Transcript Slide 1

ADA Support in the Classroom: Rights,
Responsibilities, Resources, Key Concepts &
Helpful Hints for Accessibility and (hopefully)
Success
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Carroll Community College
CET Adjunct Faculty Information Session
November 15 & 16, 2012
Some information/language adapted from Ed.gov article: “Transition of Students with
Disabilities to Postsecondary Education: a Guide for High Schools”
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A Legal Definition:
A person with a disability includes … “any person who (1)
has a physical or mental impairment which substantially
limits one or more major life activities [including walking,
seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, working,
caring for oneself, and performing manual tasks], (2) has a
record of such an impairment, or (3) is regarded as having
such an impairment.”
A “qualified person with a disability” is defined as one …
“who meets the academic and technical standards requisite
to admission or participation in the education program or
activity.”
Consider this: being disabled…it’s the only minority category that ANYONE can
become a part of at any moment, a likelihood that happens to increase with age.
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Disabled Student Population at CCC:
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The number of identified students with disabilities enrolled at the College (credit and noncredit) during the Fall 2011-Spring 2012 semesters was more than 300. Although enrolled,
not all choose to use support services every semester. Many more choose not to self-identify.
Students with the following documented disabilities are enrolled at the College:
• Asperger's Syndrome
• Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorders
• Blindness/Low Vision
• Brain Injuries
• Deafness/Hard of Hearing
• Learning Disabilities
• Physical Disabilities
• Psychiatric Disabilities (including PTSD)
• Other Disabilities (including chronic medical conditions such as cancer, epilepsy, AIDS and
genetic disorders)
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The largest population of students with disabilities on campus is learning disabilities (nearly
40 percent), followed by attention deficit/hyperactivity disorders, psychiatric, physical
disabilities and Autism. Some disabilities are readily visible; more frequently, they are not
and may be difficult to identify. Students may also have multiple disabilities.
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Postsecondary Education & the LAW
* Postsecondary institutions are governed by federal laws which
include:
--Title III of the ADA
--VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION ACT of 1973 (Section 504).
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These laws prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability, and
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Guarantee equal access to programs, materials and services.
* Includes concept of the “otherwise qualified” individual with a
disability
Important note: CCC Policies & procedures are carefully
constructed around these and other laws – consult with ADA Office
before acting independently!
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An important concept:
Special education as it was known
throughout K - 12 education
no longer exists. For many students
with disabilities, college marks a NEW
BEGINNNING!!
To start - in College, it is the student’s
responsibility to seek out and request services (selfdisclose), and to provide appropriate documentation
of the disability.
 They must initiate the contact and be actively involved in
the process! (as you might imagine, this can cause quite a bit of
panic & discomfort for the student…  )
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ACCOMMODATION PROCESS
1. Student submits documentation
Includes identification of the disability & its impact;
IEP or 504 alone may not be enough.
2. Initial Interview (sometimes with parents)
REASONABLE accommodations are determined, rights
& responsibilities are reviewed, academic & career plans
discussed, also advocacy, organization, time management, etc.
*Our approach is both individualized and holistic…
3. Students  Memo  Instructors
Students are given green memos and it is up to THEM to provide to their instructors!
Returning students must request them (in writing) for each new semester or
registration.
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Accommodations?
• Are only ever provided with appropriate supporting
documentation and a clear link to disabling condition
• Are only intended to “remove a barrier” or obstacle and
“level the playing field” – never to give an advantage
• Should NEVER be provided without the green memo
• Should NEVER be provided retroactively
• Should NEVER compromise an essential standard/course
objective
• Are not technically “accommodations” if
offered/provided to the WHOLE class
• Once approved, may or may not be used (“gas & brake”)
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If you believe a student in your class
MAY have a disability…
If you believe a student in your class is having an unusually difficult time, please discuss your concerns with the
student. Speak with him/her confidentially. You might ask, generally, if they have ever received any type of
support service in the past, but do not ask the student if he/she has a disability.
Explain your observations and ask the student if he/she has considered seeking assistance. Refer the student to
a number of possible resources, including Jackie Cowan (Retention Counselor), the Career Center, or refer them
to your Program Manager. You may also use the Retention Alert system (on Web Advisor) to make a formal
referral for academic or behavioral concerns.
Finally, consider referring the student to the Office of ADA Support Services. You are welcome to contact me to
discuss the student, but ultimately, the student has to decide that he/she wants or needs help and then followthrough with the ADA Office.
If a student in your class does not have the green Accommodation Memo but discloses that he/she does
have a disability…
Be supportive, but do not provide any special accommodation you would not otherwise be willing to provide all
students. Once they disclose, please refer the student to the appropriate resource as soon as possible (it is then
up to the student to follow through).
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Help US to help THEM…
1. Faculty members can help proactively
by minimizing need for formal accommodation:
(See Hand-out):
20 Easy Tips Towards Accessible Instruction
2. Provide clear statement re: ADA Support Services in syllabus,
and verbally, at start of class
3. Meet with students to discuss their accommodations – make
sure you on are on the “same page” with use of Testing Center,
etc.
4. Protect CONFIDENTIALITY – the only person who should ever
disclose a student’s disability is the STUDENT him/herself!!
