Disability Services

CCCB’S COMMITMENT
Central Christian College of the Bible is committed to full compliance with all laws regarding equal opportunity for students with disabilities. Students, faculty, and administration all play a role in ensuring that reasonable and appropriate accommodations are provided in a timely and effective manner. The following is an outline of the process followed at CCCB when a student requests services or accommodations in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

DEFINITION
A student is considered a person with a disability, eligible for protection under the laws, if the student has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. Disabilities include impairments caused by accident, trauma, genetics, or disease that substantially limit major life activities such as seeing, hearing, speaking, walking, breathing, performing manual tasks, learning, caring for oneself, and working. Disabling conditions include epilepsy; paralysis (e.g., cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis); HIV infection; AIDS; a substantial hearing or visual impairment; intellectual disability; psychiatric disability; cancer; heart disease; diabetes; or a specific learning disability. Conditions not considered a disability include minor, non-chronic conditions of short duration, such as a concussion, sprain, broken limb, or the flu.

REQUESTING ACCOMMODATION

  • It is only through a student’s voluntary disclosure of disability and request for accommodation that CCCB can support disability needs.
  • Students with disabilities who wish to receive accommodations or services first must disclose the disability and make a personal request to the CCCB Student Success Director and submit required disability documentation, and formally request services, including accommodations. Accommodations are not retroactive. They will begin from the time they are approved.
  • Requests for accommodations may take up to two weeks to process. Depending on the nature of the disability more time may be necessary to satisfy the reasonable accommodation. After that, the Director of Student Success will determine what, if any, reasonable accommodations can be offered.
  • Please note, the Director of Student Success will determine “routine” accommodations and will consult with the Vice President of Academics for those that are not “routine.” Once accommodations are set, the Director of Student Success will facilitate distributing them to the student’s professors each semester. It is the student’s responsibility to interact with the professor to utilize the agreed-upon accommodation.
  • A disclosure of disability or request for an academic accommodation made to a faculty or staff member other than the Director of Student Success will not be treated as a request for an academic accommodation.
  • Any new or modified requests for services or accommodation should be made prior to thr start of each semester to allow time to review requests and documentation and make proper arrangements. Accommodation arrangements may be compromised or denied if a request is not made in a timely manner. Requests will be renewed each consecutive semester as long as the student is enrolled. If the student has a leave of absence, a new request for accommodations or services will need to be submitted. 


DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENTS

  • It is strongly advised that documentation for all disabilities is submitted. Disability documentation should be current and include a written evaluation from a physician, psychologist or other qualified specialist that establishes the nature and extent of the disability and includes the basis for the diagnosis and the dates of testing. The documentation should establish the need for an accommodation and contain suggestions for offsetting the effects of the disability.
  • The type of documentation will vary according to the disability, e.g., a psycho-educational or neuropsychological assessment for learning and other cognitive disabilities, a psychiatrist’s report for psychological disabilities, a letter from a doctor or other specialist for physical and most other disabilities. Whether or not documentation is current will depend on the nature of the disability.

CONFIDENTIALITY
Documentation of a student’s disability is maintained in a confidential file in the CCCB Director of Student Success’ Office. This documentation is not a part of the student’s academic record. All information related to a disability is confidential and may be disclosed only with the permission of the student or otherwise as permitted by the college’s student records policy and federal laws.

STUDENT GUIDELINES

  • A student who wishes an accommodation is responsible for obtaining documentation from the CCCB Academics Office that states that s/he is a qualified student with a disability. This documentation serves as verification for the student of the accommodations that are agreed upon.
  • Students are not required to divulge the nature of their disabilities or provide copies of their disability documentation to other faculty or staff.
  • Students are responsible for working directly with the faculty or staff member involved in the provision of accommodation. 
  • Students need to provide feedback to the CCCB Academics Office on the effectiveness of accommodations. The student should notify the CCCB Director of Student Success if an accommodation is not provided.

