Welcome!
The Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) is committed to creating and maintaining a welcoming and inclusive educational and working environment for people of all abilities. LACCD remains committed to the principles of equal access and opportunity for individuals with disabilities in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), the Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act (ADAAA), and applicable sections of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. As such, no qualified individual with a disability shall, on the basis of disability, be excluded from participation in or be denied the benefits of the services, programs, or activities of LACCD, or be subjected to discrimination.
The Los Angeles Community College District requires that a reasonable accommodation be made for participation in and equal access to programs, services, activities, or facilities unless the accommodation would result in undue hardship or threaten the health and safety of LACCD employees or other participants.
Students and employees with disabilities have the same obligation as all members of the community to meet and maintain the institution’s job performance, academic and technical standards, and codes of conduct.
Reasonable Accommodation Policy and Procedure
The LACCD Administrative Procedure (AP) 7348 is a comprehensive resource concerning the reasonable accommodation process. It explains how individuals with disabilities should request reasonable accommodation, how requests are processed, and how Requestors may seek review of decisions denying requests. This procedure supplements relevant personnel policies and collective bargaining agreements and should be read in conjunction with those provisions; it does not alter the District’s obligations under those provisions.
Separate from this reasonable accommodation procedure, there is a process for any employee who is injured at work and becomes disabled either permanently or temporarily. This is managed by the Workers’ Compensation Unit. Information about this process and the forms required can be obtained from Human Resources.
ADA Coordinators
The ADA Coordinators serve as the point of intake for matters relating to the ADA, while facilitating the flow of information to the appropriate offices for ADA compliance with the ADA. In accordance with ADA laws, and LACCD policy, the ADA Coordinators are responsible for providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities who are staff, or faculty members, and who are able to perform the essential functions of their position with or without an accommodation. The District Office ensures consistency and uniformity throughout the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) by adhering to LACCD policies.
If you would like to request an accommodation based upon a disability, please contact the appropriate ADA Coordinator listed below:
| Location | ADA Coordinator |
|---|---|
| Educational Services Center | Cassandra Lawson |
| Los Angeles City College | Jason Sofianos |
| East Los Angeles College | Nghi Nghiem |
| Los Angeles Harbor College | Mercedes Yanez |
| Los Angeles Mission College | Candelario Resendez |
| Los Angeles Pierce College | Rolf Schleicher |
| Los Angeles Southwest College | Aminika Lott |
| Los Angeles Trade-Technical College | Eric Clark |
| Los Angeles Valley College | Sarah Song |
| Van de Kamp Innovation Center | Cassandra Lawson |
| West Los Angeles College | Brian Stokes |
Confidentiality
Disability-related information will be treated as confidential medical information. For example, LACCD faculty and staff do not have a right or a need to access diagnostic or other information regarding the disability of an employee or applicant; they only need to know what accommodations are necessary or appropriate to meet the individual's disability-related needs.
To protect ADA confidentiality by assuring limited access, all disability-related information must be filed with appropriate offices and kept separate from any other files. Departments or individuals should not keep any copies of such documentation within departments or offices.
Employee Accommodation Requests
An employee or applicant for employment must inform LACCD of a need for an adjustment or change concerning some aspect of the application process, the job, or a benefit of employment for a reason related to a covered disability. An individual need not have a particular accommodation in mind before making a request. An employee or applicant for employment may request a reasonable accommodation at any time, orally or in writing.
A request for reasonable accommodation does not have to include any special words, such as “reasonable accommodation,” “disability,” or “Rehabilitation Act.” A request is any communication in which an individual asks or states a need for LACCD to provide or to change something because of a medical condition. While a person does not have to specify a particular accommodation, it is helpful if the individual can suggest one. It is sufficient for the individual requesting reasonable accommodation to state that some sort of change or assistance is required due to a medical condition. A supervisor, other LACCD official, or the ADA Coordinator should ask the individual whether the individual is requesting a reasonable accommodation if the nature of the initial communication is unclear.
Employees making requests to perform work or enjoy workplace benefits should send an email to the ADA Coordinator.
Requests for reasonable accommodation in the application process for a job with LACCD should be directed to the District ADA Compliance Officer.
The ADA does not require the District to take any action that would fundamentally alter the nature of its programs or services, or impose an undue financial or administrative burden.
For answers to questions about the reasonable accommodation procedure at the LACCD or to file a reasonable accommodation request, please contact the appropriate ADA Coordinator.
Student Accommodation Requests
Our Disabled Student Programs and Services at the nine college locations provides educational support for eligible students with disabilities in the achievement of their academic and vocational goals. Assistance such as note-takers, accessible parking, special tutoring, audio CD and E-Text for the blind, mobility aids and equipment loans. In addition, special learning skills classes and computers are available to enhance student classroom success.
Students with a disability and needing reasonable accommodation need to direct their request to the College where they will be attending their classes. Below are direct links to the disabled student program at each of our college locations.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The ADA Amendments Act of 2008 defines a disability as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. Major life activities include, but are not limited to, caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, eating, sleeping, walking, standing, lifting, bending, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating, and working.
It is important to know that an impairment in and of itself does not necessary constitute a disability. The degree of the impairment must be significant enough to "substantially limit" one or more major life activities. Documentation must address the substantial limitation posed by the particular disability for which an accommodation is being requested.
There is a wide variety of disabilities and the ADA regulations do not list all of them. Some disabilities are visible and some are not. Some examples of disabilities include:
- Cancer
- Diabetes
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- HIV
- Autism
- Cerebral Palsy
- Deafness or hearing loss
- Blindness or low vision
- Epilepsy
- Mobility disabilities such as those requiring the use of a wheelchair, walker, or cane
- Intellectual disabilities
- Major depressive disorder
- Traumatic brain injury
The ADA covers many other disabilities not listed here.
Yes. Documentation is needed as it allows us to engage in the interactive process. There are some exceptions, and for further details, please contact the ADA Coordinator at your specific location.
A reasonable accommodation is a modification or adjustment to a job, work environment, or the way things are usually done. These accommodations are provided to ensure that individuals with disabilities have access to employment and can perform essential job functions.
Accommodations may include:
- Making physical changes to the workspace such as installing ramps or modifying workstations.
- Providing assistive technologies or devices like screen readers or ergonomic equipment.
- Modifying work schedules or allowing for telecommuting.
It is important to note that reasonable accommodations should not cause undue hardship to the employer. Employers are required by law to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities unless doing so would impose an undue hardship.
Resources
In accordance with the requirements of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (“ADA”), Los Angeles Community College District will not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities on the basis of disability in its services, programs, or activities.
Los Angeles Community College District does not discriminate on the basis of disability in its hiring or employment practices and complies with all regulations promulgated by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission under Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Los Angeles Community College District will generally, upon request, provide appropriate aids and services leading to effective communication for qualified persons with disabilities so they can participate equally in District programs, services, and activities, including qualified sign language interpreters, documents in Braille, and other ways of making information and communications accessible to people who have speech, hearing, or vision impairments.
Reasonable Accommodation Appeal
The appeal process is intended to provide employees with the opportunity to bring forward questions regarding substantive or procedural errors that occurred during the accommodation review process. The appeal process is not intended to initiate a new accommodation review process at a higher level. When an alternative resolution process is not successful, employees may formally appeal an accommodation denial utilizing the forms below.
Please note, final appeals must be received within five (5) business days after receiving the Accommodation Request final decision notice.
Questions?
For answers to questions about the reasonable accommodation procedure at the LACCD or to file a reasonable accommodation request, please contact the appropriate ADA Coordinator.