Categories of the Special Needs Allocation
Disability Services Offices:
"The improvement or increased availability of appropriate counselling, professional resources and information focused on disabled students".
Expenditures in this category may include; staff costs, professional materials and resources in various formats, disability-related information and subscriptions.
Consulting/Assessing:
"The improvement or acquisition of consulting/diagnostic services (testing or assessment) related to meeting the needs of students with disabilities".
Many colleges have negotiated agreements to purchase services from professionals in their community. Also, many colleges have secured this expertise within their staff. Regardless, the expenses of obtaining appropriate diagnoses and related consultation are valuable and permissible in this category.
Support Services/Devices:
"The improvement to both technological support (specially fitted computers and software; assistive devices) and support services such as tutors, visual language interpreters, note takers and proofreaders".
Colleges may include both human and technical supports in this category of expenses.
Professional Development:
"The provision of professional development activities focused on disabilities".
Colleges are required to provide professional development activities for Disability Services Office staff as well as the college community. Faculty and staff need to be made aware of our legal obligations as well as the nature and means of supports that are available. Information and learning activities concerning various disabilities may also be included in professional development activities.
Vocational Rehabilitation Services Transition Fund
VRS Clients:
These funds have been granted to assist colleges to provide former VRS clients with appropriate supports that expedite access to post-secondary education.
Colleges are expected to provide services directly to students with disabilities and may include counselling, adaptive equipment, assessments etc.
Interpreter Fund:
This fund is intended to assist in reimbursing the actual costs of interpreter and related services for students who are deaf, deafened and hard of hearing. Colleges outside the Metropolitan Toronto area that do not receive interpreter and other services through George Brown College may access this fund. Eligible expenditures include; ASL/LSQ Interpreters, computerized notetaking, real-time captioning and intervenors.
Costs relate to students' educational needs and costs for both full-time and part-time students are acceptable, provided all other sources of funding have been exhausted. These include, for example, ESS, HRDC, WSIB and others.
The Ministry provides the report format to be completed. The reports require colleges to submit and interim report in December and a final report at the end of February indicating:
• the type of service used
• the total number of students using the services
• the total hours of services used
• the anticipated costs for the coming period (for interim report only)
• the total costs (final report only)
Transcription Services:
The Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities provides funding in support of transcription services for postsecondary students requiring print-alternate material. Print-alternate materials include audio-cassette, large print, Braille and diskette.
W. Ross Macdonald, Resource Service Library is responsible for coordinating transcription services and contracts with various service providers. Each college has a designated person for processing requests and receiving materials. The person is not necessarily a staff member of the office for students with disabilities.