St. Petersburg College Accessibility Services Students Resource Guide

The mission of St. Petersburg College is to empower our students and community to achieve success and economic mobility through academic excellence and engagement.

Equal Access/Equal Opportunity Statement

The Board of Trustees of St. Petersburg College affirms its equal opportunity policy in accordance with the provisions of the Florida Educational Equity Act and all other relevant state and federal laws, rules and regulations. The College will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, age, national origin, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, or against any qualified individual with disabilities in its employment practices or in the admission and treatment of students. Recognizing that sexual harassment constitutes discrimination on the basis of sex and violates this Rule, the College will not tolerate such conduct. Should you experience such behavior, please contact the Equal Access/Equal Opportunity Office at 727-341-3261; by mail at P.O. Box 13489, St. Petersburg, FL 33733-3489; or by email eaeo_director@spcollege.edu This includes all pregnancy or childbirth-related requests.

EA/EO and Title IX

Know Your Rights Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

Students and eligible parents and guardians have the rights as afforded by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and delineated under the Board the Board of Trustees’ Rule 6Hx23-4.37 to:

Inspect and review education records within 30 days of the day the college receives a request for access
Request the amendment of a student education record the student believes is inaccurate
Consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent

https://www.spcollege.edu/current-students/student-affairs/student-right-to-know/ferpa

Overview of Accessibility Services

St. Petersburg College recognizes the importance of equal access to learning opportunities for all students. Under Section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disability Act of 1990, SPC seeks to ensure that admission, academic programs, support services, student activities, and campus facilities are accessible to and usable by all students who attend the college.

Accessibility Services is the campus office that works with students who have disabilities, to provide and/or arrange reasonable accommodations. Accessibility Services aligns with St. Petersburg College strategic plan of “Better Jobs, Better Lives, Better Communities” by increasing high-value program enrollment, enhance student persistence, boost completion, and elevate Pinellas.

Registering with Accessibility Services

To request accommodations and register with Accessibility Services, a student must complete the following steps:

Go to Accessibility Services website, provide link, to 'Register for Services" and click onto "Register with Accessibility Services" www.spcollege.edu/accessibility.
Provide appropriate documentation of the disability.
Attend and actively participate in the interactive process with an accessibility services coordinator to discuss how your disability has an impact in an educational setting and determine reasonable accommodations.
Approved accommodations will be sent through Accessibility Information Management system to select instructors and a copy to your live email.
As a college student you need to demonstrate self-determination by following up with your instructors on your accommodation requests.

Until the student completes all steps of the registration process, they will be placed in a pending status and not eligible for specific academic accommodations. Accessibility Services reserves the right to deactivate files that remain incomplete after one semester. The student may begin the process again at any time.

Disability Related Documentation

Students requesting accommodations may need to provide appropriate documentation of a disabling condition and participate in an interactive process to request services from Accessibility Services through one of the Accessibility Services Coordinators.

Accessibility Services will follow a timeline that allows up to thirty (30) calendar days from the date we receive your registration and participate in an interactive process meeting to the delivery of reasonable accommodations. This timeline provides coordinators and support staff time to review provided information, coordinate any assistive technology, request alternative formats from publishers, and finalize campus and classroom supports.

If documentation is required, all documentation must be from a licensed professional trained in the area for which they are making the diagnosis or recommendation. All documentation should be on a typed letter or report on letterhead, include disability-related evidence, and should include the information as stated below:

Proper documentation must clearly state the name, title, and professional credentials, as well as provide information about license or certification and include the area(s) of specialization, employment, and the state/province in which the individual practices. In most cases, documentation should abide by a comprehensive diagnostic/clinical evaluation that adheres to the guidelines outlined in this document.
Current IEP or 504 from your high school may be submitted for consideration.

As the manifestations of a disability may vary over time and in different settings, it is required that students maintain and provide the most current information.

Documentation should validate the need for services based on the individual’s current level of performance in the educational setting. Students are strongly encouraged to bring any documentation of the disability to the Accessibility Coordinator to assist them in establishing the most appropriate support through accommodations. You may upload the documentation online using the secured electronic application process, which is available on our website at www.spcollege.edu/accessibility.

Approved Accommodations

Students must request approved accommodations every semester through the Accessibility Information Management System (AIMS). Go to Accessibility Services website, click onto link, https://www.spcollege.edu/friends-partners/about/compliance-statements/accessibility-services then click on 'Returning Student Accessibility Log-in”.