DENIAL OF ACCOMMODATION

  • The college reserves the right to deny services or accommodations in the event that documentation does not comply with its published guidelines for service eligibility, e.g., the student does not meet the criteria of ADA or Section 504, or documentation is out-of-date or incomplete.'
  • The college is not required to provide an accommodation that compromises the essential requirements of a course or program, imposes an undue financial burden based on the college’s overall institutional budget, or poses a threat to the health or safety of the student or others.
  • If the documentation provided by a student does not support the existence of a disability or the need for an accommodation, the student will be advised regarding the denial. Students will be given the opportunity to supplement the initial documentation with further information from a physician, psychologist, or other specialist.

STUDENT APPEAL

  • A student who is denied an accommodation may dispute the determination directly with the Director of Student Success.
  • A student who disputes the determination by the CCCB Director of Accommodations regarding the existence of a disability or denial of an accommodation may file a written complaint with the Vice President of Academics within 10 days of the date of the determination by the Director of Student Success The Vice President of Academics, in consultation with appropriate members of CCCB’s Administrative Executive Team, will make a determination within 10 days of the appeal. This decision shall be final.

SOME IMPORTANT ASPECTS TO UNDERSTAND
Reasonable Modification
A reasonable accommodation in the student setting is a modification or adjustment to a class or program that will enable a qualified person with a disability to participate in the program or class or to enjoy the rights and privileges offered by the college. Accommodations that impose an undue burden or
pose a health or safety risk are not considered reasonable. The college is required to provide accommodations only to known and validated disabilities. The college requires the student to give reasonable notice of the request for modifications. The school or department must take whatever steps
are necessary to ensure that qualified individuals with disabilities are not excluded, treated differently or segregated because of the absence of auxiliary aids or services. 

Individual Analysis
The accommodation or modification offered must be appropriate to the needs of the individual, thus, in each instance, an individualized analysis must occur. The CCCB Director of Student Success can devise a modification plan for the student.

Course Load Modifications
The college is not required to eliminate academic requirements essential to the program of instruction or related to licensing requirements. However, reasonable modifications must be provided for qualified students with verified disabilities. Modifications for completion of degree requirements may include the following:

  • changes in the length of time permitted for completion of degree requirements.
  • substitution of specific courses required for completion of degree requirements.
  • reduced course load; and/or
  • adaptation of the manner in which specific courses are conducted.

Examinations
Exam modifications may include the following:

  • changes in the length of time permitted for completion of an exam; or
  • adaptation of the manner in which the exam is given (for example, allowing a student to take the exam in a distraction-free testing room).

Auxiliary Aids and Services

This term refers to equipment or service providers that augment communication. Examples are sign language interpreters, note takers, readers, computer aided transcription devices, assistive listening devices, telecommunications devices for deaf persons (TDDs), and Braille materials. If these aids are
determined to be a part of the accommodation, the college pays for the cost of the auxiliary aid or service.
If provision of a particular auxiliary aid or service would result in a fundamental alteration of the program or in an undue burden, i.e., significant difficulty or expense, the college will attempt to provide an alternative auxiliary aid or service. The college does not need to provide attendants, individually prescribed devices, readers for personal use or study, or other devices or services of a personal nature. The college will consider the requests of the affected disabled individuals but is not required to give the disabled person the auxiliary aid of his or her choice.

WHEN REASONABLE MODIFICATION IS NOT REQUIRED
Fundamental Program Alteration
A college is not required to provide any aid or service or make any modification that would result in a fundamental alteration in the nature of the program. For example, where a course requirement is essential to the program of instruction taken by the student, the college is not required to waive the requirement. In evaluating whether the requested program modifications would require substantial program alteration or would fundamentally alter academic standards or programs, the academic dean should consider the underlying academic reasons for the program components, the academic standards institutionalized in the program, how the challenged components are consistent with the program standards, and how the requested accommodations would be inconsistent with the academic goals and standards of the program.

Undue Burden
A college need not make modifications or provide auxiliary aids or services if it constitutes an undue burden. In determining whether or not an undue burden exists, the factors to be considered are the nature and cost of the action needed in the context of the overall financial resources of the college.

