ADA Academic Services Available
College of the Mainland provides reasonable accommodations and assistance to any student with a documented disability that substantially limits one or more major life activities. Approved modifications are determined individually by the Accessibility Services Coordinator based on your official medical documentation, course structure, and direct academic impact.
All approved accommodations, hardware loans, and specialized communication adjustments are provided at no cost to eligible COM students.
Individualized Adjustments, Assistive Technologies, and Communication Support
Testing accommodations are designed to accurately measure your academic knowledge without barriers. Depending on your approved accommodations, testing modifications may include:
- Extended testing time
- Oral testing or reading support
- Testing in a separate, low-distraction room
- Marking directly on the exam instead of utilizing a scantron sheet
- Utilizing a professional scribe for the exam
Testing Responsibilities:
- Reservations: You are responsible for reserving your specific testing day and time directly with the campus Testing Center.
- Specialized Staffing: If your accommodations include a live reader or scribe, you must notify the Accessibility Services office at least 2 business days in advance to guarantee the arrangement of the service.
Personal note-taking support services are available as an approved academic accommodation for students whose documented disabilities physically or structurally impact their ability to take comprehensive in-class lecture notes. Students must submit adequate medical or psychological documentation explicitly supporting the functional need for note-taking modifications.
College of the Mainland provides professional sign language interpreters for students who are deaf or hard of hearing to ensure complete classroom access.
Important Guidelines for Interpreter Services:
- Advance Notice Required: You must contact the Accessibility Services Coordinator prior to the start of the semester to initiate your file and request interpreters for your upcoming course schedule.
- Campus Visits: Prospective students requiring an interpreter for tours, enrollment, or campus visits must contact our office ahead of time to coordinate staffing.
- Peer Boundaries: To maintain institutional and professional standards, family members or close friends of the student are not permitted to act as interpreters in the educational setting.
- Attendance No-Show Policy: Interpreting resources are highly specialized. Students using sign language interpreters are required to report any course absences prior to the class meeting time. If you miss 3 classes without contacting the Accessibility Services office, your interpreter services will be automatically suspended. You will remain responsible for your class attendance and must meet directly with the Coordinator to have your services officially reinstated.
Our office maintains a suite of specialized software and hardware tools to promote academic independence. Equipment is loaned on a first-come, first-served basis and must be formally checked out through the Accessibility Services office.
Software Solutions:
- JAWS: Read-aloud screen reader software supporting individuals with visual impairments or severe learning disabilities.
- ZoomText: Low-vision software that magnifies the screen and enhances contrast across Windows applications.
- Dragon Naturally Speaking: Advanced speech-to-text voice recognition software.
Hardware and Devices Available for Loan:
- Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV): Adjustable desktop magnification devices to increase the size of printed textbooks and physical media.
- FM Loop Systems & UBI-DUO Communicators: Wireless communication devices and frequency transmitters supporting students with hearing impairments.
- Learning Tools: Smart pens, AlphaSmart keyboards, portable lecture voice recorders, and reading pens for immediate word support.
- Classroom Aids: Talking calculators, reading overlays, large computer monitors, and background noise-blocking headphones.
For students with severe learning disabilities or visual impairments, COM assists in obtaining electronic or alternate-format versions of required textbooks. Because formatting requests rely on publishers and national clearings, advance planning is crucial.
To request an alternate format textbook, you must submit the following details to our office as early as possible:
- Official receipt proving purchase of a physical hard copy of the textbook.
- The textbook ISBN, Title, Author, Publisher, and specific Edition number.
Tip: Eligible students are also encouraged to secure a membership with Learning Ally, a national nonprofit organization that provides extensive accessible audiobook libraries for individuals with reading difficulties.
Designated accessible parking spaces are located near the primary entrances of every building on campus. College of the Mainland honors all official, valid accessible parking permits and placards issued by the State of Texas.
For additional questions regarding campus vehicle parking or physical accessibility entryways, contact the Campus Security Office at 409-933-8403.
Frequently Asked Questions
Transitioning to college or requesting accommodations for the first time can bring up a lot of questions. Below are direct answers to the most common inquiries regarding eligibility, the application process, and classroom accommodations at College of the Mainland.
Any enrolled student with a documented physical, mental, learning, or temporary disability that substantially limits one or more major life activities is eligible. To receive accommodations, you must submit formal medical or psychological documentation and complete an intake interview with our office.
No. While your high school records are helpful for historical context, college accommodations operate under different federal laws (the Americans with Disabilities Act). In college, the student must self-disclose their disability, request services independently, and provide adult-level documentation of functional impact.
Generally, documentation for learning and psychological disabilities should be current (typically within the last 3 to 5 years) to reflect your adult learning needs. Permanent physical or medical conditions usually do not require updated testing unless your needs have changed significantly.
The standard review process takes approximately 1 to 2 weeks after our office receives your completed application and documentation. Because accommodations are not retroactive, we strongly recommend completing this process before the semester begins.
Absolutely not. Your diagnosis is strictly confidential. The official Accommodation Letters sent to your instructors will only list the specific classroom or testing adjustments you are approved to receive—never your medical or psychological condition.
You do not need to reapply to our office, but you must request your Accommodation Letters at the start of every new semester. Accommodations do not automatically roll over to new classes.
You must coordinate with the campus Testing Center to schedule your exams. If your adjustments require specialized scheduling—such as a live reader or professional scribe—you must notify the Accessibility Services office at least 2 business days in advance to secure staffing.
Devices like smart pens, digital voice recorders, or specialized calculators are loaned out on a first-come, first-served basis through our office. You can check them out for the duration of the semester after signing a hardware loan agreement.)
We're Here to Help
Accessibility Services
Ensuring Equal Access, Fostering Independence, Empowering Success.
Doyle Family Administration Building (Inside the Student Success Center)
Hours: Monday – Friday: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
5 p.m. – 7 p.m. available upon request on Monday's. Send email to arrange.
