Community colleges are required to provide career and technical education courses and program offerings in a way that ensures they do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age. Compliance with this standard requires both the establishment of eligibility criteria for enrollment in CTE programs that do not discriminate and the provision of equal access, specifically for students with disabilities and English language learners. In addition, if recruitment activities are conducted then these activities must also be conducted and recruitment materials must be disseminated in a nondiscriminatory manner.

 

Documentation

What documentation can be used to indicate compliance with standards related to eligibility criteria and enrollment?

Admission/registration documents

  • Enrollment data by program
  • Student handbook/course catalog
  • Policy and process for admissions into career and technical education programs, which includes directives on pre-admission inquiries
  • Waiting list information
  • Procedures and criteria for selective admissions for career and technical programs (where there are more applicants than can be accommodated)
  • List of non-selected students by demographics and by each selection criteria
  • Demographics of selected applicants by selection criteria
  • Application or registration form for CTE courses/program

What documents can be used to demonstrate the use of policies or accommodations to ensure equal access?

Documents concerning students with disabilities

  • Example(s) of equipment adapted
  • List of programs in which disabled students have been denied access
  • Procedures for determining need
  • Lists of programs and services offered to both students with disabilities and students without disabilities
  • Description of policy for providing aids and services
  • Description of aids and services available/provided/denied
  • List of materials/resources available for seeing or hearing impaired
  • Number of disabled students denied admission in CTE courses
  • Student handbook/catalog
  • Policies governing use of guide dogs, tape recorders, and note-takers
  • Records or equipment schedules for the provision of auxiliary aids and services to students with disabilities
  • Number of disabled students in various courses and programs
  • Programs in which essential requirements or licensing requirements have prevented access
  • List of modifications by program
  • Lists of modifications to tests or test administration
  • Location of accessible testing facility and adequacy of sound and lighting systems
  • Assignment of instructional aides
  • Data on participation in clubs/extracurricular activities by individuals with disabilities
  • Policies and procedures relating to free appropriate public education
  • Section 504 plans, placement records, IEP’s, and similar records of students with disabilities placed in career and technical programs
  • Evaluation and placement criteria procedures for 504 plan or IEP

Documents concerning English Language Learners

  • Procedure for English Language Learner identification and placement
  • Summary of steps taken to increase English Language Learner participation in programs where they have been traditionally underrepresented
  • Specific program enrollment demographics by English Language Learner Status

What documents can be used to demonstrate nondiscriminatory recruitment practices?

  • A brochure or information showing the District’s recruitment procedures and activities
  • Recruitment plans and description of recruitment activities
  • Recruitment and promotional brochures/marketing materials, including flyers and newspaper advertising
  • List of recruitment/promotional activities and sites
  • Course catalog
  • Recruitment team demographics and staff demographics
  • Plan for determining primary languages of the community
  • Samples of recruitment materials in other languages
  • Samples of materials in other formats

What are some sample recruitment practices? Sample:

Information about all CTE programs at Pleasant Valley Technical Education Center is available on the website. Translation into Spanish can be selected on the website. In addition, the Pleasant Valley Technical Education Center website is accessible for individuals with disabilities.

What are some alternative forms of recruitment materials? Sample:

Pleasant Valley Technical Education Center makes recruitment materials in Braille, large print, audio, and computer-enhanced large print available.

Where are these alternative forms of recruitment materials available? Sample:

Alternative formats of recruitment materials are available at the Office of Disabilities Coordinator, Information Desk, Counseling Department, and the Admissions Office.

Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 508

The citations for equal access standards can be found by navigating to the homepage and clicking the standards option on the top menu and navigating to access/admissions or by using the following link:
https://ilequity.com/standards/access-admissions/program-access

 

Definitions

The standards related to serving individuals with disabilities are primarily driven by ADA and Section 508 requirements. The following definitions and articles are provided to assist with interpreting the requirements.

Disability
ADA (Summary) Disability with respect to an individual means: a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities of such an individual; a record of having such an impairment; or being regarded as having such an impairment.

“Qualified” individual with a disability
ADA (Summary)
Being “qualified” means that an individual with a disability can, with or without reasonable accommodation, perform the essential functions of the employment position that such an individual holds or desires.
504 (Summary) “Qualified persons with disabilities” means a “handicapped” person who, with reasonable accommodations, can perform the essential functions of the job in question.

Reasonable accommodation
ADA (Summary) Reasonable accommodations are modifications or adjustments to job-related settings or issues which enable a qualified individual with a disability to compete equally for a desired position, affecting: job application; work environment or circumstances under which position held or desired is customarily performed; equal benefits and privileges of employment which are enjoyed by other similarly situated employees without disabilities.
504 (Summary) Making facilities used by employees readily accessible and usable by “persons with disabilities.”

Undue hardship
ADA (Summary) “Undue hardship” means an action requiring significant difficulty or expense. In determining whether an accommodation would impose an undue hardship on a covered entity, factors to be considered include nature and cost; overall financial resources of the facility or facilities involved (including the number of persons employed at such facility and the effect or impact on expenses and resources); overall financial resources of entire business; and type of operation, including the structure and functions of the workforce, administrative and fiscal relationship of the facility in question to covered business.
504 (Summary) The recipient must make reasonable accommodations unless the recipient can show that the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the operation of its program. Factors to be considered include size of the program and its budget; type of operation; and the nature of the cost of the accommodation. Denial of employment based on the need to make accommodation is prohibited.

Essential Job Functions
Fundamental job functions that are essential to the employment position. Essential functions do not include marginal functions of the position that are incidental to the performance of the job. Essential functions may include skills, experience, education, or other job-related requirements.

What are the key elements of the ADA?
Key Elements of the ADA

What testing accommodations are required by ADA?
Testing Accommodations

What are reasonable accommodations?
Reasonable Accommodations

What is undue hardship?
Undue Hardship

What are suggested services for students?
Services for Students

Adapted from: Center on Education and Work. (1994, September). A handbook for employers, instructors, and teacher educators. Madison, WI.

Resources

The following resources from the US Department of Education and the World Wide Web Consortium provide guidance on ensuring equal access. 

Website accessibility
https://www.w3.org/standards/webdesign/accessibility

Civil Rights of Students with Hidden Disabilities
http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/hq5269.html

Additional information concerning resources for English Language Learners
http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/ell/index.html

Questions that may be raised by Proposition 227 (Limited English Proficiency)
http://www.ed.gov/offices/OCR/archives/prop227q.html

Memos from OCR concerning services based on national origin
http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/laumemos.html

Protecting Students with Disabilities: Frequently Asked Questions About Section 504 and the Education of Children with Disabilities
http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/504faq.html

Questions concerning discrimination frequently received by OCR
http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/faqs.html

U.S. Department of Education Guide to Individual Education Program
http://www.ed.gov/parents/needs/speced/iepguide/iepguide.pdf

Students with Disabilities Preparing for Postsecondary Education: Know Your Rights and Responsibilities
http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/transition.html

Education services for deaf students
http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/hq9806.html

Additional information about civil rights of students with disabilities
http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/publications.html#Section504

Questions and Answers on the Rights of Limited-English Proficient Students
http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/qa-ell.html