Transcript Meeting the Challenge Students with disabilities in Postsecondary Education My Concerns • 1) • 2) • 3) • 4)

Meeting the Challenge
Students with disabilities in
Postsecondary Education
My Concerns
• 1)
• 2)
• 3)
• 4)
I expect to learn • 1)
• 2)
• 3)
• 4)
My workshop expectations
• 1)
• 2)
• 3)
Students with Disabilities in
Postsecondary Education
• Approximately 6% of postsecondary
population report having a disability
– Learning Disability
– Visual impairments
– Health Impairments
– Deaf/HOH
– Mobility impairments
– Speech impairments
– Other
40%
16%
15%
9%
7%
3%
17%
Reasons for Increasing Numbers
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Survival rate
Technology
K-12 special education
Awareness
Persistence/Progress
2-years after H.S.
5-year progress
Bachelor’s degree
Associate’s degree
W/O
72%
64%
27%
25%
The challenge to educators is –
W
63%
53%
16%
25%
Legal Guidelines
• What the law says
– “otherwise qualified”
– “admission or participation”
– “reasonable accommodations”
– “functional limitations”
– “essential functions”
Legal Guidelines
• What the law doesn’t say
– What is meant by “qualified”
– Specific accommodations/modifications
– What are “essential functions”
Students’ Rights
Students’ Responsibilities
• self-identify in a timely manner
• equal
opportunity to
learn/participate
• reasonable modification
of tasks precluded by the
disability
• provide appropriate documentation
of disability
•understand his/her functional
limitations
• fair and equitable
treatment
• actively participate in the process
of identifying accommodations
• confidentiality
• self-advocate with faculty and
administrators
• meet minimum academic
standards
• seek assistance in a timely
manner
Institution’s Rights
Institution’s
Responsibilities
• maintain academic
integrity
• apply fair and equitable
standards
• expect reasonable
notice of needs
• consider all mitigating
factors
• require equal learning
• make every reasonable
effort to accommodate
• enforce appropriate
student conduct
• maintain current
knowledge of best
practices
Role of the Disability Services
Provider
• Serve as the official institutional contact
point for students with disabilities
• Certify student’s need for accommodations
• Identify basic reasonable accommodations
• Assist faculty in making modifications
• Maintain current knowledge of best
practices
• Advocate for students with disabilities
Examples of Disabilities
• Blind/low vision
• Deaf/hard of
hearing
• Manual impairment
• Mobility impairment
• Mental Health
/Psychiatric
impairment
• Health impairment
• Learning Disabilities
• Attention disorders
• Brain disorders
(injury, seizures,
stroke, tumor, etc.)
• Cognitive disorders
• Speech impairment
Determining Accessibility Needs
• Physical
• Information
• Experience
• Evaluation
Determining Accessibility Needs
• PHYSICAL
– Location
– Space
– Access
– Background
– Lighting
– Furniture
– Fumes
– Other??________________
Determining Accessibility Needs
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INFORMATION
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Catalogs
Brochures
Videotapes
Phone systems
Handouts
Web resources
Other?? _____________________
Determining Accessibility Needs
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EXPERIENCE
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Campus tours
Field experiences
Practicum
Internships
Study Abroad
Other? ______________________
Determining Accessibility Needs
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EVALUATION
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Placement Tests
Applications
Presentations
Participation
Other? ________________________
Determining Appropriate
Accommodations
• Effective
• Efficient
• Preferred
Determining Appropriate
Accommodations
1) What does the task or assignment
require?
2) What physical, sensory, and cognitive
skills are needed?
3) What components of the task require
accommodation?
4) What accommodation options exist?
