AUXILIARY AIDS AND SERVICES FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES 

Troy City Schools will take appropriate steps to ensure that persons with disabilities have an equal opportunity to participate in our services, activities, programs.  The procedures outlined below are intended to ensure effective communication with stakeholders. All necessary auxiliary aids and services shall be provided without cost to the person being served.  

PROCEDURES:
1. Identification and assessment of need:

When an individual self-identifies as a person with a disability that affects the ability to communicate or to access or manipulate written materials or requests an auxiliary aid or service, staff will consult with the individual to determine what aids or services are necessary to provide effective communication in particular situations.

2. Provision of Auxiliary Aids and Services:

Troy City Schools shall provide the following services or aids to achieve effective communication with persons with disabilities:

A. For Persons Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

(i) For persons who are deaf/hard of hearing and who use sign language as their primary means of communication, Troy City Schools is responsible for providing effective interpretation or arranging for a qualified interpreter when needed. Troy City Schools will obtain an outside interpreter if a qualified sign language interpreter is available.  

(ii) Communicating by Telephone with Persons Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

Troy City Schools utilizes relay services for external telephone with TTY users.  We accept and make calls through a relay service.  The state relay service number enables you to still call a person who is deaf, hard of hearing, or speech-impaired by using the Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS). With TRS, a special operator types whatever you say so that the person you are calling can read your words on his or her TTY display. He or she will type back a response, which the TRS operator will read aloud for you to hear over the phone. Toll-free TRS services are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Contact 1-877-787-1989 (Speech-to-Speech) 1-866-931-9027 (VCO) Email: accessibility@sprint.com. ME Customer Service - Customer Care: 800-270-9709(voice/TTY).

(iii)  Some persons who are deaf or hard of hearing may prefer or request to use a family member or friend as an interpreter.  However, family members or friends of the person will not be used as interpreters unless specifically requested by that individual and after an offer of an interpreter at no charge to the person has been made by the facility.  Such an offer and the response will be documented in the person’s file.  If the person chooses to use a family member or friend as an interpreter, issues of competency of interpretation, confidentiality, privacy, and conflict of interest will be considered.  If the family member or friend is not competent or appropriate for any of these reasons, competent interpreter services will be provided.

*Troy City Schools will obtain an outside interpreter if a qualified sign language interpreter is available.*

B. For Persons Who are Blind or Who Have Low Vision

(i) Staff will communicate information contained in written materials by reading out loud and explaining these forms to persons who are blind or who have low vision.

Large print, Braille, and electronically formatted materials may be made available via AIDB or devices with accessibility features. 

(ii)  In addition, the staff is available to assist persons who are blind or who have low vision in filling out forms and in otherwise providing information in a written format. 

* Persons requiring these services should contact the education agency contact listed below.*

C. For Persons With Speech Impairments

Writing materials, accessibility devices, and other communication aids can be made available upon request.

For the provision of auxiliary aids for persons with disabilities, please contact the school's principal or Dr. Christie W. Armstrong, Special Education Director.