Disability Information and Access

Your accessibility is our focus.

Teaching, Learning, Collaborating (TLC) is a partnership initiative involving students with disabilities, instructors, administrators, and campus members.

Our focus is providing opportunities for accessibility and awareness both achieved through:

Visit: Our office located in the Student Success Center in the library (#6 on this map).
Call: 402.402.486.2600 ext. 2080
Email: tlc@ucollege.edu

Establishing Your Accommodations

Essential to the college experience includes equal access to learning, campus information, college activities, utilizing campus facilities, and amenities. An important step to establishing access may include designing accommodations (including dorm accommodations and the use of an *emotional support animal) or strategies. Initiating this step starts as a partnership between the student and Disability Information and Access (also referred to as TLC).

Some helpful steps to implement this process include:

  • Contact the Director of Disability Information and Access to request a meeting.
    Office: 402.486.2600, ext. 2080 • Email: debbie.forsheesweeney@ucollege.edu
  • The agenda set in this first meeting is up to you. Some ideas include exploring options, information gathering, or starting the process to qualify for accommodations.
  • When qualifying for accommodations, some documents may be requested to guide the conversation and provide information about specific requests (i.e., medical records, psychoeducational testing and school records such as an IEP or 504 Plan). Providing these documents during the first meeting may help remove any delays in the process.
  • There are three guiding principles to assist in establishing the accommodation plan:
    • Review of barriers as they relate to the student’s access and disability-related experience,
    • Identify accommodations or strategies that may reduce or remove the barrier,
    • Determine essential elements of the program, service, or activity as they relate to the accommodation.

*The college provides reasonable accommodations for emotional support animals (ESA) in college and residential housing (ESA are not considered a service animal under the Americans with Disability Act). For policies, procedures and forms please email tlc@ucollege.edu, or current students can access them through uGroups.

Union College, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act, forbids discrimination against all individuals with a disability.

Tools to Support Your Learning

As a student registered with Disability Information and Access you will automatically qualify for the use of learning technology, access to the sensory room and PACC.

Learning Technology
The tools may be either part of the accommodation plan or listed as strategies to support learning. Some examples of the learning technology available are:

  • Otter.ai
  • KAMI
  • Mind Mo
  • AudioNotes
  • Read&Write
  • Dry Erase board

Sensory Room

Soon to be available! The sensory room will provide students a designated place on campus to decompress or focus. This space is being designed as a safe space for students and access to the space is provided through Disability Information and Access.

Personal Academic College Coaching (PACC)

PACC is available to students wanting to increase their executive functioning (EF) skills as they relate to their college experience. EF skills are fundamental skills used in managing learning, planning, initiating and achieving goals. Some EF skills may be stronger than others when a student would like to enhance their strengths or address skills yet developed, PACC coaching can help. The coaching process is a partnership between the student and the coach, designed to support the student achieve their plan. 

ΔΑΠ

DELTA Alpha Pi - Chapter Alpha Pi

Delta Alpha Pi is an academic honor society founded to recognize high-achieving students with disabilities who are attending colleges (including community colleges) and universities as undergraduate or graduate students. This dynamic organization celebrates and supports academic achievement, leadership and advocacy for post-secondary students with disabilities. Over 170 institutions have established a chapter to recognize students’ academic achievement.

To learn more about student eligibility, criteria and benefits:

Visit: Our office is located in the Student Success Center in the library.
Call: 402.402.486.2600 ext. 2080
Email: tlc@ucollege.edu

Collaboration icon

Teaching, Learning, Collaborating

Teaching, Learning, Collaborating (TLC) is a partnership initiative involving students with disabilities, instructors, administrators, and campus members. This partnership focuses on strategies to improve access design, incorporating universal design, and increase disability culture awareness.

Now under the Student Success Center, this initiative brings the TLC full circle to the original inception started in 1978. As reported in the Clock Tower’s August 1978 issues “Teaching Learning Center Established.” Karen Graham, Director of the Teaching Learning Center (TLC), reported, “Union College is the first of the Seventh-day Adventist colleges to have a Teaching Learning Center. The Center has six major areas of concentration, study skills courses, tutoring, career guidance, advising, professional counseling and testing”(1978, pg 1).

Supported programs for student learning has been the mission of the TLC for over 40 years. Programs such as:

  • 1978 - The first Anatomy and Physiology “vocabulary reinforcement lab” offered by instructor Barbara Goyne.
  • 1979 - College prep classes offered to MAU academies.
  • 1979 - Professional development for instructors and advisors.
  • 1983 - The Freshman Development program focusing on first year student support.
  • 1983 - UNI-Care computer training for the first computers installed in college dorm rooms.
  • 1987 - The People of Promise program created and directed by Dr. Joan Stoner. Offering support for students with learning disabilities, course instruction on reading, spelling, math, one to one academic advising(coaching), accommodations, evaluation and diagnostic testing, community awareness presentations and teacher training.
  • 1999 - TLC Director Jennifer Forbes and TLC advisor Elizabeth Anderson were awarded a grant to establish the first assistive technology lab for the Lincoln community and State of Nebraska.
  • 2008 - Celebration of TLC 30 years of service. Honored for their dedication, time and energy in making the TLC a place where students felt welcomed and supported; Dr. Barbara Goyne, Dr. Joan Stoner, and Jennifer Forbes.
    Also honored Barbara Pogue for her years of service to the TLC and for her generous gift to start a scholarship for TLC student(s).
  • 2009 - TLC staff complete the first certified life coach training, formalizing the TLC advisor role as academic coaches.
  • 2021 - Establishment of the Teaching Learning Collaborating initiative.

Questions? Want to get involved?

If you have questions about disability and access, or if you want to become involved in the TLC initiative, contact us: 

Visit: Our office located in the Student Success Center in the library (#6 on this map).
Call: 402.402.486.2600 ext. 2080
Email: tlc@ucollege.edu