Program Purpose and Philosophy

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 prohibit discrimination against individuals with disabilities.

The office of Accessibility Resource Center (ARC) provides, arranges, and coordinates accommodations for students in courses, programs, services, activities, and facilities.Accessibility Resource Center is the designated office that obtains and files disability related documents, certifies eligibility for services, determines reasonable accommodations, and develops plans for the provision of such accommodations for students with disabilities.

Our mission is to create an accessible community where people are judged on their ability, not their disability. The Accessibility Resource Center strives to provide individuals the tools  by which they can better accomplish their educational goals.

In post-secondary settings, it is the student's responsibility to request accommodations, if desired. It is important to remember that not every student with a disability needs accommodation. It is equally important to remember that even though two individuals may have the same disability, they may not need the same accommodation.

Goals of ARC

  • Provide appropriate and reasonable accommodations and support services.
  • Develop and implement programs to enable persons with disabilities to attend UNCP.
  • Provide referrals and information to career services, counseling services, financial aid, and other campus resources.
  • Encourage and assist students with disabilities to develop greater independence.
  • Work with campus staff to remove architectural barriers
  • Increase faculty understanding of the needs of students with disabilities
  • Assist the university in interpreting

Accommodations

Accessibility Resource Center works with each student on a case-by-case basis to determine and implement appropriate and reasonable accommodations. In accordance with the ADA, accommodations will not be made to course or degree requirements which are considered to be essential.

Typical Accomodations

Learning Disabilities

  • Note takers
  • Alternative testing
  • Textbooks on tape
  • Computer with speech input
  • Separate testing room
  • Tape recorders

Mobility Impairments

  • Note takers
  • Scribes
  • Lab assistants
  • Assistance with writing homework and doing library research
  • Alternative testing
  • Computer with speech input

Hearing Impairments

  • Note takers
  • Assistive listening devices
  • Sign language and oral interpreters

Visual Impairments

  • Textbooks on tape
  • Lecture notes, handouts, tests on disk or enlarged format
  • Computer with speech output, Zoom Text and a scanner with OCR software
  • Alternative testing

Health Impairments

  • Note takers
  • Schedule modification
  • Flexible attendance requirements
  • Alternative testing

These accomodations are not automatic. Each student must qualify for each accommodation.