About Disability Support Services (DSS)
Program Overview

History and Description

Did You Know?

The mission is to assist students with disabilities to more fully participate in De Anza College's classes, programs, services as they pursue personal, vocational and educational goals.

• De Anza was an "early adopter" of support programs for college students with disabilities in California.  The DSS program was established in 1973.

• Evolving over the years, it has addressed an increasingly more diverse population of students with disabilities and continuously enhanced academic supports to increase educational achievement.

• Today, more than 1600 students enroll annually.  Attention to individual needs encourages students to set and pursue challenging goals.

What Does the Program Do?

As a comprehensive program, Disability Support Services (DSS)

• provides an array of legally mandated accommodations and supportive services
• for students with a wide variety of disabilities
• who are enrolled in De Anza's vocational certificate, degree and university transfer programs.

DSS provides services beginning with a student's initial contact at De Anza through his or her transition to work, the university or other community options.  This approach offers an on-going point of contact providing disability management counseling, a broad array of accommodations and coordination to increase access to campus resources.

As part of the Special Education Division, DSS assists the college to comply with legal mandates related to access and equal opportunity for persons with disabilities, such as applicable requirements in the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act, Title V of the California Community College Code of Regulations and Section 504 and 508 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act.

How does DSS Help Students?

Who is Eligible?

Students who have any verified disability, except a specific learning disability, that

• has been documented by an appropriate licensed professional specialist
• meets the criteria of impairing a major life activity and
• causes an educational limitation in the college setting.

In most cases, documentation must be provided on De Anza College's Disability Verification Form and must be dated within one year.

For specific information on eligibility requirements and the terms used here, see Disability Definitions and Documentation.

Students with specific learning disabilities are assisted through the Educational Diagnostic Center program.

How Does a Student Apply for Services?

Before services or accommodations can be started, a currently enrolled or prospective De Anza student who wants to receive accommodations or take special classes as a result of an eligible disability must complete the following:

• provide completed disability documentation to DSS
• meet with a DSS counselor for an Intake appointment
• complete DSS program paperwork and college enrollment requirements

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Related Programs

DSS is one of four programs that comprise De Anza's Special Education Division. These programs offer additional services and classes and may address the needs and goals of students with other types of disabilities.

• Educational Diagnostic Center (EDC)
  
• Adapted Physical Education (APE)
• HOPE - De Anza

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