Title: Advising Students With Disabilities
1Advising Students With Disabilities
- Tips for the Non-DSS Advisor
- October 6, 2005
- Becky Osborne, Assistant Director
- Student Support Services
- Danville Area Community College
2Agenda
- Important Trends
- Brief Overview of ADA Section 504
- General Dos Donts for Advisors
- Types of Disabilities Planning for Success
- Special Issues for Advisors
- Building Bridges Within Your Institution
- Resources for Advisors
- Final Thoughts, Comments, Concerns
3Important Trends
- SWD in Post-Secondary Ed
- A Few National Statistics
4Important Trends
- Number of SWD in higher education is increasing
- 1978 lt3 of full-time freshmen
- 1998 9 of full-time freshmen
- SWD are less likely to complete a degree or
certificate within 5 years - SWD perceive there to be barriers to their
success in higher ed - 71 of all postsecondary SWD enroll in community
colleges
5College SWD by Category (4-yr institutions)
NCES, 2000
6(No Transcript)
7Legal Overview
8Americans with Disabilities ActTitle II
- Was passed into law on July 26, 1990
- Is an extension of the Civil Rights Act of 1963
to individuals with disabilities - Objective was to end discrimination against
individuals with disabilities, resulting in their
full inclusion in American society - Was intended to strengthen the scope of Section
504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended
in 1974
9- No otherwise qualified individual with a
disability shall, solely by reason of his/her
disability, be excluded from the participation
in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to
discrimination under any program or activity of a
public entity.
10Otherwise Qualified
- Meets the academic and technical standards
requisite to admission or participation, with or
without - Reasonable modifications to rules, policies, or
practices - Removal of architectural, communication, or
transportation barriers - Provision of auxiliary aids and services
11Person with a Disability
- Any person who
- Has a physical or mental impairment that
substantially limits one or more major life
activities, including walking, seeing, hearing,
speaking, breathing, learning, and working - Has a record of such an impairment
- Is regarded as having such an impairment.
12Institutions of Higher Education Must
- Make their programs, services, and facilities
accessible to individuals with disabilities who
are otherwise qualified in the most integrated
setting possible, unless doing so would cause the
institution undue hardship or expense. - Provide reasonable accommodations to individuals
with disabilities who are otherwise qualified,
unless doing so would alter the fundamental
nature of the program, service, or activity.
13Incentives to Comply with the Legislation
- Individuals with disabilities who feel they have
been discriminated against solely on the basis of
their disability are encouraged to go through the
grievance procedures established at their
institutions. - Ultimately, the individual may file a complaint
with the Office of Civil Rights. OCR will
investigate the charge and make a ruling.
Institutions found guilty of discrimination risk
the loss of federal funding.
14Academic Accommodations
- Individuals with disabilities must self-identify
and provide appropriate documentation to
Disability Support Services to be eligible for
academic accommodations/adjustments. These
accommodations must be reasonable and must not
alter items within the course or program
considered essential.
15What types of accommodations might be
requested/allowed?
- Priority registration
- Reading lists or syllabus in advance of semester
start date to permit time for transferring to an
alternative format (large print, books on tape,
etc.) - Preferential seating (in front, near an exit,
without glare from windows, etc.) - Tape recording of lectures and class discussions
(see Agreement for Permission to Audio-Tape
Lectures) - Use of a notetaking device in class or assistance
in obtaining a peer notetaker
16Accommodations list, continued
- Lab assistant in classroom
- Change the location of a class to an accessible
area - Reduced course load (see Handbook For SWD)
- Testing accommodations (scribe, reader/tests on
tape, extended time, distraction-reduced
environment, enlarged print, word processing
software with speech access, calculator) - Sign language interpreter in classroom
- Speak facing the class during lectures, provide
written supplement to oral instructions/directions
- Use of an amplification system
- Extra time for SWD to get from one class to
another
17General Dos Donts for Advisors
18Advising Dos
- Think in terms of ability rather than
disability - Encourage all students to develop self-advocacy
skills - Invite student to self-disclose a disability by
- Posting a sign in your office stating, Students
with documented disabilities may be eligible for
academic accommodations. - Ask, Is there anything about you that I should
be aware of in order to help you be most
successful in college? - Discuss any special requirements of their funding
source (e.g. PELL, State Vocational
Rehabilitation office) - Be alert to signs of immature career decision
making (e.g. may major in special education
regardless of individual talents/ability) - Make appropriate referrals to the DSS office or
other depts. on campus
19Advising Donts
- Dont ask, Do you have a disability? or
- say, You must register with Disability
Support Services. - Avoid discussing the students needs anywhere
other than a private place. - Avoid counseling swd to avoid certain majors due
to perceived limitations. - Dont fail to inform swd about applicable
technical standards
20Caution!