Direct Threat to Health or Safety
The college is not required to permit an individual to participate in or benefit from a college program or service when that individual poses a direct threat to health or safety. Direct threat means a significant risk to health or safety that cannot be eliminated by modification of policies, practices, or procedures, or by the provision of auxiliary aids or services. In determining whether an individual poses a direct threat to health or safety, the college must make an individualized assessment, based on reasonable judgment that relies on current medical knowledge or the best available objective evidence, to ascertain:

  • the nature, duration, and severity of the risk.
  • the probability that the potential injury will actually occur; and
  • whether reasonable modification of policies, practices, or procedures will mitigate the risk.

This standard applies to all individuals, not just disabled individuals.

If further information is needed, please feel free to contact Bill Thomas, Director of Student Success, at 660.372.2516.

EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMALS
Missouri Emotional Support Animal Laws
Missouri allows emotional support animals (ESA) in buildings that prohibit pets. ESAs are exempt from pet fees and restrictions based on breed, size, or weight. Legal qualification is required to receive housing rights.

At CCCB, we understand that the transition to life as a college student can be a tough one. New environments, routines, and stressors can make for a challenging adjustment. Individuals with disabilities may face additional hurdles, some of which can be lessened with the aid of an emotional support animal (ESA). If you are an individual with a disability who uses an ESA, you may be wondering how and if you can bring your support animal with you to Central Christian College of the Bible.

Below are some answers to commonly asked questions.

What is the difference between an emotional support animal and a service animal?
A service animal is a dog or, in some cases, a miniature horse that is individually trained to perform a specific task to assist an individual with a disability. That task must be directly related to the individual’s disability. Tasks performed by a service animal can include retrieving dropped items, reminding a person to take medication, or performing actions to calm an individual having an anxiety attack. Service animals are protected by both the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the federal Fair Housing Act (FHA).

In contrast, emotional support animals do not require specific training and do not need to perform specific tasks related to an individual’s disability. However, ESAs may be part of a medical treatment plan and may help with depression, anxiety, or other disabilities. Emotional support animals are not
service animals. They are protected in housing by the FHA.

Are emotional support animals allowed on CCCB’s campus?
Under the FHA, a qualified student with a disability may be allowed to bring their ESA to live with them in their student housing.
The FHA makes it illegal for housing providers, including college and university housing, to discriminate against persons with disabilities. Allowing an individual with disabilities’ ESA into a university residence hall often qualifies as a reasonable accommodation. This reasonable accommodation applies to all areas of the housing where persons are normally allowed to go. The FHA accommodation does not apply to classrooms or other areas of campus, outside of housing, where animals would otherwise be prohibited. In contrast, service animals protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act would be allowed in all areas where members of the public are allowed to go.

How do I get a reasonable accommodation?
Under the FHA, a college or university does not have to automatically allow emotional support animals into residence halls. There is a process that must be followed to gain approval. At CCCB, the student needs to file an accommodations request in the Student Development Office. That request will be processed and sent to CCCB’s Director of Student Success. The Director of Student Success will meet with the student and assess the forms the student has documenting the need for the Emotional Support Animal (ESA). The Director of Student Success will then make a recommendation to the Vice President of Student Development who will decide whether to allow the ESA or not.

What forms or paperwork are required to be considered for an ESA at CCCB?
The student will need to provide a medical professional’s recommendation/diagnosis that an ESA is needed for the student. The student will need to provide proper and updated records that the animal is vaccinated and healthy. The student will need to sign the contract regarding ESA noting that the care of the ESA is the student’s responsibility.

Are there situations in which my ESA would not be allowed to stay at CCCB?
CCCB does not have to allow an emotional support animal if it would pose an undue financial and administrative burden or if it would fundamentally alter the nature of the provider’s operations. An emotional support animal may also be denied if the animal’s behavior poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others. The risk must be significant and immediately identified and must be based on objective evidence, not fear or opinions. This will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

The student using the emotional support animal is required to have control over the animal. And, while the student may not be charged an extra fee for their emotional support animal, the student would be responsible for property damage caused by the animal to the same extent that other individuals would be held responsible. Warnings will be issued for infractions of these policies. Continued infractions may lead to the ESA no longer being allowed at CCCB.