Accommodating Students with Disabilities

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Accommodating Students with Disabilities

• You are the Key to Accessibility

• Presented by
• Disability Resource Services Staff and
• Individuals with Disabilities
• Advisory Committee

Developed by Utah State University, Project
supported by a grant from U.S. Department of
Education Office of Post Secondary Education.
P33A990006
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• Student Affairs and other non-instructional staff
  need to be informed about disability laws and
  recent legal decisions that impact post-secondary
  education.
• How does this affect your unit?

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In General everyone is responsible for

• Meeting legal mandates
• Having accessibility statements in publications
• Providing alternative formats when requested
• Paying for accommodations
• Looking at each request on a case by case basis
• Maintaining confidentiality
• Having resource/referral information available

Disability Resource Services is available as a
resource. Feel free to contact us.
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Who pays for accommodations?

• It depends on institutional policy.
• The institution has the responsibility for the
  accommodations.
• The federal government doesnt care who makes the
  arrangements or where the money comes from.
• What is important is that the accommodation is in
  place if appropriately requested.

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Admissions

• Prohibition against pre-admission inquiry.
• Application process, forms, brochures, etc.
• accessible??
• Eligibility Criteria.
• Use of standardized testing in making admission
  decision.
• Confidentiality Documentation may be sent to
  the admissions office
• needs to be sent to designated office (DRS)

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Financial Aid

• Reduced Course Load and Full Time Status
• http//www.uwlax.edu/drs/html/policymanual/section
  6/policymanual-6-11.htmlProceduresforReducedCours
  eLoad
• Disability related expenses can be factored into
  the cost of schooling.
• Dont discount work study opportunities for
  students with disabilities.

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Financial Aid cont.

• The National Association of Student Financial
• Aid Administrators (NASFAA)
• -- has individuals who are knowledgeable about
• financial aid issues for students with
  disabilities.
• Contact Joan Berkes at [phone]
• or at ask_at_smtp.nasfaa.org
• Heath Resource Center has information about
• scholarships for people with disabilities.
• The DVR agency may be able to help pay for
• tuition, books and fees.

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Records and Registration

• Students with a legitimate disability-related
  need may qualify to take a lowered course load
  without jeopardizing their full-time status
  and/or
• pre-register for classes.

• Not every student with a disability needs or
  should be given a reduced course load or be able
  to pre-register.
• Not all students that need a reduced course load
  one semester need it the next semester.
• The purpose of these accommodations is not to
  make life easier but to give equal access.

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Residence Life

• When making room assignments you need to know
  the ramifications of the students disability
  and functional levels.

• Providing a single room may be a reasonable
  accommodation and should be looked at on a
  case-by-case basis.

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That leads to many questions

• When is a private room an accommodation and when
  is it a benefit for the person with a
  disability?
• What payment plan should be in effect?
• ETC

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Questions are ok but

• You need information so you have to ask
  questions
• very specific questions.
• The issue becomes WHEN can you ask the questions.

WHEN is really not so difficult.
You ask when the request has been made.
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Who let the dogs in?

• No question that it is appropriate for a blind
  student to have a guide dog in residence.

• All service animals must adhere to the same
  standards of behavior of all guide dogs.

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Dining Services

• If a student has a very restricted diet due to a
  medical condition how should their request for a
  special diet on the meal plan be handled?

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What to eat?

• An individually prepared diet could be denied
  based on it not being a reasonable
  accommodation.

• However, changing the rules to allow a student
  to access the diet he/she needs is
  reasonable.

• An advanced request for access to the menus
  and/or ingredients would appear to be reasonable.

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Counseling Testing, Student Health Center,
Student Life and Advising

• Are your programs responding to the mandate for
  access under the ADA?
• Clarify what opportunity/programs you are
  providing.
• Whatever you are providing must be accessible to
  the individual with a disability.

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Communication

• Does the student truly understand what you are
  saying and vice versa? (Verbal vs. Non-verbal
  language disability)
• Is a Sign Language interpreter needed during a
  counseling
• session? (Hearing Impairment)
• Is the student having difficulty maintaining a
  train of thought? (ADHD)
• Is the student able to retain information? Do you
  provide written analysis or instructions/recommen
  dations?
• (Memory deficits LD, ADHD, brain injury,
  medication based memory issues)

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Other things to keep in mind

• Level of counseling needs to be the same for all
  students.
• Wheelchair accessibility.
• Students with disabilities must adhere to the
  same behavioral and academic standards as
  everyone else.
• Do not assume that being disabled is the central
  focus of the individuals personality or actions.
  Most of the counseling issues brought to you by
  students with disabilities will have nothing to
  do with their disability.

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Student Activities and Centers

• All events and activities must be accessible.
• If open to the public, accommodations must be
  provided for them also.
• Announcements, publicity, posters, etc. should
  give a phone number of contact person who is
  responsible for ensuring access.

