Please remember to register or re-register with Accessibility Services each semester.
Registration with Accessibility Services
Getting Started: Contact Us to Register!
The first step to registering is to contact the advisor in Accessibility Services at your campus to set up your first meeting.
New students must arrange and attend (in-person or virtually) an appointment with Accessibility Services. Students will be required to complete forms and submit documentation.
During the intake meeting, students will meet with their Accessibility Advisor and determine which accommodations and resources they require.
Returning students will need to re-register with the Accessibility Services each semester by making an appointment with an Accessibility Advisor.
Preparing for Your First Meeting
As part of our accommodation process, you will have an initial meeting with the Accessibility Services department.
Be prepared to have documentation for your meeting.
When booking your initial meeting, ask “What documentation do I need?” and request a contact name, fax number, email, or mailing address.
Confidentiality and Self-Advocacy
Accessibility Services Advisors adhere to confidentiality and only communicate with you about your program, progress and accommodations. Any communication between Northern College’s faculty staff and administration supporting your success as a student will never disclose the nature of your disability.
As a student, you are expected to develop further self-advocacy skills, e.g learning about college supports/processes, speaking with your teachers, or identifying when you have an issue or concerns and seeking out the appropriate supports on your own.
Communication from the College to you will be through your assigned Northern College email account, as a result – it is best practice to check your student email every day.
Accessibility Services assist students in a variety of ways. Given that each student’s needs are unique, services and accommodations are established on an individual basis and based on documentation of the student’s disability.
For more information, please reach out to the Accessibility Advisor at your campus.
Students with disabilities have the right to equal access to education. While students have the right to equal treatment, they also have responsibilities. Colleges meet these rights by providing accommodations and other services to students with disabilities through their Accessibility Services department. For students who wish to receive formal accommodations it is their responsibility to:
- Self-identify to Accessibility Services;
- Provide appropriate documentation of their disability to Accessibility Services; and
- Follow the rules and guidelines set out by Accessibility Services.
Students with disabilities are not automatically registered with Accessibility Services, even if they had an IEP in high school. All students who wish to access accommodations must individually register with Accessibility Services.
New students must arrange and attend (in-person or virtually) an appointment with Accessibility Services. Students will be required to complete forms and submit documentation. During the intake meeting, students will meet with their Accessibility Advisor and determine which accommodations and resources they require. Returning students will need to re-register with the Accessibility Services each semester by making an appointment with an Accessibility Advisor.
Accessibility Services are required by law to keep your information confidential. Information obtained will not be released without consent, with the exception of cases where there is a concern of potential harm to yourself or others. Information provided to Accessibility Services will remain between the student and the office. Faculty and instructors will only be informed of the required accommodations and not diagnoses.
Accessibility Services can share general information about our registration and accommodation process with parents and caregivers. However, a release of information form must be completed and signed before we can share personal information.
No.
This information is not shown on an academic transcript.
No.
This information is considered confidential.
If you do not register with Accessibility Services, you will not be able to receive formal accommodations. It is recommended that you register with Accessibility Services once you have accepted your program offer to have access to your accommodations. If you find that your accommodations are not necessary or need to be adjusted once school begins, you can discuss changes with Accessibility Services.
It is never too late to register with Accessibility Services or to disclose your disability. The office is open year-round to support students and arrange accommodations. If a student registers with Accessibility Services midway through their post-secondary schooling, the office can help set up accommodations and services to assist students in their current or future courses. However, keep in mind – it can take time to arrange accommodations. In addition, post-secondary schools have deadlines for making exam accommodations and it is the student’s responsibility to be aware of those deadlines.
Please reach out to your Accessibility Advisor on your campus to book appointment.
| Haileybury Campus jibbw@northern.on.ca 705-672-3376 ext. 1-8818 |
Kirkland Lake Campus connorsk@northern.on.ca 705-567-9291 ext. 3625 |
| Moosonee Campus smallw@northern.on.ca 705-336-2913 ext. 5603 |
Timmins Campus timminsaccessibility@northern.on.ca 705-235-3211 ext. 2237 |
It is strongly advised that you give 24 to 48 hours’ notice to cancel or to reschedule an appointment. This allows another student the opportunity to book an appointment if possible. Be advised that missed appointments may result in a delay in service and/or a delay in the implementation of your accommodations.
Your appointment may be rescheduled to ensure that there will be sufficient time to adequately address all your questions and/or concerns. You may be required to reschedule your appointment if you are more than 15 minutes late.
If appointments are missed or are habitually attended late, you may be required to commit to an Academic Support Plan.
Documentation Required
Northern College supports students with permanent and/or temporary disabilities.
