Student Disability Resource Center: Updates

1
Student Disability Resource Center Updates

• Bea Awoniyi
• Tuesday, October 17, 2006

2
Statistics

• National data show an increase in the number of
  students with disabilities pursuing post
  secondary education
• Approximately 2000 FSU students identified
  themselves and are registered with SDRC. This
  represents 5.3 of the total student body
• About 75 of those registered have invisible or
  hidden disabilities

3
National Data

• Learning Disabilities 45.7
• Mobility or orthopedic impairments 13.9
• Health impairments 11.6
• Mental illness/emotional disturbance 7.8
• Hearing 5.6
• Vision 4.4
• Speech 0.9
• Other 9.1
• Source An Institutional Perspective on Students
  with Disabilities in Postsecondary Education,
  National Center for Educational Statistics,
  Postsecondary Education Quick Information System,
  August 2002
• University of Washington, Disability Type, The
  Faculty Room, www.washington.edu/doit/Faculty/Stra
  tegies/Disability/ (February 19, 2002).

4
National Data Contd

• More students with invisible disabilities are
  pursuing post secondary education

5
Florida State University 05/06 Data

• Represents about 5.3 of entire student
  population. 75 of those registered have
  hidden/invisible disabilities.

6
FSU Data Chart
7
Responsibility of the Institution

• Ensure access to programs, services, and physical
  spaces (University wide)
• Provide reasonable, adequate and required
  services (University wide)
• Establish documentation guidelines (SDRC)
• Coordinate services (collaboration)
• Maintain confidentiality (collaboration)
• Establish and communicate procedures to request
  services (CollaborationSDRC and Faculty)
• Educate faculty and staff (CollaborationDeans/Dep
  t Chairs and SDRC)

8
Responsibility of the Student

• Self identify and disclose
• Request services
• Provide complete and up-to-date documentation
• Participate in the process of determining,
  implementing, and modifying (not working or
  symptoms change) reasonable accommodations
• Abide by student code of conduct set by the
  university
• Maintain academic standards set by college

9
Responsibility of the Faculty in facilitating
accommodations

• Inform students of service/programssyllabus
  statement verbal reinforcement
• Collaborate for consideration of course
  components (essential elements) and students
  functional limitations
• Make textbook selection early and provide course
  syllabus
• Provide appropriate accommodations
• Ensure accessibility in classroom and office
• Make appropriate referral
• Respect the confidentiality of studentsdiscuss
  student issues directly with the student and not
  others
• Hold students accountable to established
  standardsacademic and code of conduct

10
Personalized AccommodationsInteractive Model

• Questions to consider
• What does the task or assignment require?
• What physical, sensory, and cognitive skills are
  needed?
• What components of the task require
  accommodation?
• What accommodation options exist?

11
SDRC Functions
Balancing ActInterests and philosophies of the
University with the needs of the students
12
Interactive Process
13
Goal of the Interactive Process

• Collaborate Work together to find ways to
  accommodate and provide access
• Student
• Faculty
• Student Disability Resource Center

14
Examples of Reasonable Accommodations

• Electronic formats of printed materialsassignment
  s, handouts, notes, course/lecture outlines on
  computer disk, and/or on Web page, and email
• Access to on-line resources and services (put
  notes on the website)
• Describe visual aids (detail dependent upon when
  blindness occurred/degree)
• Captioned videos
• Audio taped class sessions
• Textbooks on tape or read exams on tape

15
Examples (Continues). . .

• Note-taking service
• Visual, aural, tactile instructional
  demonstrations
• Raised line drawings and tactile models of
  graphic materials
• Braille lab signs, equipment labels auditory lab
  warning signals
• Adaptive equipment (e.g., talking thermometers
  and calculators tactile timers)

16
Unreasonable Accommodations

• Fundamental alteration to the nature of the
  training program
• Compromise the essential elements of the program
  or class (integrity of course and course content)
• Cause an undue financial or administrative burden
• Endanger the safety of self and/or others

17
What is currently Working

• Syllabus statements (when correct information is
  therelocation of SDRCnot Kellum Hall)
• Engaging students with the idea to understand.
• Willingness to try different accommodations
• Clarification of expectationsworking in
  collaboration with SDRC and making suggestions
• Flexibility in the implementation of policies

18
What Needs to Improve

• Increase education and awareness of faculty about
  the role of SDRC and the responsibilities of the
  university community
• Involve SDRC in training and departmental
  meetings and considerations
• Timely selection of text to aid in text
  conversion
• Include statement of alternate formats
  availability on all handouts and course material
• Consult with SDRC when in doubt of legitimacy

19
Goal

• Increase collaboration for common goal of better
  understanding and support of students
  accommodation needs and student learning.

20
Questions
21
The Student Disability Resource Center (SDRC)

• 97 Woodward Avenue
• 108 Student Services Building
• [phone] (V)/[phone] (TTY)
• [phone] (Fax)
• sdrc_at_admin.fsu.edu
• www.disabilitycenter.fsu.edu
• Or go to www.disabilitycenter.fsu.edu for more
• information.