Accessibility Coordinators at each campus are there to assist students throughout the initial request for accommodations and each semester throughout a student’s SPC experience. Contact information for SPC Accessibility Services staff is available click onto link, https://www.spcollege.edu/friends-partners/about/compliance-statements/accessibility-services/accessibility-services-contacts

Reevaluation of accommodation(s)

Due to educational settings can vary and disabling conditions can change, students can request expansion or change of services with their home campus Accessibility

Coordinator. This will be conducted through an interactive process and updated documentation may be requested. After the reevaluation process occurred, interactive process and requested documentation was received, Accessibility Services has ten business days to approve additional services or deny in writing.

Fundamental Alteration

Reasonable accommodations are determined via the Interactive Process by Accessibility Services. Part of this process is to determine accommodations that will assist access without altering the learning outcomes of a course or program. These guidelines include the requested accommodations:

Does not fundamentally alter the nature of the program or activity such as licensing requirements.
Does not alter or remove essential academic requirements.
Does not present an undue administrative burden on the college.
Does not pose a threat to the safety of others or the public.

If a student makes a request for an accommodation that may violate one of these guidelines including altering the essential standards, competencies or requirements that have been defined by each department, the student can request that the Fundamental Alteration Committee review the individual request. The college has up to thirty days, excluding dates when the college is closed, from the initial request with the Accessibility Coordinator to the committee making a determination. Refer to updated Procedure P6Hx234.021 The determination is not transferable to other programs or institutions.

The Fundamental Alteration Committee, which will consist of employees who collectively are knowledgeable about the academic area, any related licensing requirements, and any applicable accreditation for the course of study. The determination made by the Fundamental Alteration committee is made on a case-by-case basis for the current course or program identified within St. Petersburg College.

Assistive Technology Services

Assistive Technology Services are available to all students who are registered with Accessibility Services and have been approved to receive these services. The Assistive Technology Department offers comprehensive support, including access to assistive technology software, equipment, and tools across all college campuses, for classroom and online environments. Training on assistive technology (AT) tools is available; however, it is the student’s responsibility to arrange and schedule their own training sessions.

Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services

Deaf and Hard of Hearing services are available for students with approved ASL interpreting accommodations by an Accessibility Coordinator in collaboration with the ASL Interpreting and Transcription Services office. This can take up to 6 to 8 weeks to schedule an interpreter and/or captionist.

To request American Sign Language Interpreting services, complete an Interpreter Request Form online at https://www.spcollege.edu/survey/664 Please allow minimum of twelve (12) working days to process your request.

Course Substitutions

The College’s Board of Trustee’s procedure regarding services for students with disabilities, P6Hx23-4.21 in accordance with State Board of Education Rule 6A-10.041, outlines how students with disabilities can apply for substitutions to satisfy some graduation requirements. This includes the process, the criteria for approval, documentation required to support such requests, and appeal process. Please reach out to your Accessibility Coordinator of your home campus.

https://web.spcollege.edu/botrules/#

Service Animals

The College’s Board of Trustees’ policy and procedure regarding service animals is found at College Procedure P6H23-1.251. More information can be found at Service Animals || St. Petersburg College (spcollege.edu) https://web.spcollege.edu/botrules/#

Personal Care Attendants

Personal Care Attendants are hired by students with disabilities to provide personal care services in activities of daily living. This may include tasks such as bathing, dressing, grooming, and other personal care needs. The PCA works under the direction of the student and does not perform academic tasks or provide educational support. For the PCA to accompany students to college classes, services, and other college programs and activities the student and his or her PCA must work with Accessibility Services and SPC volunteer services. The Volunteer Application Process must be complete before being allowed on SPC campuses. St. Petersburg College is not responsible for locating or paying for these services or persons. https://www.spcollege.edu/friends-partners/work-with-spc/volunteer-at-spc

Informal and Formal Grievance

The Accessibility Services Office is available to informally discuss complaints or concerns to ascertain the best course of action in accordance with the College’s policy and procedures. The goal of informal resolution is not to determine whether there was intent to discriminate but to ensure that the alleged discriminatory conduct ceases and that the matter is resolved promptly at the lowest possible level.

Students or third parties who have a disability or accessibility related grievance (non-academic grievance) and who are alleging disability discrimination in violation of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 or American Disabilities Act of 1990 should follow College Procedure P6Hx23-4.364. As described in this Procedure, if you wish to file a formal disability or accessibility related grievance, complete the Discrimination Report Form at www.spcollege.edu/eaeo.

SPC Accessibility Services Student Resource Guide, updated October 2025. For any questions regarding information within this document, contact your campus Accessibility Coordinator or a member of the SPC Accessibility team. Contact information may be found at www.spcollege.edu/accessibility.

Have Questions? Contact the SPC Technical Support Center at onlinehelp@spcollege.edu or call 727-341-HELP (727-341-4357) (Mon.- Fri. 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m., Sat 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Sun 12:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Eastern).

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