Students, under the Ontario Human Rights Code, do not need to reveal their disability diagnosis – with the exception of learning disabilities – to receive accessibility supports, services, and/or accommodations.
You must provide supporting documentation that outlines your functional limitations or a psycho-educational assessment that identifies a learning disability.
Documentation is required from a regulated health care professional confirming a disability and identifying the functional limitations you will experience in post-secondary education. Interim accommodations may be provided to students who are being assessed or waiting on documentation. It is not a requirement to provide a specific diagnosis to access accommodations and support services at Northern College.
If you have a learning disability, you will need a current psycho-educational assessment completed by a Psychologist or Psychological Associate within the last 5 years or as an adult (18 years or older), confirming your functional limitations. Referrals for updated psycho-educational assessment may be facilitated through Accessibility Services.
If you have physical, medical, hearing, vision or mental health concerns, your registered health care professional can complete the Medical Information Request Form [PDF, 381 KB] or provide similar documentation confirming your functional limitations.
Please note:
- An IEP provides background information, but does not confirm a disability or related functional limitations.
- A registered healthcare professional is someone who is capable of providing confirmation of a disability and providing the functional limitations that may affect your academic functioning (i.e. chiropractor, optometrist, family physician, psychiatrist, nurse practitioner, etc.).
Colleges require an assessment of functional limitations completed by qualified practitioners. Possible requirements for particular disabilities include:
- Psychoeducational assessment (Learning Disability, Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD)
- Medical Documentation (mental health, physical disability, or medical conditions)
- CNIB card (vision impairment)
- Audiologist Report (hearing impairment)
Contact the Accessibility Services office on your campus to determine what you require, as it may be necessary for medical documentation to be filled out. Book an appointment with a qualified practitioner (medical doctor, psychologist, psychiatrist, etc.) to obtain your documentation.
It is advised that you start as soon as possible to ensure that your documentation can be reviewed, and your accommodations put in place. You may be eligible for temporary accommodations while awaiting the updated documentation.
If your documentation is outdated by more than 5 years, you will be required to obtain updated documentation from a qualified practitioner.
No.
To access permanent accommodations in College, an IEP is not sufficient documentation. The IEP does not transfer automatically to Northern College.
Accessibility Services will guide you through the process of obtaining appropriate documentation.
In College, the Accommodation Form replaces an Individual Education Plan (IEP). The Accommodation Form is a confidential document that provides a written statement of the academic accommodations for both in-class and test/exam settings; it is created by Accessibility Services.
If you only have an IEP in High School, you are required to complete a formal psychoeducational assessment or have your doctor complete our medical documentation forms.
At Northern College psychoeducational assessments can be obtained through the Northern Ontario Assessment and Resource Centre (NOARC).
To see if a referral to NOARC is an option, please reach out to Accessibility Services.
A psychoeducational assessment can identify learning or mental health challenges; it will also identify your strengths and weaknesses.
We recommend a psychoeducational assessment be done in order to be eligible for accommodations.
The Bursary for Students with Disabilities (BSWD) and the Canada Student Grant for Services and Equipment for Persons with Permanent Disabilities (CSG-PDSE) are grants available to students with permanent disabilities.
These grants have no repayment required and can cover disability-related educational costs for services or equipment that are required for post-secondary participation.
Students with permanent disabilities and who qualify for student loans (e.g., Ontario Student Assistance Plan OSAP) may be eligible. to receive funding for an updated assessment through the Bursary for Students with Disabilities (BSWD).
In most cases if you qualify for the BSWD it will cover the expense of assessments (or a portion of the cost). Check with Accessibility Services on your campus for more information.
If you do not qualify for OSAP you can apply to external awards and scholarships offered through the College or other community organizations, utilize personal savings or family RESP contributions, or inquire about a student line of credit through a financial institution.
If you are taking a reduced course load as an accommodation of your disability, it can be considered the equivalent of a full course load carried by a student without a disability. OSAP requires a minimum course load of 40%.
Accessibility Services hosts a post-secondary transitional program at the end of August called College Bound for students coming to Northern College with disabilities.
Please contact Accessibility Services on your campus for more information.
Accessibility Services Advisors Contacts
Haileybury Campus
jibbw@northern.on.ca
705-672-3376 ext. 1-8818
Kirkland Lake Campus
connorsk@northern.on.ca
705-567-9291 ext. 3625
Moosonee Campus
smallw@northern.on.ca
705-336-2913 ext. 5603
Timmins Campus
foys@northern.on.ca
705-235-3211 ext. 2237
Please remember to register or re-register with Accessibility Services each semester.