Your Rights

Pierce College adheres to compliance with Title II of The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to ensure that any enrolled student at the college who has a qualified documented physical, emotional or mental disability which "substantially limits one or more major life activities (including walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning and working)," is eligible for services from ADS. Students are encouraged to contact the ADS Office to begin the process for receiving services.

Section 504 and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and Washington State laws prohibit discrimination against individuals with disabilities.

Federal Law

"No qualified individual with a disability, by reason of such disability, shall be excluded from the participation in or be denied the benefits of the services, programs, or activities of any public entity, or be subject to discrimination by any such entity."
Americans with Disabilities Act - 1990

"No otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the United States shall solely by reason of his/her disability be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance."
Rehabilitation Act of Congress, 1973 Title V; Section 504

Important Links to Know

Student Rights

Pierce College is committed to providing equal access to educational opportunities for qualified students with disabilities, in accordance with state and federal laws. To ensure equality of access for students with disabilities, accommodations (including auxiliary aids and services) are provided on a case-by-case and individualized basis, through an interactive process with the ADS department. As a student with a disability receiving accommodation from ADS, it is important to know your rights and responsibilities outlined below.

ADS students have the right to:

  1. An equal opportunity to learn and participate in the classroom environment.
  2. An equal opportunity to participate in and benefit from the college community, programs and activities.
  3. Choose whether or not to disclose the specific nature of your disability to your professor(s). The information you provide to ADS is protected by F.E.R.P.A. Our office shares a list of your approved accommodations but not your medical records.
  4. File a grievance if you feel you are discriminated against.

Student Responsibilities

ADS students are responsible for:

  1. Self-Identifying to ADS as having a disability and needing accommodation.
  2. Completing an intake appointment with ADS staff and engage in the interactive process to determine reasonable accommodations. This includes self-report of disability and disability verification.
  3. Meeting or messaging with each professor to discuss your approved accommodations in their respective courses. Typically, this meeting should take place once the Accommodation Letter has been delivered to faculty within the first few weeks of the quarter.
  4. Submitting your renewal request for accommodations at the start of each new quarter by logging into your AIM student disability profile.
  5. Understanding that late notification does not require retroactive implementation of accommodations by your professors.
  6. Submitting updated accommodation requests in a timely manner by notifying ADS staff as soon as possible.
  7. Contacting ADS in a timely manner regarding any issues, concerns or delays in receiving approved accommodations.
  8. Notifying ADS immediately when discontinuing an accommodation or when you choose to drop a course for which alternate format materials are required.
  9. Meeting the same academic standards (with or without accommodation) such as technical, performance and behavioral standards that are expected of all students at Pierce College, including the  Pierce Student Code of Conduct.

Student Grievance Process

Pierce College is committed to providing equality of opportunity and an environment that fosters respect for all members of the college community. lf you are having difficulty with a person, office or department at Pierce College and believe you have or may be experiencing mistreatment or discrimination on the basis of your disability, you can contact the resources on this webpage to get assistance.

Steps to take if you have a conflict:

  1. Try to resolve the issue first with faculty and/or staff directly if you can. Sometimes resolution is simply a matter of clarifying misunderstandings or processes between individuals.
  2. Contact ADS staff for assistance in resolving issues related to accommodations. This may include conversations with the faculty, Department Chair and Dean as appropriate.
  3. Engage Pierce campus and/or off-campus resources if initial avenues do not resolve the concern/complaint.

Strategies to help you get your concerns addressed:

  • When making a complaint, be specific. lt can be helpful to document the incident(s) and the action(s) taken, including dates, times, names and a statement explaining the interactions.
  • State what individual(s)/office(s) you believe has discriminated against you, when the incident occurred and describe the incident.
  • lf you are attempting to resolve a problem that includes a number of offices, it may help to let each office know what other efforts you have made to try to resolve the complaint.
  • Keep a record of all written correspondence between yourself and the various offices you work with.
  • Reach out to the Pierce College District Section 504 Coordinator for assistance or guidance:

Pierce College Policies

Pierce College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, national origin, disability, age, sex or marital status in admission to and participation to educational programs, college activities or employment. Anyone who believes there has been an act of discrimination by the college on the basis of disability against any person or group may file a complaint with the:

U.S. Department of Education
Office for Civil Rights
(206) 220-7900 (voice)
(206) 220-7907 (TTY)