- The text of the ADA requires institutions to
approach student needs on a case-by-case basis. - Having said that, some generalizations can be
made based on the type of disability(-ies)
involved. - These generalizations are NOT to be applied in a
cookbook fashion.
21Types of Disabilities
- Helping SWD
- Plan for Success
22Advising Students with Visual Disabilities
- May advise via electronic means to facilitate
communication - May require print materials in alternative format
(e.g., large print) or the use of screen reader
software (e.g. JAWS) - May need extra time to travel between buildings
23Advising Students who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing
- May advise via electronic means, using TTY, or
with assistance of an interpreter - May rely on lip reading face student when
speaking - May exhibit poor vocabulary and syntax (ESL)
- Caution--late registration may create major
barriers to success
24Advising Students with Mobility/Chronic Health
Concerns
- May need
- reduced course load
- more time to move between buildings
- to avoid early a.m. classes
- Keep in mind
- weather extremes may be problematic
- student may be relying on public or para transit
system (start late or end early)
25Advising Students with Hidden Disabilities
- The number of college students with hidden
disabilities (e.g. learning, ADD/HD, psychiatric)
has risen dramatically. - Keep in mind that students may be reluctant to
disclose a hidden disability fear stigma that
comes with label. Many see college as a time to
start over or be same as classmates. - Be aware of indications that suggest student may
have a disability (e.g. high school transcript,
demographic info from placement test). - May need to pair more difficult classes with
those somewhat less demanding.
26A Word About Temporary Impairments
Students with temporary impairments (surgery,
injuries, etc.) are not covered under Section 504
and the ADA. There is no legal requirement to
provide accommodations in these situations. Refer
these students to your DSS office for an
evaluation of temporary services that may allow
them to stay in school.
27Special Issues for Advisors
Technical Standards Course Substitutions Reduced
Course Load Athletes with Disabilities Distance
Learning
28Technical Standards
- Some programs of study may have technical
standards to which all students must comply. - All students should be given a copy of these
technical standards BEFORE committing to that
major/field of study (e.g. nursing, radiology,
physical therapy, law enforcement, fire science,
etc.). - Use of an informed consent form signed by student
is recommended (see Appendix N, The Policy Book,
LRP,2000). - Although controversial, SWD may be excluded from
these programs if they are unable to meet the
required technical standards with or without
accommodation.
29Course Substitutions
- Not required by law if refused, a deliberate
process of determination a written rationale
are necessary for OCR review - Swd may be eligible for a course substitution if
the course is deemed by faculty to be a
non-essential part of the overall curriculum in
that program of study - Courses considered essential are not eligible
for substitution. - Examples
- math
- foreign language
30Reduced Course Load
- Your institution may have a policy allowing
eligible swd to take a reduced course load while
retaining their full-time status. - This usually means that the student can be
considered full-time with 9, 10, or 11 hours. - Does NOT change the federal financial aid
regulations and may impact other types of funding
as well (e.g. Voc Rehab, WIA, etc.). - Not all insurers honor this accommodation.
31Athletes with Disabilities
- Awd may petition the NCAA, NJCAA for special
status as a Certified Disabled Athlete. - This status allows a student athlete to retain
eligibility with 9, 10, or 11 credit hours. - Explicit requirements are contained in Article V,
Section 4.J of the NJCAA Bylaws regarding
eligibility.
32Distance Learning SWD
- Online resources other options for distance
learning have opened up new possibilities for
swd. - Challenges
- Early registration is a must
- Web accessibility is not a given
- Some swd (e.g. ADD/HD) may not be suited to the
online learning environment
33Building Bridges Within Your Institution
FERPA vs. HIPAA
34FERPA vs. HIPAA
- The protocol for handling disability-related
information will be determined by your
institution. - Is it educational information (falls under
FERPA)? - Or, is it medical information (falls under
HIPAA)?
35Building Bridges
- Handling disability-related matters are part of
your overall networking strategy with other
campus depts. - Ask student, Is there anything I should know to
help you be most successful this semester? - Request recommendations from DSS to promote
student success - Sign appropriate release forms as required
36Resources for Advisors
www.dacc.edu/sss/aresource.php
37Final Thoughts, Comments, Concerns