Disability Support

Disability Request Documentation:

A student who provides CIAT with sufficient evidence of a disability meeting the standards established by the ADA or Section 504 is eligible for reasonable accommodations and services. To be considered an otherwise qualified applicant, a student with a disability must be capable, either with or without accommodations, of fulfilling the essential requirements of a program of instruction.

Determining Appropriate Accommodations:

Students with disabilities who are seeking accommodations at CIAT should schedule an individual meeting with the CIAT Disability Services Department. Once appropriate documentation has been submitted, reasonable and appropriate accommodations will be implemented based on the student’s specific disability and the functional impact of the disability on the student’s daily activities and academic obligations.

Standard Accommodations Available:

• Instructor one-on-one tutoring
• Personalized academic advising sessions
• Complimentary certification exam practice software for industry certification exams
• Unlimited industry certification exam attempts (some exclusions apply)
• Extended time allocated after graduation to request certification exam vouchers 
• Extended time to meet attendance requirements (participation in interactive discussion posts via Canvas)
• Extended time on quizzes
• Extended time on written assignments
• Extended time weekly labs/assignments
• End-of-term extension
• Frequent breaks during live classes
• Webcam optional for live classes
• Request for “do not call on” during live class participation
• Subtitles available on live classes & recorded class sessions
• Individual / small group testing room to minimize distractions during on-campus testing 

To inquire about other customized accommodations, including support for visual and auditory disabilities, please reserve an appointment with our Disability Support Services department to review your specific needs.

Important Acknowledgements:

Please note that all time extensions are to be used as needed and not as a regular substitution for delayed work. All assigned work is still expected to be completed, including discussion posts, labs, quizzes, and exams. Please communicate with your instructor regarding longer-than-expected delays in completing work within the intended timeframe.

• Tutoring and Extra Help: One-on-one tutoring is available upon request. Students are encouraged to request tutoring support directly from their instructor. Contact information to connect with an instructor will be found in each course syllabus.
  
  
• Right To Privacy:  CIAT staff will not ask about your medical conditions, which are protected under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996/1974 (HIPAA).
  
  
• Points For Your Work: Instructors will not subtract points from any late submission within your accommodation timeframe. However, submissions may still be labeled as LATE in your grade book.
  
  
• Progress Monitoring: DSS Students are not exempt from failure and will be sent academic performance notices to help students progress successfully through your program.
  
  
• Satisfactory Academic Performance: DSS Students are not exempt from SAP monitoring. Federal regulations require that students make quantitative progress toward program completion. Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is evaluated each semester (three 5-week terms). Please refer to the CIAT SAP policy guidelines. To be making satisfactory academic progress, a student must:

  (1) Meet earn a 2.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale when letter grades are assigned at the conclusion of each
  evaluation period.

  (2) Complete their program within 150% of the anticipated completion date.

  Students receiving VA or Title IV educational benefits will be discontinued when the veteran or eligible person ceases to make satisfactory progress at the end of the Academic Probation period.

• Accelerated Classes: By enrolling at CIAT and accepting Disability Support Services, you are acknowledging that you enrolled in an accelerated program. CIAT courses are full-time programs with fast-paced 5-week courses. Students are expected to allocate an average of 20-30 hours. Additional time may be required to support your individual learning plan.
  
  
• Course Readiness:  Online learning is different from classroom-delivered instruction and there are advantages and disadvantages to each. The advantages of interactive distance learning (IDL) are rapidly gaining as technology enables students learning at a distance to feel more connected than ever before. Students must be self-motivated, have an up-to-date computer, a high-speed Internet connection, and a distraction-free place to study. Faculty and student interaction will be available through live online classes,
  interactive discussion boards, email, phone, and live chat.
  
  
• 14-Day No Attendance: Students who fail to meet the attendance requirements (through interactive discussion posts) within 14 days of their first term date (class start
  date) shall be considered a “No Start”. Students will be dropped from the course and will be issued a full refund of any tuition payments made to CIAT. Students are required to adhere to the first 14-day work and attendance requirements continuously in each course throughout their program. Students who fail to meet
  the attendance requirements (through interactive discussion posts) or complete any assignments within 14 days of their first term date (class start date) will be placed on a required Leave of Absence (LOA) before returning.
  
  
• Administrative Withdrawals: A student is subject to an Administrative Withdrawal (“Admin Drop”) in cases of a student’s misconduct, failure to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress, lack of attendance, or cancellation of the course or program by the institution.
  
  
• Leave of Absence (LOA): Under certain conditions, a Leave of Absence (LOA) may be granted to support a student’s overall academic progress. Leave of Absences (LOAs) are limited to 180 calendar days in any 12-month period or one-half the published program length, whichever is shorter. Such conditions may include military deployment, medical leave, and employment orders. Please refer to the CIAT catalog for complete LOA policy details. Students receiving VA or Title IV educational benefits will be discontinued during LOA
  periods.
  
  
• Code of Conduct: Students are required to adhere to the CIAT Standard Code of Conduct and CIAT Code of Conduct for Communication Platforms to remain enrolled in their program. Students in violation of any code of conduct policies may be subject to administrative withdrawal or additional actions. Please refer to the CIAT catalog for complete Code of Conduct policies.

Disability Grievance Procedure:

If a student believes any CIAT employee has discriminated against them because of a disability, they have the right to seek a review of such concerns. Students have the option of pursuing a formal grievance. When filing a formal grievance, the student should first present their concern in writing to the CIAT Disability Services department.

Upon receipt of this notice of grievance from the student, the Student Services Director and Vice President of Compliance will undertake a review of the unresolved complaint. CIAT may request additional documentation of the student’s disability. Once the information has been received and reviewed, the Student Services Director will present the results of this review in writing to the student. Please refer to the CIAT catalog for complete grievance and complaint procedures.