Accessibility Services
Welcoming and Inclusive Environment
SUNY Corning Community College is committed to ensuring welcoming and inclusive living and learning environments for all students, including students with disabilities. Accessibility Services engages in an interactive process with students to determine appropriate accommodations to provide equal access to college resources.
Kathleen Craig, Coordinator of Accessibility Services
100 Chemung Hall
607-962-9578
Office Hours - Main Campus (Spencer Hill, Corning, NY)
Monday - Friday: 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. and by appointment.
Elmira Center: Please contact us to schedule an appointment to meet at the Elmira Center
Disability Awareness
Being disabled isn’t a bad thing — what’s bad is the way people treat me.
“I wish my nondisabled friends knew the hardest part about being disabled isn’t my
disability itself. It’s the way society treats you because of it that’s most challenging.
We live in a world that is inaccessible and doesn’t prioritize the inclusion of people
with disabilities. When you look at me, I want you to see my disability and all that
comes with it. Disability isn’t a bad thing. It’s a natural part of the human condition.”
— Ola Ojewumi, patient advocate, writer and founder of Project Ascend
“'Disabled'” isn’t a bad word, so don’t be afraid to say it.”
“Nondisabled members of society have been socialized to feel incredibly uncomfortable
around disability. It starts when children, with all their beautiful, curious, innocent
wonder at all things in the world, look inquisitively towards someone with a disability,
and their adults take this wonderful learning opportunity and squander it on a brief
admonishment that it’s rude to stare. The silent implication is that they should just
pretend that the disabled person doesn’t exist. If the child asks a disabled person
a question about their disability, the child is quickly scolded by their caregiver
for being so rude. Those children grow into adults who can’t bear to think about,
talk about, or acknowledge disability. People aren’t even comfortable saying the word
‘disabled,’ instead choosing to say ‘handicapable,’ or ‘differently abled. People
also often use words like ‘special needs’ to describe people with developmental disabilities
such as autism or Down syndrome. But ‘special’ would be if I always needed to eat
dragon eggs for breakfast. ‘Special’ would be if I always needed to sleep in a tree.
I need employment, I need love and support and acceptance, and I need to be invited
to the diversity and inclusion table. Those are human needs. There isn’t anything
‘special’ about them.” — Mickey Rowe, actor, director and public speaker
Don’t exclude me from plans just because you think I won’t be able to participate.
“It’s natural for people to assume that I can’t do something because of my height, but I’m always up for trying anything new and going on any adventure. In 2019 alone, I traveled independently to more than 30 U.S. cities.” — Becky Curran Kekula, motivational speaker
Give me some grace if I end up needing to cancel.
“Having a disability that limits my involvement in things is dreadfully isolating, and it’s all too easy to feel forgotten or ignored because people stop thinking to include me. The flip side of this one, however, is please don’t get angry or guilt-trip me if I have to decline or cancel at the last minute; I promise I’m more upset about it than you are.” — Shayla Maas, host of the podcast “Tips and Tricks on How to Be Sick”
I don’t need your quick fix (and I’ve probably heard it before).
“I’ve heard of, and tried, everything you could possibly suggest: yoga, hot yoga, acupuncture, chiropractors, CBD, the list goes on. Casual, prescriptive fixes aren’t helpful. Before you tell a disabled person about your great idea to fix them, remember that if there actually was a quick fix, we would have done it by now. Disabled people are the experts in living in our own bodies and navigating our own conditions.— Sara Youngblood Gregory, culture writer
It’s OK to laugh sometimes.
“This is a case of knowing your friend, but for me, I feel much more comfortable when
I’m with people who are able to laugh off the occasional awkwardness caused by my
hearing loss. Sometimes I mispronounce common words; sometimes someone asks me a question
and I hear something wildly different; and sometimes someone will say something that
I didn’t catch and I’ll say the exact same thing a moment later. Pretending it didn’t
happen makes it more awkward (I can usually sense something is up). It’s much better
to gently point out the confusion or mistake and then laugh about it with me.” — Kelly Dougher-Krinsky, writer
There’s more to me than just my disability.
“I am a person before my disability. I have been referred to in some social situations as ‘that blind girl.’ This can be upsetting, as I am many things before my blindness and it does not define me. My name is Steph. I am a wife, sister, operations assistant for a consulting firm. I love shopping, horse riding, Grey’s Anatomy, and I just happen to be blind.” — Steph Agnew, disability consultant
Telling me I’m “inspirational” for just living my life isn’t a compliment.
“Disabled people are not your inspiration. Being inspired by us just because you see us living life while being disabled is ableist. Disabled people are capable of doing many things. Yes, our disability can make it hard for us to do certain things, but that does not mean we are limited in living life.” — Nila Morton, model and disability advocate
It’s OK to ask if I need help ― but don’t just take over.
“If I say no, step back. If I say yes, do the thing you’ve offered without making it seem like it’s weird, even if it’s not something you’d expect to be asked to help with by a nondisabled person — such as pushing a wheelchair or assisting with medical stuff of any kind. I appreciate your help more than you know, and it makes me feel like I’m just a normal person when you help me out and you don’t make it a thing. Maybe my life doesn’t look like everyone else’s, but it’s normal for me and I am grateful when you treat it that way, too.” — Shayla Maas
A positive attitude isn’t going to ‘fix’ my disability.
“In the U.S., we’re taught a lot about the power of positivity, even if that positivity is unrealistic or harmful. This ‘you can do anything you set your mind to’ attitude should not be applied to disability. For most of us, there is no ‘getting better.’ Rather than expecting or encouraging a good attitude, try practicing empathy and compassion instead. Acknowledge the very real limits — physical, mental, institutional — that exist for disabled people. Remember that attitudes and bodies aren’t something to be fixed, ableism is.” ― Sara Youngblood Gregory
Resolving Student Concerns with Equal Access
CCC supports all students in their right to file a complaint when they believe they have been denied equal access in the form of appropriate accommodations, modifications, auxiliary aids, or effective communication as described in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 as amended and/or the New York State Human Rights Law.
Students are encouraged to discuss their concerns with the Office of Accessibility Services. Staff members are available to assist students in trying to resolve issues. If a student feels that a satisfactory resolution has not been reached, the student should deliver a written complaint by email or hard copy to the ADA/504 Compliance Officer (equalopportunity@corning-cc.edu) or A101 Administration Building in the Human Resources Office. The complaint should be filed within a reasonable time, generally two (2) weeks from the time of notification of dis/approved accommodations, and specifically describe the nature of the complaint and the reasons why the resolution is not satisfactory.
The ADA/504 Compliance Officer shall review the complaint and will conduct an independent investigation which may include interviews of parties and witnesses deemed relevant and material to the issues raised and shall make a final determination in the matter and notify all interested parties of the final decision, in writing, within two (2) weeks of receipt of the grievance.