Personal Care Attendants (PCAs)

The student and the PCA must both sign a PCA Agreement when the PCA process is initiated, at the beginning of each academic year, and in the event that a new PCA/agency is hired or assigned. The student is responsible for making an appointment with the OSA to go over the terms of the PCA Agreement. Both the student and the PCA should attend this appointment. Any PCA who fails to abide by College policies, rules, and procedures; this policy; PCA guidelines; or the terms of the PCA Agreement may be subject to removal from the residence halls, trespass from the College campus, loss of all privileges, and any other action the College considers appropriate in the event the College determines that the PCA has acted in a manner inconsistent with College policies, rules, and/or these PCA guidelines and PCA agreement terms.

It is the responsibility of the student and/or PCA to obtain a volunteer background check through the Human Resources department at Lewis & Clark College. The cost of a background check is determined by Human Resources and will be the responsibility of the student. It is the responsibility of the student and/or PCA to provide a copy of professional liability and general liability insurance for the PCA’s employing agency or for the PCA individually upon request of the College.

The following information provides clarification on the responsibilities of the PCA, the student and the Office of Student Accessibility (OSA):

Student responsibilities:

• Requesting an accommodation through the OSA and providing appropriate documentation supporting the necessity of having a PCA.
• Employing the PCA (hiring, training, paying, replacing, ensuring contingency plans, etc.) and ensuring the PCA has appropriate training, certification, and insurance through PCA employing agency or individually.
• Signing the PCA agreement form and adhering to the requirements therein.
• Ensuring that any PCA registers with the OSA and completes the PCA agreement form and any other required forms before providing services on campus. PCAs will not be permitted to enter the classroom or housing without the appropriate forms on file.
• Ensuring the PCA abides by all College policies, rules, regulations, and procedures of the College, including but not limited to the Student Code of Conduct, Academic Bulletin, Residence Life rules, and Housing Contract Terms and Conditions.
• Establishing a non-disruptive mode of communication between themselves and the PCA in the learning environment.
• Directing the activities of the PCA while at the College and ensuring the PCA is acting as a non-academic participant in the learning environment
• Informing the OSA of any change in PCA staffing during the term and facilitating the prompt completion of a new PCA agreement prior to PCA presence on campus.
• Making an alternative or contingency plan if the PCA is not available to provide assistance.
• Ensuring that the PCA’s College ID cards and/or residence hall keys are immediately returned to Residence Life in the event a PCA’s employment is ended.

PCA responsibilities:

• Being available to assist the student with personal needs in the learning and/or housing environment, as needed.
• Signing the PCA Agreement and any other required forms and adhering to the requirements therein.
• Abiding by all College policies, rules, regulations, and procedures, including but not limited to the Student Code of Conduct, Academic Bulletin, Residence Life rules, and Housing Contract Terms and Conditions. The College reserves the right to remove a PCA from the residence halls, expulsion and trespass from the College campus, loss of privileges or any other action the College considers appropriate in the event the College decides that they have acted in a manner inconsistent with the College policies or if the student or PCA have falsified any information on this agreement, regardless of the contract the student has in place with the PCA.
• When an educational or living environment requires students for safety- or health-related reasons to meet certain criteria, such as a background check, inoculations, personal protective equipment, etc., the PCA must meet the same requirement(s).
• Adhering to all other guidelines and regulations within this policy, the PCA agreement, and related guidelines.
• Registering with Campus Safety for parking privileges and to obtain an ID card.
• Acting as a non-academic, non-disruptive participant in the College environment. PCAs may assist with personal care needs in the classroom but may not assist with academic needs.
• Departing campus when the student is away from campus.

OSA responsibilities:

• Requesting appropriate documentation from the student that supports the need for a PCA in order for OSA to determine eligibility for the accommodation allowing the PCA access to the educational or living environment.
• Notifying faculty of PCA attendance in the learning environment.
• Addressing faculty, staff, and student concerns regarding a PCA in the learning and/or housing environment. 
• Facilitating discussion(s) between the faculty and student regarding PCA related questions and/or concerns, upon request.

• PCAs are only permissible in the classroom or lab when the student is in attendance.
• PCAs may not be enrolled in the class they are working in and will not receive academic credit for the class.
• PCAs should address the student directly when interacting in the learning environment, such as looking at the student when speaking.
• If the student’s disability affects communication, the PCA may verbalize the student’s comments. The student and the PCA will have already established a non-disruptive mode of communication between themselves prior to the class. For example, the student may use a communication board and the PCA will read out loud the student’s comment or question.
• A PCA is not an academic participant (auditing the class, taking the class, etc.); therefore the PCA should not be asking questions, making comments, taking notes or recording activities. A PCA should be available (in the classroom or close by) to the student as needed.

• PCAs are only permissible in housing at times and locations determined and approved by OSA and Campus Living department.
• PCAs are not to enter or access other residence hall rooms or to engage with residence hall staff on behalf of student.
• At all times, PCAs are to respect the privacy and safety of other hall residents and staff.

Please see the U.S. Department of Education webpage on Auxiliary Aids and Services for Postsecondary Students with Disabilities on Personal Aids and Services:

An issue that is often misunderstood by postsecondary officials and students is the provision of personal aids and services. Personal aids and services, including help in bathing, dressing, or other personal care, are not required to be provided by postsecondary institutions. The Section 504 regulation states:

Recipients need not provide attendants, individually prescribed devices, readers for personal use or study, or other devices or services of a personal nature.

Title II of the ADA similarly states that personal services are not required.

In order to ensure that students with disabilities are given a free appropriate public education, local education agencies are required to provide many services and aids of a personal nature to students with disabilities when they are enrolled in elementary and secondary schools. However, once students with disabilities graduate from a high school program or its equivalent, education institutions are no longer required to provide aids, devices, or services of a personal nature.

Postsecondary schools do not have to provide personal services relating to certain individual academic activities. Personal attendants and individually prescribed devices are the responsibility of the student who has a disability and not of the institution. For example, readers may be provided for classroom use but institutions are not required to provide readers for personal use or for help during individual study time.