Accessibility Services and Post Secondary Education

• Introduction overview• . Studies have shown that students with disabilities can participate in

higher education and compete favorably with other students.• This section will cover these important points:• Faculty should expect to have students with disabilities in their

courses.• When students with disabilities graduate, they are as successful as

other graduates.• Students with disabilities generally see faculty as supportive and

willing to accommodate.• Faculty should have the same expectations of students with

disabilities as other students, and maintain the same academic performance standards.

• Study of incoming freshmen• Studies show that students with disabilities make up

a growing proportion of college and university enrollment in the U.S. In 1978, less than 3% of incoming freshmen reported having a disability. By 1998, it was about 9%. Current data (Rothstein, 2005) indicates that the level is stabilizing at approximately one in eleven incoming students.

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• After graduation• Other studies have shown many similarities between

college students after graduation. Students with and without disabilities who graduate from U.S. colleges and universities:

• Are equally likely to be employed.• Earn similar salaries.• Are equally likely to attend graduate school.

Horn, L. & Berktold, J. (1999). Students with disabilities in post-secondary education: A profile of preparation, participation, and outcomes. National Center for Educational Statistics, US Department of Education, Statistical Analysis Report No. 1999-187. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office.

• Students’ perceptions of faculty• In the US and Canada, research indicates that, by and large,

college students with disabilities respect their professors, appreciate their efforts, and generally think well of them.

• What students with disabilities said:

• On average, instructors’ willingness to make accommodations was good to excellent.

• Generally, faculty were sensitive, willing to accommodate, and positive.

• There were exceptions: Not all faculty were perceived positively.

• A higher proportion of students with "invisible disabilities" reported negative experiences with faculty.

Faculty attitudes about accommodation• When faculty are surveyed, they report the following:

• Are willing to accommodate students with disabilities (88%)• Feeling unfamiliar with campus resources and services (55%)• Having had little or no training (82%)

Leyser, Y., Vogel, S., Wyland, S., & Brulle, A. (1998). Faculty attitudes and practices regarding students with disabilities: Two decades after implementation of Section 504. Journal of Post-secondary Education and Disability, 13(3), 5-19.

A few implications of this research

• Since students with disabilities make up 1 in 11 incoming freshmen, all faculty should expect to have students with disabilities in their courses, labs, and field sites.

• Students with disabilities will pursue the same range of careers as other students.

• Students with disabilities should have the same rigorous curriculum and standards as other students.

Introduction summary• We need to have the same expectations and impose the same

standards of performance on students with disabilities as we do for all students. Disability accommodations or academic adjustments must not water down the curriculum, lower standards, or waive requirements for essential skills or knowledge. It is not consistent with the intent of the law to do so.

• Providing reasonable accommodations while maintaining academic standards is essential to understanding how to work appropriately with students with disabilities in higher education.

Reasonable accommodations• Adaptations intended to lessen the

educational impact of the individual’s disability without compromising the integrity of the academic program or course. Accommodations may include instructional strategies, technology, and/or aids.

Two main laws for higher ed• Two laws influence disability-related services in

higher education:

• Section 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973• Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990/ADAAA 2008• These laws are civil rights statutes designed to

protect the rights of and prevent discrimination against students with disabilities. Without going into detail on these laws, let’s look at four of their most important implications for higher education.

Four implications• Those who have qualified for admissions have

a right to be in higher ed.• Students, once admitted, have a right to

access academic and non-academic programs.• Qualified students are eligible to receive

reasonable accommodations that relate to their disability.

• Students have a right to confidentiality of all disability-related information.

Right to be in higher education• Students with disabilities must meet the same

entrance criteria as other students. Once they have met the institution’s admission criteria, with or without the use of accommodations, they have the same rights as other students.

• You will notice that we didn’t say that students with disabilities are entitled to a college degree. Having a disability doesn’t mean it’s a "free ride." Just like other students, those with disabilities are responsible for determining their own level of success or failure.

Right to access all programs• Once admitted, students with disabilities have

the right to access all programs, academic and non-academic, that are available to other students.

• An instructor cannot refuse to work with a student because the student has a disability or because the instructor is concerned that having a disability would keep the student from being successful in education or employment.