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Off-Campus Programming

• If UW-L sponsors classes, programs or activities
  in private facilities, steps should be taken to
  use facilities which are accessible. Contractual
  or lease agreements shall reflect efforts to
  ensure accessibility.

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Student Organizations

• Institutionally sponsored Student Organizations
  are subject to Title II of the ADA.

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Athletics, Intramurals Recreational Sports

• Qualified students with disabilities who are
  participants in College programs or activities
  shall be provided with an equal opportunity to
  participate.
• Reduced course load for eligibility

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Title 1 EmploymentTitle 1 of the ADA prohibits
discrimination in regard to employment (public or
private). application process hiring/firing
compensation advancement training any
other terms, conditions or privileges of
employment
Career Services Human Resources
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A qualified individual with a disability

• Has skills, experience, and education.
• Meets job-related requirements of a position.
• Can perform the essential functions of that
  position, with or without reasonable
  accommodation.

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What is a reasonable accommodation?

• Modifications or adjustments to the job duties
  that enable a qualified applicant with a
  disability to perform the job duties.

What is an essential function?
A job task that is fundamental to the position.
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What can career services personnel do?

• Help students understand that the ADA is a tool
  not a weapon in securing employment.
• Convey to students that they need to be informed
  and current on available technologies that can be
  used to accommodate their disabilities in the
  workplace.

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Most importantly you can

• Become knowledgeable about the ADA so you can
  answer questions, help students prepare for their
  job search, and, at the very least, point them in
  the right direction where they might go to learn.
• Federal law prohibits directing someone with a
  disability into a more restrictive career path
  because of their disability.

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To tell or not to tell.

• One of the biggest decisions facing job
  applicants with a hidden disability is
• Should I disclose to the employer that I have a
  disability and if yes, when and how?

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International Education
What do we know?

• The laws refer to any qualified person with a
  disability in the U.S this includes
  international students attending UW-L.
• Exclusion from programs
• No control or authority over physical access
  outside the U.S.
• Not obligated to forego opportunities just
  because the facility is not accessible.
• Sponsoring school (school where registration for
  program is financed, i.e. continuing education)
  is responsible for making every effort to try to
  facilitate participation despite problems in
  access from host site.
• Programmatic aspects of access that can be
  reasonably provided should be provided.

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Information Technology
Postsecondary Issues Involving Assistive
Technology

• Faculty and staff members refuse to allow
  technology assisted accommodations
  requested for a student by the disabled
  student service office.

• Denying accommodations involving computers and
  word processors with spell checking programs
  for testing purposes.

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Campus Planning Development
Existing Facilities

• Redesign of equipment and/or facility
  requires an individual case review.

• Need consideration for provision of
  appropriate signage.
• Reassignment of services to accessible
  buildings.
• Delivery of advisory, and support services at
  accessible sites needs to be in compliance
  with ADA and Uniform Building Codes.
• All remodeling projects must be consistent
  with the Uniform Building Codes.

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New Construction

• must be designed and built so as to be readily
  accessible to and usable by persons with
  disabilities.

During the planning stages of new construction,
the executive body in charge of the construction
project shall have responsibility for seeking
input from the ADA Advisory committee, Disability
Resource Services, and persons with disabilities
regarding accessibility of any new building.
ADA Accessibility Guidelines for Buildings and
Facilities (ADAAG) http//www.access-board.gov/ada
ag/html/adaag.htm
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Perceptions and Attitudes are the real
barrier

• Revising our perceptions and attitudes is the
  first step in accommodating students who learn or
  perform in ways that are different from others.
• It is vital to remember that similarities among
  all students are much more significant than their
  differences we are dealing, first and foremost,
  with students.

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What can you do to change this perception?

• Be visible in your welcome to all students.

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Post a sign like this.
This information is available in alternate media
on request
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Or like this.
Please let us know if we can assist you in some
way.
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Get the word out!
Include topics on how to deal with issues of
disability at workshops. Include photos of
people with disabilities in publications.
In workshop advertising mention issues of
disability as a topic.
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Disability Access Statement
Is the single most effective practice to
providing access, as well as protect the
university in providing reasonable
accommodations.

• To request disability accommodations, please
  contact (name, dept. address,phone)
• This publication is available in alternative
  formats upon request. please contact (name, dept.
  address,phone)

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• Institutions often pass the payment of
  accommodation back to the individual unit. (UW-L
  has a policy)
• This increases the possibility that the student
  with a disability, will be discouraged or denied
  access.

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In the End

• The best response to these issues may be to fall
  back on the philosophical issues that drove the
  passage and implementation of the ADA.
• Whether or not full participation is legally
  required is open to discussion, but everyone
  agrees it is the right thing to do.
• Our societys emphasis on human rights and human
  dignity suggest that people be acknowledged for
  their abilities and respected for their
  contributions-current and future.