How to Use Accommodations

A reasonable accommodation is a disability-related modification or adjustment to a course, program, activity, or facility that allows for equal access and opportunity.

If you do not have accommodations approved by Access and Disability Services (ADS) yet, learn how to obtain accommodations.

  1. Request instructor notification of your approved accommodations through the ADS student portal each semester or term.

    To do so, log in to the ADS student portal using your MCC username and password, and follow these instructions to request accommodations.

    Your classes may not appear in the ADS student portal immediately after enrolling; it may take up to 48 hours for them to become available. Once your classes are available in the portal, be sure to submit your accommodation request through the portal as soon as possible. Accommodations are not retroactive and must be requested before you intend to use them.

  2. Reach out to your instructors about using your accommodations.

    For example, if you plan to take a test in the Testing Center, your instructor may require a reasonable amount of advance notice from you; it is important to find out how much notice is required.

    Here is an example of an email that you can send to your instructor:

Hi Professor,
My name is ____ and I am a student in your ____ class. You should be receiving my accommodations from Access and Disability Services. I plan to use ____. Please let me know if you have any questions or want to discuss this further. Thank you.

Contact ADS at disabilityservices@mchenry.edu or (815) 455-8766, or stop by A256, if you have any issues with the ADS student portal or need support navigating accommodations with your instructors.

Instructions for Requesting Accommodations through the ADS Student Portal

Reminder: Request your accommodations a week or two before the start of each semester.

Review the following instructions to request accommodations through the ADS Student Portal. You will need to request your accommodations each semester. If you are having trouble requesting your accommodations, contact our office at disabilityservices@mchenry.edu, (815) 455-8766, or Room A256.

  1. Go to the online ADS student portal. After selecting the link, you will be directed to a landing page titled “Welcome to Online Services.” From there, select the tile with the gray arrow labeled “Student or Staff Sign In.”
  2. You will be re-routed to an MCC page that asks you to enter your MCC-issued username and password. Remember that your username is the first part of your email address, preceding the @students.mchenry.edu domain.
  3. After logging in, you will be directed to the Overview page, also referred to as your dashboard. The overview page will display important messages and include a box labeled “Select Accommodations for Your Class.” Read the important messages, and then scroll down to your classes. If that is unavailable, first select “List Accommodations” on the left-hand side under the My Accommodations Tab.
  4. Check the box for each class in which you will be using your accommodations, and then select “Step 2 – Continue to Customize Your Accommodations,” which is listed under your classes.
  5. You will be taken to the overview screen, where you will see your selected classes. Under each class, select the approved accommodations that you want sent to that instructor. You will need to check the box for each accommodation under each class.
  6. Select “Submit Your Accommodation Request” at the bottom.
  7. Wait to receive an email from ADS confirming that your instructors have been notified about your accommodations; this email will come to your MCC student email address. ADS typically sends accommodation notices shortly before the start of the semester. If you request accommodations after the start of the semester, your instructors will generally be notified within two business days.