Eligible for reasonable accommodations• Faculty need to be prepared to make adaptations, or

what we call reasonable accommodations, to instructional practices so that students with disabilities can do the same things that other college students are required to do. This may mean making changes in the delivery of some course materials and assessment of knowledge.

• Each student must provide evidence of the need for each accommodation. For example, note-takers are provided only if there is a documented impairment that limits the student’s ability to take notes.

Right to confidentiality• Information about a student’s disability is confidential. As a

result, there may be times when you receive a request for accommodation from the Disability Service Office without knowing which student needs the accommodation. Most of the time, however, the student will approach you and tell you that he or she has a disability that will require some accommodation.

• In either case, information about a student’s disability or accommodations should not be disclosed without the students permission. It is up to the student to decide how much information he or she is comfortable sharing.

• Faculty should use caution to avoid inadvertently identifying a student with a disability to classmates or other faculty. Violation of confidentiality can present a legal risk to faculty and the institution.

Accommodation defined• Let’s talk for a few minutes about what we mean by the term

reasonable accommodation.

• Accommodation refers to adaptations aimed at lessening the impact of a disability-related limitation. For example, a student with a vision impairment may need to have his or her textbooks made available on audiotape. Remember, the focus of all accommodations is to mitigate the effects of the disability, not to make sure that all students with disabilities are successful in college.

• Although a student may benefit from using personal aides, the University is not responsible for providing them. A university is not required to provide students with disabilities with personal or individually prescribed devices, such as wheelchairs, prescription glasses, or hearing aids, or to provide services of a personal nature, such as assistance in eating, toileting, or dressing.

Academic Accommodations

• Nonexaustive list of “typical” accommodations:– Priority registration– Extended time on exams– Take exams in a distraction-reduced environment– Not being penalized for missing class/assignments

due to exacerbation– Substitutions and extensions– Note taking assistance

Reasonable Accommodations in Higher Education

• Essential Components of the Curriculum/Class May Not be Altered

• Level the Playing Field• Access to All Programs, Curriculums,

and Services• Code of Conduct Enforced

When are accommodations unreasonable?

• Fundamentally alter the nature of the training program

• Compromise the essential elements of the program

• Cause an undue financial or administrative burden

• Endanger the safety of self or others

• Accessibility Service Office• As you can imagine, designing individual, course-specific

accommodations is complex. Thankfully, most universities have a designated Accessibility Service Office (ASO) to do that job. We will refer to this office as the ASO (Accessibility Service Office) throughout this program.

• The ASO oversees and coordinates a variety of disability-related services. ASO staff may:

• provide training and support for faculty, students, and departments

• advocate for rights of students with disabilities• evaluate students’ eligibility for accommodations• recommend and coordinate accommodations• provide accommodations

The law summary• In order to keep this program as short as

possible, we only provide basic information about working with students with disabilities. Therefore, we encourage you to get acquainted with the ASO office and the many valuable resources they have to offer. The ASO staff can support your efforts, protect you from liability, and offer critical support to your students with disabilities.

5 Steps in the Accommodation Process• For convenience, we are going to talk about

the process as having five steps.

• Getting to the DSO • Meeting the eligibility requirements • Deciding on specific accommodations • Implementing the accommodation plan • Revising the accommodation plan

• Step 1: Getting to the ASO• The first step in the process is Getting to the ASO.

There are a variety of ways that students contact the Accessibility Service Office. Those who received accommodations in high school may be referred by their high school counselor or their parents. In these cases, getting to the ASO is fairly straightforward.

• But sometimes students are not aware of the ASO. Some students do not even know they have a disability until they have been in college for a while. This puts you in a position to refer students to the ASO.

• The easiest way to do this is to include a statement on your syllabus about your institution’s policies on students with disabilities and spend a little time in class at the beginning of the semester talking about how a student should go about getting disability-related accommodations. This lets the student know you are approachable and provides clear direction to the student on the steps to follow to receive accommodations. It also emphasizes that all disability-related accommodations have to be coordinated through the DSO.