Physical Issues
• Access to location
• Access to
equipment
• Availability of
materials
• Computer use
• Keyboard use
• Writing
• Lift/carry
• Stamina/endurance
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Push/pull
Kneel/squat
Reach
Fine motor:
manipulate/maneuver
Gross motor
Sitting/walking/standing
Balance
Bending/twisting
Sensory Issues
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Vision
Hearing
Touch
Smell
Taste
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Oral communication
Temperature
Lighting
External stimuli
Cognitive Issues
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Short-term memory
Long-term memory
Task complexity
Reading
Writing
Spelling
String of numbers
Paying attention
• Analysis/synthesis
• Organization
Points of Contact
• Pre-admission
– School fairs
– Telephone inquiries
– Web sites
– Visits
Points of Contact
• Admission process
– Application
– Placement testing
– Admission Requirements
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Specific test scores
High school requirements
Essential functions of the program of study
Experiential/performance issues
– Required documents
– Deadlines
Foreign Language Issues
• Admission process
– High School Foreign Language waiver
Regents Centers for Learning Disorders
Students with specific language processing deficits may be
granted a waiver of foreign language requirement in the
CPC by the state Dept. of Education in consultation with the
RCLDs.
CPC should be considered complete without foreign language
for admission purposes.
(Sue Dorman or Lynn Holland at Dept. of Ed.)
Foreign Language Issues
• Major Requirement
– Essential element of the program of study?
• Certificate program in “Human Services with Hispanic
Populations”
• B.A. in History
– Substitution of courses similar in purpose?
• Culture courses
• Computer language courses
• ESL courses
Regents Centers for Learning Disorders
• Locations
– Georgia State University (www.gsu.edu/rcld)
– University of Georgia (www.coe.uga.edu/ldcenter/rcld)
– Georgia Southern University
(http://services.georgiasouthern.edu/rcld)
• Functions
– Provide assessments of learning disorders (learning
disabilities, ADHD, acquired brain injury, psychiatric)
– Review outside documentation to assure compliance with
University System requirements
– Serve as resources in identifying appropriate
accommodations
– Conduct research into learning disorders
Points of Contact
• Registration process
– Schedule of courses
– Registration methods
– Early registration
• Time/location constraints
Points of Contact
• Appeals Process
– Publication of process
– Required documents, evidence
– Deadlines
– Time/location constraints
Points of Contact
• Graduation
– Communication with student
– Graduation site
– Printed materials
– Deadlines
– Guests
General Accommodation
Strategies
• Add a statement to your public materials
inviting potential students who have
disabilities to identify their accommodation
needs
• Review all materials regularly
• Talk with the student and disability services
coordinator about accommodation needs
• Make sure facility is accessible (if needed)
General Accommodation
Strategies
• Provide materials in accessible electronic
format
• Use alternative methods of administering
tests and evaluations
Low Vision Strategies
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Orient to physical site
Provide good lighting
Describe visual aids
Arrange for printed materials in large print,
recorded, or Brailled ahead of time
• Provide materials in accessible electronic
format
• Make adaptive technology available
Blind Strategies
• Same as low vision, plus –
– Provide raised-line drawings of graphics
– Provide tactile maps/models
– Braille labels for equipment
– Assure auditory equipment warning signals
Deaf/HOH Strategies
• Arrange interpreter, real-time captioning,
FM system
• Use captioned videos or provide text of
video script
• Use visual aids
• Assure visual warning signals
• Face the person when talking
• Use written communication whenever
possible
Manual Impairment Strategies
• Allow tape recording of meetings or
presentations
• Provide adaptive technology
• Provide alternative to writing
Mobility Impairment Stategies
• Check location(s) for accessibility
• Provide adjustable-height tables,
equipment, work space
Mental Health Strategies
• Allow tape recording of meetings or
presentations
• Extended time and private room for testing
• Allow some flexibility in attendance/
deadlines
Health Impairment Strategies
• Be flexible with deadlines and attendance
requirements as much as possible
• Provide alternate testing arrangements
when needed
Speech Impairment Strategies
• Listen carefully to what is said. If you don’t
understand, ask student to repeat
• Take your time and allow the student to
communicate
• Ask questions that require short answers
or nod whenever possible
• Use written communication when
understanding is critical
• Allow oral projects in alternate format
Learning Disabilities
General Deficits
• Remembering newly learned information
• Staying organized
• Understanding what is read
• Getting along with peers/coworkers
• Understanding subtleties of language
• Sense of direction
• Hearing subtle differences in words
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Making appropriate remarks
Expressing thoughts orally or in writing
Following directions
Basic skills (reading, writing, spelling,
math)
Using proper grammar in oral or written
language
Reasoning
Remembering and sticking to deadlines
Self-esteem
Questions? ? ?