Office of Disability Services at LBCC

     Hundreds of students at Linn-Benton Community College receive accommodations for their classes. There could be a student who sits next to you in class that receives accommodations and you may not even know it.
     The Office of Disability Services (ODS) at LBCC, located in Red Cedar Hall, is a service which ensures that students with disabilities have an equal opportunity to learn and equal access to an education. More than 600 students receive accommodations from ODS and the amount increases annually.
     ODS supports students and college guests with disabilities and collaborates with faculty and staff to provide opportunities for a high-quality education that is appropriate, equitable and accessible. ODS promotes self-directed learning to develop individual student potential and ability to achieve goals, according to their mission statement.

     Office of Disability Services assists students by:
• Reviewing documentation to confirm eligibility
• Planning reasonable accommodations
• Coordinating services in the classroom
• Providing support i.e. assistive technology, testing accommodations, and classroom accommodations
• Success coaching and advocating

     Founded in 1990 as a department independent from LBCC, ODS became part of LBCC in 1999. ODS helps eliminate barriers that are impacting a student’s disability. To avoid discrimination, an instructor cannot assume that a student has a disability and then make judgments or assess a student based on that perception. If the student has demonstrated learning challenges, the instructor can and should be referred to ODS, but cannot be forced to work with them.
     The accommodations that a student can receive are determined on a case by case basis through ODS. Students take a test, then the results of that test determine what accommodation(s) the student is eligible for. The student’s case worker will then design a plan that offers appropriate accommodations, and the student has the option to use them as they are needed.
     If a student believes that they are eligible for accommodation they first self-identify whether they have a disability. They must then obtain documentation to prove that disability. Following that, they apply for accommodations and schedule an appointment with Nancy Tanberg, the ODS Coordinator, or Carol Raymundo, an Instructional Specialist. By asking questions, the ODS staff can provide referrals or identify strategies for the student.
     LBCC uses Universal Design to help students. The concept of Universal Design is to create a learning environment friendly to all learning types without specialized adaption. Courses are designed taking all characteristics of students into consideration.
     “Many colleges and universities have gone from a medical model of disability services to a social model, because it is about being social and being accepted regardless of disabilities. It is a social responsibility,” said Tanberg.

At a glance:

What: Office of Disability Services, which helps students that have learning disabilities
Where: Red Cedar Hall, LBCC-Albany
Who: Nancy Tanberg, Coordinator
When: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Phone: 541-917-4789