Bel-Rea Institute – Disability Accommodations Policy

“The American with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 ensure that qualified applicants have the ability to pursue program admission. However, all students must meet the essential skills and technical standards to perform functions required of the Veterinary Technician program and profession. Every student will be held to the same standards with or without reasonable accommodations.” – Association of Veterinary Technician Educators (AVTE), 12/2011

What can Bel-Rea do for students with disabilities?:

Students with appropriate documentation of one or more disabilities will be allowed what the ADA terms “reasonable accommodations” to accomplish all required essential functions for their academic and hands-on training in the field of veterinary technology.

• Please note, we cannot waive or substantially alter any of the essential functions or program requirements due to a disability, as some high schools and remedial college courses do, which is often termed “modification” at the high school level.
• Appropriate accommodations will vary from person to person and will be assigned based on your documentation and specific needs.
• Notice of Nondiscrimination: Bel-Rea Institute does not discriminate on the basis of a handicap or learning disability in admission, access, treatment, or employment in its program or activities.

General Information:

Once you have completed the initial documentation approval process, paperwork will automatically be provided to your Instructors each quarter until you graduate.

• Please meet with each instructor at the start of each quarter (preferably in the first week of classes) to review your accommodations and discuss your needs.
• Please note that last minute requests for accommodations due to not completing your paperwork early in the quarter will likely not be granted, as many of the available services require time to set up, schedule, or fulfill.

If any questions or concerns arise during your time at Bel-Rea, please call (303) 751-8700, so we can review your needs and alter your list of approved accommodations. Please do not ask your Instructors to change your list of approved accommodations.

If you take time off from the program, please call (303) 751-8700 close to your return date that you will be returning the upcoming quarter.

Parents of students – Bel-Rea believes that all of our students are adults and treats them as such. The student must be the one to request services, interact with the faculty and staff regarding their accommodations, and inform us of any needs that arise.

• If an urgent situation arises, a parent may alert us by calling (303) 751-8700, but the student still must be the one initiating accommodations, communicating with all faculty/staff members, and requesting any change in services.

What is the process for approval for current students?:

Please provide documentation of your disabilities, call (303) 751-8700 for more information.

In addition to the names, titles, credentials, addresses, and phone numbers of the professionals involved, documentation must include the following:

• A diagnosis of one or more disabilities.
• A description of each disability.
• A summary of the assessment procedures and evaluation tools utilized.
• A summary of the evaluation results.

If at all possible, the documentation should include a list of recommended accommodations and the rationale behind the need for each.

Current records (within the last 3 years) are preferred, but older documentation may be considered based on the age and contents of the evaluation.

What should I do if I am considering attending Bel-Rea?:

Important: Review the Essential Functions for Veterinary Technicians list from the AVTE.

• Please review the list carefully to ensure that you will be able to meet all of the essential tasks and technical standards for required functions before enrolling in the program as all students will be held to the same standards on performing all functions either without or with reasonable accommodations.

Please provide documentation of your disability, call (303) 751-8700 as soon as possible (see the “What is the process for approval for current students?” section for documentation requirements).

• Call us at (303) 751-8700 and we will provide you with a report of available accommodations once she reviews your documentation. If there are any questions or concerns that your documentation does not address, we will contact you.

Please call us at (303) 751-8700 once you start classes and discuss any questions or concerns you may have.

What else does the program recommend I do?:

Contact the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) as soon as possible, before you start the program if at all possible. You may qualify for specialized equipment or assistance with tuition.

• The DVR provides helpful specialty equipment to students with disabilities to utilize throughout school and then take with them into the field, but there is typically a waiting list.

Please utilize the free services available to all students, including individual tutoring sessions and group tutoring clinics. These resources can be invaluable for clarification of concepts/assignments, gaining additional essential skills, and overcoming test anxiety.

Please speak with your instructors regarding recording lectures for later review. In most cases, it is allowed, but must be cleared first with the individual faculty member.

We highly encourage you to sit strategically in the classrooms to minimize any distractions or interference in your learning.

We also encourage all students to volunteer or work in the field as they go through school in order to apply the material they are learning and to see it utilized in “real life” situations.

If you find you need a lighter course load to allow for additional study time, please meet with our Registrar (in the Main Building) for assistance in altering your course plan.

What should I do if I have a service dog?

If you have a service dog, call us at (303) 751-8700 to discuss need and legal limitations/best practices in a medical setting before brining your dog to classes or labs. After the meeting, your instructors will be notified of an appropriate service dog.

• Appropriate service dogs accompanying individuals with disabilities are welcome, but please note that Bel-Rea is a high exposure site, as shelter animals are consistently on campus. Any sick, unvaccinated, recently vaccinated, or immune-compromised animals may be at risk.
• There are some circumstances where infection-control measures will require the exclusion of your service dog. These situations will be reviewed in the meeting and are listed in Bel-Rea’s Service Dog Policy.

What should I do if I have a temporary disability that affects my education?:

• Please contact us at (303) 751-8700 to discuss short-term services if you have a temporary disability (i.e. a broken arm). On-going documentation of need from your physician will be required for services beyond the initial approved period.

Who is the contact for students with disabilities?:

Amber Maler, Student Service Specialist, maler@belrea.edu, 303-751-8700 x206. Office located in the Media Center.