Inver Hills Office of Accessibility Resources

10/17/2025

10/15/2025

OAR and DCTC Disability Resources are excited to work with our Unified groups and bring back the Disability in Action series!
In celebration of the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, we are sponsoring monthly events to educate, uplift, and celebrate the unique needs and perspectives that people with disabilities bring to our community.
First event is a student panel at DCTC this Tuesday. Folks unable to get down to the Rosemount campus for the event can attend via zoom.
Want to learn more about the series? Click this link to learn about the fall events. https://news.inverhills.edu/blog/annual-disability-in-action-events-for-fall-2025/

Image description: On a blue and green gradient background, a large, stylized D and A is centered. The center of the D is an arrow pointing to the right, and the center of the A is an arrow pointing up. Below that is the words "Disability in Action."

09/05/2025

Brand new puzzle and coloring sheets out at the OAR brain break! Stop by and let your mind rest for a bit!

Image description: Photo of an open puzzle box, coloring sheets, and a blue pencil box on a gray desk top. Two empty chairs are on either side of the desk—ready for you!

09/03/2025

If you filled out the form with your Letter of Accommodation requesting that OAR send out your letter for you, it either went out in an email yesterday, or will go out today! You will be copied on that email. Remember, if you did not request that we send your letter out, your instructor will only know you need a letter by sending it yourself.
Image Description: On a dark green background, there is a watercolor image of an envelope. The Inver Hills Bee is in the center of the envelope. Above the envelope is text reading "OAR Mail Call!"
Below the envelope is text that reads "Students who requested that OAR send out their letters--Today is the day! Check in with your instructors for next steps!

08/29/2025

Welcome back, Inver Bees! You made it through the first week of the semester!! A few reminders from the Office of Accessibility Resources:
-If you need a letter and have not yet gotten in to meet with us, get on the schedule as soon as you can! Call, email, or set up a starfish appointment.
-If you have your letter, make sure your instructor gets it! You can email it to them with your course number, and they'll take it from there!
-Your letter email may have come with some forms to complete. Textbooks and note taking supports wait on these things being completed first. Don't put it off!!
Very excited to have you on campus! Stop by OAR for help with your access needs! Inver Hills Community College
Image Description: On a green background, in the bottom right corner, a photo of a white person with long dark hair and a green sweater is looking thoughtfully up at the words "First Week OAR Wonders..." Below that are three questions: Did I send out my letter of Accommodation? Do I need to talk to OAR? Do I have forms to fill out?

08/11/2025

Looking for new supports to try this school year? Consider looking at Genio Notes--a note taking support app that we are offering ALL Inver Hills (and DCTC) students this school year!!

https://news.inverhills.edu/blog/genio-notes-note-taking-support-app-free-for-inver-students/

08/05/2025

Universal Design is at work all over the community! How do you see access driving innovation?

07/31/2025

Interested in learning more about the fight for Deaf rights before the ADA was passed? Consider learning more about the Deaf President Now Protest held in the 1980s at Gallaudet University! Gallaudet University is a historically Deaf university that has supported the Deaf community since 1864. In the 1980s, students waged a protest of the hiring of a non-Deaf president, a protest that ultimately worked--the University has had Deaf presidents ever since! Apple TV has a fantastic documentary about the protests--consider checking it out at the link below!

Discover the story of the greatest civil rights movement most people have never heard about. During eight tumultuous days in 1988 at the world’s only …

07/29/2025

The final stripe of the disability pride is green, representing sensory disabilities, like Deafness and Blindness. The Disability justice movement began in large part with the fight for access that Deaf and Blind people have been waging for generations. Their work has been instrumental creating a more accessible world for well over a hundred years!
Image Description: On a white background is a green box. Inside the box is black text, reading: Accessibility is everyone's job. 11 million Americans are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (source: NDC 2021). 7 Million Americans are blind or have vision loss (source: CDC 2024).
Assistive Technology, like captioning, screen readers, and high contrast imaging help make the world more accessible for Deaf and blind students.

07/26/2025

Happy Disability Independence Day! Today is the 35th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act. We celebrate how far we have come since then, while also honoring the continuing fight for better access and more equity for the disabled community! The Office of Accessibility Resources is honored to fight alongside our students!
Image Description: There is a white square on a blue, green, red, and yellow abstract background. In the center of the white square is a dark gray rectangle with five hearts in the center in the colors of the disability pride flag: red, gold, white, blue, and green. Above the rectangle, there is text reading: Happy Disability Independence Day!! Below the rectangle, there is text reading: Today, 7/26/25 is the 35th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

07/23/2025

It's extra challenging to maintain mental health while navigating the stress and transitions of being a college student. Most students need some support when things get tough. Inver Hills has campus supports available, and students can also access the online Mantra program. If you want to seek resources off campus, the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) is a great place to start! Check out some resources they have available if you are interested!

Explore ways to manage your mental health while in college, including stress, therapy, and campus help.

07/21/2025

Mental Health is the next disability category that we will highlight for disability pride month! While just shy of 1 out of 4 US adults experience mental health needs in a given year, virtually all of us experience needs related to our emotional health at times. Normalizing Universal Design that supports mental health and access to mental health services not only ensures access for everyone, but saves lives!
Image Description: On a white background is a blue box. In the upper left hand corner of the blue box is the Inver Hills bee mascot. Inside the box is the text: Accessibility is everyone's job. 22.8% of US adults experience mental illness each year. (source: NAMI, 2021). Universal Design like access to mental health professionals, sensory tools, sensory spaces, and normalizing mental health needs help students find success--and saves lives.