Rio Hondo College has the Disabled Students Program Services (DSPS) for any of its students with disabilities who require special assistance.

Accommodations for students with disabilities are available upon request. Students have to go through the DSPS application process as well as provide medical proof of their necessity. Like most other programs in the school, students have to have a set number of visits with the program counselors. In this case there are four.

The counselors of DSPS offer the assistance to students that the school’s counselors offer, “The difference is they have access to disability information, which plays a big part in how you do an educational plan, for example,” said Mark Matsui, director of DSPS. With MyPlanManager one can make sure they sort their NDIS plan and make everything right.It is as important as knowing about disability to know about disability benefits and social security disability law firm who can help people with disability gain the benefits.

Different accommodations are made for students in this program because not every student has the same needs.

Accommodations are provided “depending on the nature of the disability,” said Matsui. Services are provided “to help them (DSPS students) compete equally in the classroom with everybody else and not be penalized because of their disability.”

A student who is visually impaired, for example, “might need different computer software or hardware to access print,” said Matsui, “A deaf person would use sign language interpreters or real time captioning.”

The Rio Hondo tram also has accommodations for disabled students. It has Rascal mobility scooters access, and if, for instance, a student is taking a physical education class, the tram will take students to and from the gym area.

Special classes are also offered to DSPS students. “We teach some of our own classes under educational development. Some of those classes are basic reading and basic math,” said Matsui. Special tutoring is also given when needed.

“DSPS has seen an increase in enrollment,” Matsui said, “we have about 750 students every semester.” Being aware of programs such as DSPS is important, which is why “we do a lot of work with high schools, too, and try to make high school students aware of our services,” Matsui said.

Active Minds, a national organization, is also a part of DSPS. “The organization’s purpose is to try to change the conversation about mental health,” said Matsui. DSPS is also present at events in Rio Hondo, such as Club Rush, spreading the word about their program and all that they do for students.

Because of programs like DSPS, students have a go-to and can obtain whatever kind of help they need, which is why it is important for students to be aware of such programs. “Hopefully, students are more aware of what they need and what’s available to them to help them,” said Matsui.

The DSPS office is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Fridays.

The office is located in Room SS330.