PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire Community College (BCC) Foundation has been awarded a $3,950 grant from Berkshire Life Charitable Foundation to support the college's Disability Resource Center (DRC). 

 

The funds will be used to purchase assistive technology equipment, including digital "smart pens" and recorders, for students with documented disabilities.

 

Nearly 200 students with disabilities enroll at BCC each year, representing about 15 percent of the total student population. The DRC assists BCC in meeting the needs of these students and in complying with federal and state mandates designed to help them succeed. Specifically, the DRC coordinates specialized academic advising, arranges for alternative test-taking, refers students to local service agencies, assesses learning strengths and weaknesses, and identifies alternative access routes for students with physical disabilities.

 

"The BCC Foundation is grateful to be a recipient of a Berkshire Life Charitable Foundation grant," said Shela Levante, BCC Director of Development. "The pandemic has disrupted the learning of all students, and it's a top priority of the college to ensure that all students have the resources they need to thrive. By partnering with Berkshire Life, we are able to provide the educational support services our students need to maximize their potential for academic success."

 

Assistive technology can be an asset students with disabilities, who often struggle with attention, focus and information-processing. Smart pens, for example, promote independence in note-taking. As the student writes partial notes, the smart pen records audio and uses an infrared camera to sync what the student writes with the audio. After a lecture, students simply tap on a word and the pen will sync to the place in the lecture in which the professor was discussing that topic.

 

In addition to the DRC, BCC offers a range of support services in support of its mission to foster success in the classroom. These services include transition to college programs, English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs, tutorial services, a writing center, a TRIO Student Support Services program and personal counseling.