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Students with disabilities at CCC have…
The RIGHT to:
• Equal access to courses, programs,
services, jobs, activities, and facilities
offered by the College;
• Equal opportunity to work, learn,
and receive accommodations,
academic adjustments and/or
auxiliary aids and services;
• Confidentiality of information
regarding their disability as applicable
laws allow;
• Information available in accessible
formats.
The RESPONSIBILITY to:
• Meet qualifications and maintain essential
institutional standards for the programs,
courses, services, jobs, activities, and facilities;
• Identify to the Office of ADA Support Services
as having a documented disability in order to
receive accommodations and to seek
information, counsel and assistance as
necessary;
• Provide documentation to the Office of ADA
Support Services from a qualified professional
about how their disability limits participation in
courses, programs, services, jobs, activities, and
facilities along with reasonable
recommendations;
• Follow published procedures for obtaining
reasonable accommodations, academic
adjustments, and/or auxiliary aids and services.
• Adhere to the College’s Code of Integrity
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Carroll – as an institution (and think of
yourself as its agent/representative) has…
The RIGHT to:
The RESPONSIBILITY to:
• Identify and establish essential functions, abilities,
• Accommodate the known limitations of an otherwise
qualified student with a disability;
skills, knowledge, and standards for courses, programs,
services, jobs, activities, and facilities and to evaluate
faculty, staff, and students on this basis;
• Request and receive, through the Office of ADA
Support Services, current documentation from a
qualified professional that supports requests for
accommodations, academic adjustments, and/or
auxiliary aids and services;
• Deny a request for accommodations, academic
adjustments, and/or auxiliary aids, and services if the
documentation does not demonstrate that the request
is warranted, or if the individual fails to provide
appropriate documentation;
• Select among equally effective accommodations,
adjustments, and/or auxiliary aids and services;
• Refuse to provide an accommodation, adjustment,
and/or auxiliary aid and service that imposes a
fundamental alteration on a program or activity of the
College.
• Provide information to faculty, staff, students, and guests
with disabilities in accessible formats upon request within a
reasonable timeframe;
• Ensure that courses, programs, services, jobs, activities,
and facilities, when viewed in their entirety, are available
and usable in the most integrated and appropriate settings;
• Evaluate faculty, staff, students, and applicants on their
abilities, not their disabilities;
• Provide or arrange accommodations, academic
adjustments, and/or auxiliary aids and services for faculty,
staff, students, and guests with disabilities in courses,
programs, services, jobs, activities, and facilities;
• Maintain appropriate confidentiality of records and
communication, except where permitted or required by
law;
• Maintain academic standards by providing
accommodations without compromising the content,
quality, or level of instruction.
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“In a Nutshell”
• Students with disabilities must meet the same
academic and behavioral standards as any other
student (Access vs. Success)
• Students (and faculty/the College) must abide by
established policy & processes for accommodations
(federal law):
“green form, nothing more”
• Balance: be supportive, but no “special ed”
• Preserve academic integrity of
course/program/institution
• When in doubt, reach out! 
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Collaborative Effort
Student
(& sometimes Parents)
Office of ADA Support
Faculty
and other resources:
* Program Managers
* Jackie (Retention Counselor)
* Joel/CARE Team (Retention Alert)
* Career Center, etc.
Positive Experience
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Resources/Contacts
• Jackie Cowan
Retention Counselor
Office K117
Email: [email protected]
Phone
• 410-848-5332
(Home – Faculty use only)
• 443-340-0086 Personal Cell
• 410-977-9044 College Cell
• Career Development
Office A118
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 410 386-8523
• Faculty/Staff Guide: Optimizing
the Learning Environment for
Students with Disabilities on
iweb.carrollcc.edu under
“Disability Resources”
• “In Their Shoes” Training
• Your Program Manager
• CARE Team (Joel Hoskowitz)
• Retention Alert
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Final Questions?
Thank you for attending our information session!
Please visit us on the Carroll Community College
website for more detailed information:
www.carrollcc.edu/services/disability
Contact information ~ Office of ADA Support Services (A101, Admissions):
Joe Tatela, Director
Shawnee Burns, Disability Services Counselor
(410) 386-8327
[email protected]
(410) 386-8327
[email protected]
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10 Very, very, very common questions:
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What should I do if I believe a student has a disability?
Should I give extended time…on overdue ASSIGNMENTS?
What about excessive absences?
Can I see the student’s documentation/get more
information?
5. What if a student has a seizure in class?!?
6. A student just gave me a memo before the final exam…can
they DO that?
7. How exactly do I provide “note-taking support”…?
8. What if a student is disruptive/disrespectful/noncompliant, etc.?
9. What is considered “unreasonable”? Can I say “no”?
10. What should I do if a student with a disability is failing?
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Captain Obvious’s ‘Key Differences
Between High School and College’
In High School:
• I.D.E.A. = “success”
• IEP/504 Plan guides/modifies
instruction
• Individualized instruction
• Class meets daily
• Intensive Teacher support and
regular feedback
• Bulk of work done in class
• School is responsible for
learning , accommodations
and support
In College:
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ADA = “access”
IEP/504 Plan does not apply
Lecture format in most classes
Professor feedback/contact is
more limited
• Bulk of work is done outside of
classroom
• Student is responsible for
learning, seeking out
accommodations and support
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