Disability Services
Disability Services at Mitchell Tech are here to ensure that students with disabilities have equal access to all programs and activities offered in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, and the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA) of 2008. We hope to empower students with disabilities to obtain the education and skills necessary for a fulfilling, productive career after leaving Mitchell Tech.
In accordance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, we strive to eliminate barriers in information technology, to make available new opportunities for people with disabilities, and to encourage development of technologies that will help achieve these goals.
We are committed to helping students with disabilities self-advocate and fully participate in all of the activities, programs, and services of Mitchell Tech. Disability Services are available to students with qualifying and documented learning, physical, or psychological disabilities.
Documentation of a disability is necessary to initiate and receive services. If students do not have the proper documentation to support their requests for accommodation, they are required to get the documentation (test, diagnosis, etc.) at their own expense. If you have a documented disability and would like to receive accommodations, please provide the most recent copy of your IEP/504 plan and current psychological evaluations/testing. When you have completed the admissions process, you will need to schedule an appointment with a Student Success Coach to review your documentation and discuss possible accommodations during the school year.
Available accommodations
- Additional time for testing
- Distraction-free room for testing
- Readers for tests
- Note takers
- Preferential seating
- Interpreter
- Assistive technology
- Digital textbooks
- Other accommodations as needed
NO MODIFICATIONS ARE PROVIDED IN HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS. If you are currently receiving modifications in high school and intend on pursuing higher education, you may want to talk to your high school teachers about moving away from modified assignments and tests. This will help you better prepare for the college academic environment.
If you have questions or want to send in documentation please contact:
Mitchell Technical College
1800 E. Spruce Street
Mitchell, SD 57301
Student Success Coach & Section 504 / Disabilities Coordinator
Disability Resources
Assistive technology is an umbrella term that includes assistive, adaptive, and rehabilitative devices for people with disabilities. Assistive technology includes everything from prosthesis and mobility devices to pencil grips and tape recorders. In a post-secondary setting, assistive technology usually means computer hardware and computer software which is used to ameliorate the impact of a disability in an academic setting. However, with the growth of online courses and programs, it is important that online courses and programs be accessible and formatted to work with assistive technology. This page provides information about the most common types of computer hardware and computer software used by students pursuing post-secondary education and for creating accessible online information.
Dakotalink
Dakotalink is a statewide program linking South Dakotans to assistive technology devices and services. Are you or someone you know having difficulty functioning at home or in the community, at school or in the workplace? If so, please explore their site to learn more about DakotaLink and the many devices or services that may be helpful.
HARDWARE
Hardware, in its broadest sense, would include anything that can be touched or held. This would include automatic door openers, braces, mouth sticks, wheelchairs, prosthesis, or any other tangible device used by an individual with a disability to improve their life. Usually in a postsecondary setting, hardware refers to computer systems – computer keyboards, monitors, switches, trackballs, digital tape recorders, speech generators, assistive listening devices, scanners, or other electronic tools and components.
The two main types of computer hardware used in postsecondary settings are Apple computers and IBM/Microsoft compatible computers – Dell, Hewlett Packard, Assus, Acer, Lenovo, Toshiba, etc.
Livescribe
Livescribe is the global leader in the design and manufacturing of smartpens, enabling individuals to capture, search, and share handwritten notes on the digital devices they use every day. Livescribe makes the only smartpens on the market that synchronize handwritten notes with recorded audio, making the ubiquitous pen more useful in today’s world. Livescribe smartpens convert handwritten notes and audio into digital format for access through devices we use daily — fundamentally changing the way handwritten notes are access and shared.
SOFTWARE/APPS
Software is any machine-readable instruction that directs a computer’s processor to perform specific operations. Types of software include system software, which is designed to directly operate the computer hardware; application software, which is used by the computer system to perform special functions beyond the basic operation of the computer itself; and malicious software, developed to harm and disrupt computers.
General Accessibility Features
General accessibility features are assistive technology components built into the Apple and Microsoft operating systems. The assistive technology features include: magnification, keyboard shortcuts, speech recognition and a variety of other assistive technology.
Text to Speech
Text to speech software coverts text to audio. The types of text formats that may be converted and the type of audio output depends on the software used. The most common types of text that may be converted included txt, rft, pdf, doc, and docx. The most common types of audio output includes mp3, wav, wma, aiff, and au.
Speech to Text
Speech to text software, also known as voice recognition software, converts speech to text. Speech to text software makes it easier for anyone to use a computer, but is especially useful for individuals with fine motor impairments, for paraplegics, and for amputees. You talk and control the computer – edit documents and emails, launch applications, open files, control the cursor, etc.
Screen Readers
Screen reader software is different from text to speech software. While text to speech software converts text to audio, screen reader software converts everything that is being displayed on the screen – icons, hyperlinks, and image descriptions – to audio. Screen readers are useful for individuals who are blind or have a visual impairment and are often used in conjunction with assistive technology such as screen magnifiers and braille output devices.
Magnifiers & Reading Tools
Magnifiers enlarge portions of the screen, much like using a magnifying glass with print materials. Reading tools include software that make it easier for individuals to read a computer screen.
Miscellaneous
A variety of software available to provide assistance to students in a postsecondary setting.
ONLINE
Several recent Department of Justice settlements (Louisiana Tech University, edX Inc.) and Office of Civil Rights findings (University of Montana, University of Cincinnati) have highlighted the inaccessiblity of some websites and online courses. College and universities need to ensure that websites and online courses are accessible and compatible with frequently used assistive technologies.
The Center on Accessible Distance Learning
The Center on Accessible Distance Learning – Access DL – is funded by a U.S. Department of Education grant to share guidance and resources on making distance learning courses accessible to individuals with disabilities.
National Center on Universal Design for Learning
The National Center on Universal Design for Learning supports the effective implementation of universal design for learning by connecting stakeholders in the field and providing resources and information about universal design for learning basics; advocacy; implementation; research; and creating community.
CANnect – Web Accessibility for Online Learning
This guide explores accessibility issues related to online learning and provides straightforward advice and guidance about creating usable content whether you are a novice or advanced author of course content.
CANNECT
