Disability Support Services (DSS)
What is DSS
Disability Support Services (DSS) provides the support services for students with disabilities that are mandated by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act at Southwestern College.
Section 504 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) 1990 are civil rights legislation implemented to prohibit discrimination against individuals with disabilities. These laws give civil rights protections to individuals with disabilities in employment, education, public accommodations, transportation, and telecommunications. This means that while in college both laws guarantee equal opportunity to educational activities for students with disabilities.
Operating under these mandates, DSS provides students who qualify with specialized services to support maximum participation in Southwestern College programs and activities.
DSS Mission
Our mission is to provide you with an inclusive, fully accessible, and engaging educational environment that empowers student success through innovative accommodations, programs, services, training and partnerships with students, educators, and the community.
How to Apply for DSS Services
To be eligible to apply, you must:
- Be a Southwestern College student with a disability that can be verified.
- Complete and submit both the DSS Application (PDF) and the Disability Verification Form (PDF).
Application Form (Spanish PDF), DSS Disability Verification form (Spanish PDF) - If you recently graduated high school and received specialized services, click here to complete the High School Consent to Release Confidential Information Form (PDF).
The above forms are also available at the following locations:
- Chula Vista Campus: Disability Support Services, Room S108
- Higher Education Centers at San Ysidro, National City or Otay Mesa
When DSS receives the above documentation of the disability, you will be contacted to schedule an appointment with a DSS specialist to discuss appropriate accommodations, support services, and academic programs through an interactive process. Once your application and verification have been processed, please know that it can take up to two weeks for you to be scheduled for an eligibility appointment.
DSS Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)
Our SLOs are statements that clearly identify what DSS wants our students to be able to do, or be able to demonstrate, upon completion of a course, an appointment or a service. "Requesting Accommodations" are the DSS SLO's which student's will master if they:
- Students talk to his/her professors and use academic accommodations and services in their classes.
- Students develop and use skills to solve problems.
Requesting Authorized Academic Accommodation forms
Continuing DSS students can obtain the Request for Authorized Academic Accommodations (PDF) form by clicking here.