Skip to main content
Alert:
  • The Summer 2025 Graduation Application is open in the Student Planner. The summer deadline is June 2, 2025
MyViking
Main Menu

Accessibility Services


About Accessibility Services

The faculty and staff of Grayson College are dedicated to providing full access to programs and services by providing reasonable and effective accommodations that promote student independence.

The Accessibility Services Office is located in the Student Success Center Building (SSC201).

Coordinator of Tutoring and Accessibility Services

Jeffri Johnson Hodge
6101 Grayson Drive, Hwy 691
Denison, TX 75020
Phone: 903-463-8751
E-mail: hodgej [at] grayson [dot] edu

The U.S. Department of Education and the Office for Civil Rights provide helpful information for college students to familiarize themselves with requesting accommodations in higher education. Please click the following link to view the document: Students with Disabilities Preparing for Postsecondary Education

How to Request Accommodations

Disability is defined in the Americans with Disabilities Act as a “physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities of such individual; a record of such an impairment; or being regarded as having such an impairment.” Major life activities include, but are not limited to “functions such as caring for one’s self, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, working.”  

Students requesting accommodations should:

  1. complete an accommodation request form online. (Hard copy format is available upon request).
  2. contact the Coordinator of Tutoring and Accessibility Services to schedule an appointment.
  3. provide documentation to the Accessibility Services Coordinator from appropriately trained professionals, such as physicians, educational diagnosticians, licensed psychologists, psychiatrists, or other qualified professionals.
    1. upload documentation to the accommodation request form, or
    2. send documentation by email to the coordinator, or
    3. bring documentation to an in-person meeting with the coordinator
  4. if applicable, complete the alternate format textbook request form to request textbooks in an accessible format.

Determining reasonable and appropriate accommodations is based on documentation submitted as well as a discussion with the student. The student and the Coordinator of Tutoring and Accessibility Services will work together to determine appropriate accommodations for the entrance exam, if needed, and college coursework. Documentation becomes part of students' educational records and is protected under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

Contact the Coordinator of Tutoring and Accessibility Services

Students may contact the Coordinator of Tutoring and Accessibility Services at any time during regular office hours in the Accessibility Services Office. The office is located inside the Testing/Tutoring Center on the 2nd floor of the Student Success Center Building. Days and hours vary during mini-mesters and summer semesters. To schedule an appointment, contact the coordinator by email or phone. 

Delivery of Accommodation Approvals to Professors

The Coordinator of Tutoring and Accessibility Services notifies professors by email of the student's approved accommodations for the current semester. Students may choose to discuss their accommodations with their professors, but are never required to disclose their diagnosis to anyone outside the Accessibility Services Office.  

Guidelines for Documentation

The diagnostician's report should include the date of the report, their name, title, signature, full address, and phone number on their office letterhead. 

Student information in the report should include:

  • First and last name, date of birth
  • The diagnosis and history/expected outcome
  • How the diagnosed condition affects the student's academic experience or performance
  • Specific recommendations for accommodations
    • Examples of specific recommendations include extended time on test, quiet environment, text-to-
      speech or other unambiguous recommendations that clarify what is helpful for the student
    • Documentation requesting "special accommodations" is ambiguous and not helpful in determining
      accommodations

Generally accepted types of documentation

  • Recent IEP or 504
  • Evaluation by Vocational Rehabilitation Services or diagnostic testing
  • Recent letter from your healthcare provider on their letterhead or diagnostic testing

Additional Documentation

Academic accommodations may not fundamentally alter the nature of an academic program; consequently, some programs will require additional documentation before accommodations can be approved for those classes and assessments. The following programs have provided guidance on this requirement:

  • Nursing Programs: State licensing of nurses requires successful performance on the NCLEX-RN or NCLEX-PN exams, and the Texas Board of Nursing’s guidelines for special accommodations based on ADA considerations are applied to those assessments. Those Texas Board of Nursing policies, further inform the policies followed by the Nursing Programs at Grayson College. These forms and a fuller explanation of these procedures will be available from the Accessibility Services Office. 

Please note:

  • Students may choose to request accommodations in one or more classes, but not request accommodations in others. Unless specifically requested by the student, approvals are sent to all the professors in courses for which the student is currently enrolled. 
  • Accommodation approvals are not retroactive and must be updated each semester. Students submit an  accommodation request at the beginning of each semester for which they are enrolled. 
  • If students with disabilities attempt a class without requesting accommodations, they cannot, unless given special approval by the professor, ask to have accommodations applied to previous coursework, exams, or quizzes.

Service Animal and Assistance Information:

Additional Resources:  

Technology: 

Using the right technology or software is vital to students' success. The following list includes just a few of the many options currently available to students with disabilities. Some of these are provided at no additional cost as accommodations to current students who are registered with Accessibility Services. Research all options based on diagnosis and recommended accommodations. Talk to a vocational rehabilitation counselor or other trusted professional. Ask about free resources and trial versions.  

Accessible Textbooks and Books for Personal Enjoyment:  

  • Bookshare 
    • For students with print disabilities
    • Grayson College is a member of Bookshare. Ask the Accessibility Services Coordinator about obtaining a free membership
  • VitalSource
    • Purchase or rent fully accessible books
    • Anyone can use VitalSource books regardless of a diagnosis

Text-to-speech:   

  • Kurzweil 3000 Text-to-Speech
    • Free use of Kurzweil 3000 is available for every currently enrolled GC student
    • Contact the Accessibility Services Coordinator for more information and an email invitation to activate a student license

Note-taking assistance:

  • Glean
    • Free use of Glean is provided for every currently enrolled student registered with Accessibility Services

Screen readers for blindness or low vision:

Faculty Guidelines

Instructors are asked to read and familiarize themselves with the Faculty Guidelines for Disability Services and explore UDL resources on the University of Washington's DO-IT website.