CASCADIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE:

Serving Students with Invisible Disabilities

Amy Hitchcock, Anna Renzetti, Ted Rice

CASCADIAS IDENTITY STATEMENT

We are committed to ...increasing opportunities for academic-transfer education, strengthening collaborations to enhance professional-technical programs, being a national model for community college best practices, helping students complete their education.*
*"complete" meaning to transfer, earn a degree or certificate, find a job, or complete an educational goal.

WHO ARE CASCADIAS STUDENTS?

!! 4,754 Students enrolled !! Average age 21.8 years !! 33% self-identified as

students of color
!! 53% female !! Vocational Programs- 8% !!Developmental Ed-16% !!Transfer- 76% intend to transfer

KODIAK CORNER

DISABILITY SUPPORT SERVICES

!! Academic Advising
!! Career and Transfer

!! Counseling !! Enrollment !! Financial Aid

!! High School Completion !! Running Start !! Veterans Services !! Disability Support Services

DSS
Accessibility Equipment:
!!Adaptive technology !!Ergonomic equipment !!Alternate texts, audiobooks !!Digital voice recorders

Learning Accommodations: To ensure access for students with documented disabilities and to contribute to the development of self-advocacy and confidence of students with disabilities.
!!Alternate testing (private room,

extended time, etc.)

!!Interpreters !!Note-taking !!Reading services

STUDENTS WITH INVISIBLE DISABILITIES

An invisible disability is one we cant see Many individuals when they hear the word disability they think of somebody on crutches or in a wheelchair, but they dont think about processing, such as students who have trouble with learning.
Gary Friedmann, Program Assistant, DSS

LEARNING DISABILITIES
!! Academic accommodations !! Open Learning Center !! Math and Writing Center !! Center for Culture, Inclusion, and Community

DISCLOSURE:
!! Documentation from K-12 !! Faculty critical in identifying struggling students !! The cost of diagnosis is expensive for the student

MENTAL HEALTH
!! Part-time on-campus

counselor
!! Referrals to off-campus

counseling
!! Six free ! hr. sessions/year !! CARE Team !! Links to hotlines on website !! Disability Student Alliance

DISCLOSURE
!! No diagnosis necessary to

visit the counselor

!! Student, faculty, or staff alert

CARE Team when noticing a struggling student

VETERANS

!! About 100 vets per quarter !! Mandatory orientations !! Financial benefits !! Worker retraining program !! Veterans Community !! (PIC) Point of Contact: Ahmad

Bennett Veteran Navigator, veteran student

DISCLOSURE
A lot of times the faculty will see the effects in the

classroom before we see the effects outside the classroom. Ana Blackstad, Director of Student Advising and Support Services

PEER SUPPORT
Current peer supports
!! Ahmad, Veteran Navigator !! Gary, DSS Professional !! Disability Student Alliance !! Center for Culture, Inclusion, and

Community
!! Veterans Club

Recommendations
!!Peer mentoring !!Support groups !!Cohort format !!Student Centers

TRAINING FOR FACULTY AND STAFF

Recommendations
!! STAFF
!! Knowledge of disabilities !! policies for documentation &

accommodations
!! multicultural competency

Current training practices: !! Individualized, as-needed

!! Two workshops this year on PTSD, TBI !! Washington State Professional

!! FACULTY
!! Pedagogical strategies !! Knowledge and understanding

of disabilities
!! Triggers for students !! Incident management

Educators organization

UNIVERSAL DESIGN
NOW !! Centralized services
!! Access to

informational materials
!! Staff interactions !! Open Access

RECOMMENDATIONS
!! Website !! Informational materials, pamphlets !! Name change from !! Privacy issues in Kodiak Corner

THANK YOU

Please feel free to ask any questions about Cascadia CC!