This semester students can once again be assessed for learning disabilities on campus after a four-year suspension of the program.

A service to assess students for learning disabilities had been suspended for years. During that time students who believed they had a learning disability had to be assessed by off-campus providers, said Melanie Masters, learning disability specialist at the Accessibility Coordination Center & Educational Support Services office.

“For years the campus provided free assessment of learning disabilities for eligible students, but when the budget cuts were in force, these assessments were suspended,” said Masters. “We are now able to reinstate the service for those students who are in need and meet our criteria for assessment.”

Aside from assessing learning disabilities, the ACCESS office provides a wide range of support services and materials for students such as note-taking services, test taking accommodations and alternative text, according to the ACCESS webpage on the Moorpark College website.

The webpage also includes articles on topics like the importance of self-advocacy skills for students with disabilities that was published by the National Center for Learning Disabilities and written by Richard Goldhammer and Loring C. Brinckerhoff.

Any student interested in being assessed for a learning disability can visit the ACCESS office during the drop-in hours. These are Monday 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Tuesday and Thursday 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., and Wednesday 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. The ACCESS office is located on the ground floor of the LMC building. More information is also available at the ACCESS webpage, which is located here.