation and are only approved through the Housing Accommodation Application.
- Requests should be submitted as early as possible and prior to move-in whenever possible, so Accessibility Services and Housing have adequate time to review documentation and coordinate accommodations
Guidelines and Forms
Appeals, Complaints, and Other Important Info
If you disagree with a decision, you may appeal to the Vice President of Student Services using the Accommodation Appeal Form.
To report disability-based discrimination:
- Contact Stacey Allen, Asst. Director of HR: (505) 566-3515, allens@sanjuancollege.edu
- Or file a complaint with the Office for Civil Rights
PCAs assist students with personal needs so they can fully participate in college activities. Students are responsible for hiring and managing their own PCA.
San Juan College follows federal (ADA Title II & III) and New Mexico state law regarding service animals. Service animals are allowed in all public areas, including classrooms and campus facilities, and must be trained to perform tasks related to a disability.
Key Points:
- Students are not required to register their service animal with Accessibility Services, but registration is strongly encouraged to support emergency preparedness and coordination.
- Faculty and staff cannot require proof, certification, or demonstration of a service animal’s abilities or training.
- Service animals must be under control (e.g., leashed, harnessed, or otherwise managed) and well-behaved.
- Students are responsible for care, feeding, and hygiene of their service animal.
- Service animals are not considered pets; they should not be distracted while performing work or tasks.
More Information:
For complete details on service animal policy, see the Service Animals Protocol.
Legal Framework
San Juan College’s Accessibility Services operates under federal disability law, which guarantees your rights to access and inclusion in higher education.
The ADA is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in all areas of public life. Under the ADA Amendments Act of 2008, disability is defined as:
- A physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities (examples include mobility impairments, chronic illnesses, learning disabilities, ADHD, anxiety, and PTSD)
- A record of such an impairment
- Being regarded as having such an impairment
“Major life activities” include caring for oneself, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, concentrating, and working. The ADA protects both visible and invisible disabilities.
Section 504 requires any college or program receiving federal funds to provide equal access to qualified individuals with disabilities. At San Juan College, this means:
- No student may be excluded or denied participation in academic programs due to disability
- Reasonable accommodations must be provided to ensure equal opportunity
- Programs, services, and activities must be accessible both physically and digitally
As a public institution, San Juan College must:
- Ensure effective communication (e.g., interpreters, captioning, alternate formats)
- Make reasonable modifications to policies and practices when necessary
- Provide equal access to all facilities, programs, and services
More Information
- ADA.gov – Guidance on disability rights and responsibilities under the ADA
- U.S. Department of Education – Information on Section 504 and disability rights in education
Privacy Statement
We respect your privacy. Details about your diagnosis and disability are confidential and cannot be shared without your written consent. You may choose to disclose your disability at any time.