Federal and state laws govern the rights of students with disabilities to higher education.

These laws and policies include sections 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (1973 and 1998); the Americans with Disabilities Act (1990); and Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations.

What the Law Requires:

  • Equal, Not Preferential Treatment
  • Equal access to instruction, services, activities, and facilities of the college.
  • Students must be evaluated on ability, not disability.
  • Accommodations must be provided when students have educational limitations that affect the ability to acquire information or to demonstrate knowledge of the course material in a standard way

Under provisions of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), CCSF is required to provide accommodations for otherwise qualified students with disabilities.

Under the requirements of Section 504 and Title II, a student with a disability is obligated to notify the college or university of the nature of the disability and the need for a modification, adjustment, aid or service.

Once a college or university receives such notice it has an obligation to engage the student in an interactive process concerning the student’s disability and related needs. As part of this process, the college or university may request that the student provide documentation, such as medical, psychological or educational assessments, of the impairment and functional limitations.

The Section 504 regulations, at 34 C.F.R. §104.43(a), provide that no qualified individual with a disability shall, on the basis of disability, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any postsecondary education program of a recipient.

The Title II regulations, at 28 C.F.R. §35.130(a), contain a similar prohibition applicable to public postsecondary educational institutions.

The Section 504 regulations, at 34 C.F.R. §104.44(a), require recipient colleges and universities to make modifications to their academic requirements that are necessary to ensure that such requirements do not discriminate, or have the effect of discriminating, against qualified individuals with disabilities. Modifications may include changes in the length of time permitted for the completion of degree requirements, substitution of specific required courses, and adaptation of the manner in which courses are conducted. However, academic requirements that recipient colleges and universities can demonstrate are essential to the program of instruction being pursued or to any directly related licensing requirement will not be regarded as discriminatory.

Under the Title II regulations, at 28 C.F.R. §35.130(b)(1)(ii) and (iii), public colleges and universities may not afford a qualified individual with a disability opportunities that are not equal to those afforded others, and may not provide aids, benefits or services that are not as effective in affording equal opportunity to obtain the same result, to gain the same benefit, or to reach the same level of achievement as that provided to others.

Under 28 C.F.R. §35.130(b)(7), public colleges and universities must make reasonable modifications in policies, practices or procedures when necessary to avoid discrimination on the basis of disability, unless doing so would fundamentally alter the nature of the service, program or activity.

Section 35.103(a) provides that the Title II regulations shall not be construed to permit a lesser standard than is established by the Section 504 regulations.

Title II regulations to require public colleges and universities to provide necessary academic adjustments to the same extent as is required under the Section 504 regulations.

Class Relocation Form (PDF)

Please read the following before submitting the form posted above.

Assigned classrooms may be relocated by City College, if necessary, for students who are qualified individuals with mobility or health-related disabilities. The location of a class may be moved to provide access if barriers prevent students with such disabilities from attending class in the assigned classroom.

Please Note:

  • Classes will NOT be relocated if moving the class to an alternate location would result in a fundamental alteration in the nature of the academic program, or an undue financial and administrative burden for the College; or
  • If an alternate section or sections of the class in question are also offered at accessible locations; or
  • If the College can provide special equipment and/or furniture to alleviate any need for relocation of the classroom.

If you are a qualified individual with a mobility or health related disability, who encounters a barrier to access in your classroom, you should notify the instructor of the class, or a counselor at the Disability Services & Programs for Students (DSPS), at 415-452-5481 or the Dean of the Center you are attending.  

A completed Class Relocation form must be submitted to DSPS or the Dean of the Center the student is attending, if other than the Ocean Campus.

All requests to relocate a class must be made in writing.  Class Relocation forms are available from the Center Deans, DSPS or Online: Use the form at the top of this page. Before submitting your request, please read the following.

Class relocation requests will impact the faculty and the other students who register for the class in question.  Thus, students with disabilities are strongly encouraged to consider their disability access needs before scheduling their classes.

Scheduling Classes

All students may check the On-line Class Schedule at http://www.ccsf.edu/Schedule to review information regarding the access features, and/or usability of City College classrooms.  Clicking on the footnote or room number of the classroom will link you to the accessibility information.  If you need assistance with this feature, contact DSPS at 415-452-5481 to obtain this information.

City College encourages all students with disabilities to check the locations of all alternate sections of the courses desired to see which classroom best meets your accessibility needs before you finalize your schedule. You may contact DSPS at 415-452-5481 at any time if you have any questions or concerns about the accessibility of a particular classroom.

It is the student’s responsibility to attend the first class.  Any student unable to attend the first class must notify the instructor.  Students who do not contact the instructor may be dropped from class.  If you find you have any difficulty accessing your classroom, you may make a request that the class be relocated.

Please note:  Students cannot request specific classrooms.

DSPS Students with disabilities who register with the DSPS are eligible to receive priority registration.  Priority registration permits DSPS students to register for classes during the two days BEFORE the general student body. Students are strongly encouraged to use priority registration procedures to arrange a schedule of classes that meets their disability needs and avoids barriers to access.

If you are a student with a disability, and you have not already done so, please:

Register with Disability Services & Programs for Students in the Rosenberg Library, Room 323 - 415-452-5481, or John Adams Center DSPS at 415-561-1001, meet with a DSPS Counselor, and provide medical documentation of a disability.

The DSPS, instructor or Center Dean may assist by:

  • Facilitating a transfer into a different section
  • Removing barriers to access
  • Moving the class to a classroom that is accessible to you

When DSPS receives a Classroom Relocation Request, DSPS will contact the student to discuss their disability access needs.  The student may have to provide medical verification of disability.  The DSPS Accommodations Specialist and/or DSPS Counselor will then evaluate classroom accessibility and work with the student in finding a solution to the reported access barrier.

If it is determined that classroom relocation is necessary, the DSPS Accommodations Specialist or DSPS Counselor will collaborate with the Office of Instruction to relocate the class.  Only the Office of Instruction has the authority to relocate a class.

If the class is relocated, the student will be notified of the new location.  If relocating the class is not possible because it will result in a fundamental alteration of the academic program or an undue financial or administrative burden for the College, the DSPS Accommodations Specialist, DSPS Counselor or Center Dean will discuss alternative solutions with the student.

All relocation requests are handled on a case-by-case basis, but the College will make every effort to consider and respond to all such requests within 10 Instructional days, or within the first 5 scheduled classes, whichever is sooner.

CCSF Student Complaints and Grievances Process

  • Individuals dissatisfied with a campus policy or the conduct of a college employee can bring a complaint, a written or verbal notice of dissatisfaction, to the attention of the appropriate faculty, staff, or administrator at any time. Student complaints may be classified as a grievance and fall into the following three categories: Academic, Non-Academic (Student Affairs), and Title 5/IX Matters (Discrimination/Harassment). This link takes you to the applicable resources to follow the complaint processes of that area.

DSPS Dispute Resolution and Grievance Procedures

  • This document explains City College's procedures for dispute resolution and for filing a written grievance when students do not agree with the academic accommodations that are offered by the Disability Services & Programs for Students (DSPS) or when an instructor refuses to allow the academic accommodations offered by DSPS.

Grievance Form

  • This form can be opened in Microsoft Word. In most browsers, click the link and choose to save. If you need assistance with any DSPS form, please contact us.