Reasonable Accommodations

It is the policy of Nashville State Community College (“NSCC”) to provide equal access to education and employment to all, regardless of disability. NSCC fully complies with all laws, orders, regulations and policies promulgated for promoting and ensuring equal opportunity for persons who may have a disability, including the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

The Department of Human Resources (HR) has been designated to coordinate employee requests for workplace accommodations. Employees should make accommodation requests by completing the Employee Accommodation Request Form and returning it to the HR Director. It is your responsibility to request an accommodation. The College may require written documentation from your health care provider with knowledge of your disability. If an accommodation has been approved, implementation of the accommodation will be handled by your department.

If you requested and were granted an accommodation, you must report changes in your ongoing need for accommodation.

It is the expressed policy of the College that discrimination or harassment based upon a disability is prohibited. If an applicant for employment, employee, student, or applicant for admission believes s/he has been discriminated against or harassed because they have a disability, they should contact the Office of Human Resources at 615-353-3305 or visit our office in the Weld Building, Suite W-05.

OVERVIEW OF DISABILITY LAWS

Americans with Disabilities Act

The Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in employment in state and local governments, several different types of businesses and public institutions such as NSCC.

An individual with a disability is defined by the ADA as a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, a person who has a history or record of such an impairment, or a person who is perceived by others as having such an impairment. The ADA does not specifically name all of the impairments that are covered.

Title I of the ADA requires employers with 15 or more employees to provide qualified individuals with disabilities an equal opportunity to benefit from the full range of employment-related opportunities available to others. For example, it prohibits discrimination in recruitment, hiring, promotions, training, pay, social activities, and other privileges of employment. It also restricts questions that can be asked about an applicant’s disability before a job offer is made.

The ADA/Rehabilitation Act also requires that employers and entities that received federal financial assistance make reasonable accommodation to the known physical or mental limitations of otherwise qualified individuals with disabilities, unless it results in undue hardship. At NSCC, reasonable accommodations have been and will continue to be made for qualified disabled personnel. These accommodations are applicable to all phases of employment including recruitment, hiring, transfer, and training.

If a qualified applicant or qualified employee with a disability desires a reasonable accommodation at NSCC, he or she should complete the Reasonable Accommodation Form (attached), and then contact the Director of HR at 615-353-3305.

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973

The Rehabilitation Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of disabilities in programs receiving federal financial assistance. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act states that “no qualified individual with a disability in the United States shall be excluded from, denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under” any program or activity that receives Federal financial assistance. As a recipient of federal funds, NSCC is governed by Section 504.

Under Section 504, qualified students may not be given different benefits or services in a program on the basis of disability. This includes issues of access to programs and facilities as well as academic adjustments or accommodations for students with disabilities.

The Access Center (formerly Student Disability Services) coordinates college-wide services available to students with disabilities. If a student desires accommodations, they should contact the coordinators of the Access Center, Andrew Mason at 615-353-3741 or Gina Jones at 615-353-3721 for information about that office’s services.

EMPLOYEE SELF-IDENTIFICATION DISCLOSURE

In an effort to ensure that all employees that need reasonable accommodations in fact receive them, the College periodically gives currently employed disabled persons, including disabled veterans, with an opportunity to identify themselves such as. HR is requesting that employees complete the Voluntary Employee Self-Identification Disclosure Form (attached). Please note that employees are not required to complete the form.

There are several ways to submit your form once completed. Completed forms can be brought directly to HR located in Suite W-05 of the Weld Administration Building. You also have the option of submitting the form to our office via Campus Mail at Box Number 3, by fax to 615-353-3603, or you can send the form by e-mail to Justin.Harris@nscc.edu.

Employees who seek reasonable accommodations due to a disability should contact HR. Please access the Reasonable Accommodations Form (attached) for more information and to begin the process.

DISABILITY ETIQUETTE

At NSCC, we strive to maintain a workplace and educational environment that is welcoming for everyone. Sensitivity toward people with disabilities makes good business sense. When supervisors and co-workers use disability etiquette, employees with disabilities feel more comfortable and work more productively. Read more about best practices (attached) when working with individuals with disabilities.

 

To request a workplace accommodation, please visit the Forms page for the required documents.