AccessAbility Services 

Emphasizing Equal Access to Education and Focusing on Abilities  

Sherry C. Thompson
AccessAbility Services Director 

Renee Macemore
AccessAbility Assistant 

For an appointment:
Call (336) 838-6212
Or email: renee.macemore@wilkescc.edu 

AccessAbility Services Welcomes You 

Welcome to the AccessAbility Services web page. We are here to assist students with identified disabilities in making their experience at Wilkes Community College both successful and accessible. This website will provide information to guide you in accessing services and accommodations you may need. Most of your questions can be answered by exploring the links on this website; however, feel free to contact us. We are here to answer any disability related questions and provide guidance throughout your time at WCC. 

The AccessAbility Services office is located in the Student Success Center in Thompson Hall. The director's office is in room 252A and the AccessAbility Resource Center (ARC) is in room 254.
Resources available in the AccessAbility Resource Center (ARC) include: 

• A quiet environment for testing 
• Tape recorders for use in classroom 
• Information about adaptive equipment such as magnification equipment and fm systems 
• Software such as Dragon Naturally Speaking, Window Eyes, and ABBY Fine Reader 
• Books in alternative format 

Mission Statement 

The mission of AccessAbility Services is to ensure equal access to Wilkes Community College classes, programs, facilities, services, and activities to otherwise qualified students with documented disabilities. Wilkes Community College seeks to comply fully with the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act. The goal of AccessAbility Services is to promote and enhance disability awareness and understanding among students, faculty, and staff of the college.
We further strive to facilitate a transition of students with disabilities from high school to college to the workplace.  

Hours of Operation for the AccessAbility Resource Center 

Steps for Obtaining Accommodations from AccessAbility Services  

1.  Complete an application and be accepted for enrollment at Wilkes Community College. You can find an online application by clicking on the Student Services tab at the top of the page and then clicking on the link to admissions.  
2.  Make an appointment to meet with the Director, Sherry Thompson, for accommodations of placement tests, orientations, in the classroom, and while testing. 336.838.6212 or 336.838.6560 or email: sherry.thompson@wilkescc.edu. 
3.  Before your appointment, it can be helpful to complete the Wilkes Community College Accommodation Request Form. (link below)  
4.  If you have documents that demonstrate your disability such as a psycho-educational assessment from a licensed psychologist for learning disabilities or a statement from a medical doctor for physical limitations, bring them to the appointment. If those documents aren't readily available, we can provide further guidance during your appointment.  
5.  If you need accommodations for placement testing, please plan ahead and contact Sherry Thompson at least two weeks before you schedule your placement test and orientation. The earlier the better to make sure that your needs are met.  
6. If you have a hearing impairment or vision impairment you may request an individual orientation with a reader or interpreter by contacting the AccessAbility Services Office with advance notice of at least two weeks.  
7. All students requesting accommodations will meet with the Director of AccessAbility Services to determine an accommodation plan.  This is an interactive meeting and the student?s input regarding their current limitations is extremely helpful in making determinations.   This is an important first step in the student?s learning to advocate for themselves.     

You may find it helpful to review the Documentation Guidelines specific to your needs in our student guidebook-AccessAbility Services: A Guidebook (link below) at Wilkes Community College.  Please review AccessAbility Services: A Guidebook for further information, such as student responsibilities and legal issues. If you have questions, but do not yet have documentation, you may schedule an appointment just to discussion options.  We may be able to help you identify a means of obtaining the documentation. Please call Renee Macemore, AccessAbility Assistant at (336) 838-6212 or Sherry Thompson, Director, at (336) 838-6560 to schedule an appointment.   

AccessAbility Services Resources 

WCC Accommodation Request Form: 

  PDF version
 Word version 

AccessAbility Services: A Guidebook (for students with disabilities)
 PDF version 

  Word version 

 Faculty Resources for Accessible Instruction 

Universal Design Learning-simple tools that will help all your students learn. On this website from Washington State University, you will find simple ways that you can improve your content delivery so that students with busy lives, students with disabilities, and first generation college students will have access to your course information. http://www.washington.edu/doit/CUDE/ 

AHEAD (Association for Higher Education and Disability)  

http://www.washington.edu/doit/Brochures/Technology/distance.learn.html  

Real Connections: Making Distance Learning Accessible to Everyone  

 http://www.washington.edu/doit/Brochures/Technology/distance.learn.html 

Captioning:  

To make your classes truly accessible by everyone, videos should be captioned both online and in the classroom. Free simple to use video captioning tools: http://www.universalsubtitles.org/en/ 

Captioning and YouTube videos: http://www.youtube.com/t/captions_about 

Universal Design of Advising: http://www.washington.edu/doit/Brochures/Academics/equal_access_adv.html  

If you have questions or students with specific needs,please call Sherry Thompson, Director of Accessability Services at (336) 838-6560 or email at sherry.thompson@wilkescc.edu. 

Sherry C. Thompson, Director
Telephone: (336) 838-6560
sherry.thompson@wilkescc.edu  

Other resources for students: 

Academic Support Center  

SAGE