Syllabus Statement• NOTE: “In accordance with federal law, it is university policy

to comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). If you believe that you have a physical, learning, or psychological disability that requires an academic accommodation, contact the Coordinator of Accessibility Services by phone at (505) 454-3252, via e-mail at desquibel@nmhu.edu, or visit Room 111 of the Felix Martinez building on the Las Vegas campus. If you need the document upon which this notice appears in an alternative format, you may also contact the Coordinator of Accessibility Service.” David Esquibel Student Advisor/Coordinator of Testing and Accessibility Services

• Step 2: Meeting Eligibility Requirements• The next step in the process is Meeting the

Eligibility Requirements to receive accommodations. In this step, the student brings documentation of his or her disability to the DSO.

• The DSO counselor evaluates the documentation to determine whether or not the student meets the eligibility requirements as per the policies of the institution.

Step 3: Deciding on Specific Accommodations• Once a student is found to be eligible, he or she

moves on to the third step in the process, Deciding on Specific Accommodations. In this step, the student and the DSO counselor look at the student’s disability-related limitations and how these limitations interact with the required activities.

* The counselor may need to talk with you, the instructor, to get information about the course and to find out about the essential knowledge and skills the course is intended to teach.

Step 4: Implementing the Accommodation Plan• The fourth step in the process is Implementing the

Accommodation Plan. Your role in the process often begins when the student approaches you and tells you that he or she will need some accommodations.

• The student should provide you with a letter from the DSO recommending accommodations for your course. If the student has not been to the DSO or does not have this letter, inform the student that all disability-related accommodations must be coordinated through the DSO and encourage the student to go to the DSO.

Once Faculty receives the letter• Once you receive the letter from the ASO, take

some time to look it over. Set up a time to talk privately with the student so you can review the ASO recommendations and discuss how the accommodation will be delivered.

• Plan a way to carry out the accommodation so that the student’s confidentiality is protected as much as possible. Be sure to keep a copy of the request for your files and refer back to it as needed.

Step 5: Revising the Accommodation Plan• The fifth step of the process is Revising the Accommodation

Plan. Sometimes it is necessary to make adjustments to the original accommodation. Keep in mind that most of the time accommodations go smoothly and revisions are not needed. While revisions are being worked out, continue to provide the accommodations that you originally agreed upon.

• Most often, small adjustments can be handled between you and the student. Other times, it may be helpful to consult with the ASO. In any case, continue to provide the original accommodation and communicate in writing to the ASO any changes you and the student make to the plan.

• Every student has unique challenges and circumstances. The ASO is there to answer questions and work with faculty, students, and the administration to make sure that students with disabilities are accommodated appropriately while academic integrity is maintained.

Faculty Rights• Verify that a student is registered with the Office of Disability

Services and is eligible for accommodations

• Identify and establish essential elements of course, program or activity

• Determine when and where students will take exams/quizzes

• Contact the Office of Accessibility Services with concerns

Faculty Responsibilities

• Ensuring that students with disabilities receive accommodations requested

• If using proctoring services thru ODS, providing copy of exam/quiz with completed proctoring sheet

• Allowing the use of auxiliary aides needed by student in the classroom

• Using a syllabus statement that encourages students to disclose their disability to ODS if they need accommodations

Interacting with Students with Disabilities

• Avoid expressions that are derogatory with regard to physical or mental abilities, such as "handicapped" or "retarded". Instead, use person first language, such as "person with a disability" or "person with Down's Syndrome". People have disabilities, they are not defined by them.

• Respond courteously to all accommodation requests and be sure to promptly direct the request to appropriate personnel who can assist.

• Not all disabilities are apparent. Because of the stigma associated with certain disabilities, people may be reluctant to disclose a disability or ask for an accommodation. If someone looks as though he or she may not understand you, do not ask them if they have a disability. Instead, ask in a respectful way if there is an alternative method for facilitating communication.

• Don't make assumptions about the person or the disability.

• Always speak directly to the person with a disability, not to a companion, assistant or sign language interpreter. Speak in your normal tone and do not raise your voice unless requested.

• If the person doesn't understand you, try again. Don't become anxious if you have to make repeated attempts at listening or speaking to ensure effective communication.

Good Resource for information

• http://dsp.berkeley.edu/TeachStudentsWithDisab.html

Questions