Overview of Disabled Students Program and Services

The Disabled Students Programs and Services (DSP&S) was enacted in 1976 through the passage of AB 77 (Lanterman), which funded support services and instructional programs for students with disabilities in the California Community Colleges.

The DSPS program provides support services, specialized instruction, and educational accommodations to students with disabilities so that they can participate as fully and benefit as equitably from the college experience as their non-disabled peers.

A Student Educational Contract (SEC) is developed for each student which links student’s goals, curriculum program, and academic accommodations to his/her specific disability related educational limitation.

Eligibility Criteria

The specific disability must be verified, and there must be an educational limitation that precludes the student from fully participating in general education without additional specialized services.

Services

Examples of services available through DSPS that are over and above those regularly offered by the college would be test-taking facilitation, assessment for learning disabilities, specialized counseling, interpreter services for hearing-impaired or deaf students, mobility assistance, note taker services, reader services, speech services, transcription services, transportation, specialized tutoring, access to adaptive equipment, job development/placement, registration assistance, special parking and specialized instruction.

Technical Assistance Visits

The Galvin Group provides technical assistance visits to the California Community Colleges, under the auspices of the Chancellor’s Office, to assist DSPS programs as they prepare for Program Reviews and the college accreditation cycle. More information is available in the Technical Assistance Visit area of the website.