Policy 13-2-1: Personal Care Attendant Policy
| Policy: | Policy 13-2-1: Personal Care Attendant Policy | Date Adopted: | November 21, 2006 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department: | Disability Support Services | Date(s) Reviewed and/or Revised: |
February 7, 2025; September 2, 2008 | |
| Contact: | Disability Support Service Program Director | |||
| Statement: | A Personal Care Attendant (PCA) is defined as an individual who attends to the physical needs of people who are disabled or otherwise unable to take care of themselves, including tasks such as bathing, management of bodily functions, and cooking. | |||
Section 1: Responsibility of the College
- It is the responsibility of Western Nevada College administration, faculty, and staff to provide academic or program access accommodations for a student with physical/medical impairments.
- Reasonable accommodations will be provided to address the student's disability within the classroom and service areas of the college. Accommodations are determined through the Disability Support Services office.
- Appropriate accommodations, for example, may include providing a note-taker for class lectures, a scribe to record responses or complete forms, provision of adaptive equipment within the classroom or lab setting, assuring building and college accessibility, or any other type of reasonable assistance that will allow the student equal access to the college and its programs.
- It is not the responsibility of the college to provide services to meet the personal needs of the student. Example of those services may include, but are not limited to, transfer from a car/van to a wheelchair; transportation to or from the classroom; administering medication; and addressing toilet, feeding, or dressing needs.
Section 2: Responsibility of the Student
- Personal Care Attendants may be required to address the personal needs of the student thus allowing their to participate in college. It is the student's responsibility to have the PCA register with the DSS office prior to any college-related activities, i.e., new student orientation, enrollment, and class attendance. The college is not responsible for providing PCA services on an interim basis. The DSS office does not participate in the PCA interviewing or hiring process.
- While at WNC, it is the enrolled student's responsibility for the activities of the PCA. The PCA must abide by WNCs student code of conduct. PCAs will not be allowed to proctor tests. PCAs may assist the student before or after classes but must wait outside the classroom while it is in session, unless given permission by the DSS Program Director to do otherwise. If the student requests that the PCA provide note-taking services, the college cannot pay the PCA a note-taker stipend.