Angie Millman Director Disability Support Services Michael Taylor Associate Professor Political Science and Public Affairs Seton Hall University September 29 2016 Overview of DSS and Accommodation Process ID: 588208
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Working with Students with Disabilities – Legal and Practical Considerations for Faculty
Angie Millman
Director, Disability Support Services
Michael Taylor
Associate Professor – Political Science and Public Affairs
Seton Hall University
September 29, 2016Slide2
Overview of DSS and Accommodation ProcessFaculty Rights and Responsibilities
Universal Design
Legal Disclaimer: We are not lawyers, and this should not be considered legal advice.
Outline of WorkshopSlide3
The mission of Disability Support Services (DSS) is to provide students with disabilities equal access to all University programs and
activities.
DSS seeks to foster an inclusive learning environment for all students. Development
of individualized accommodation plans
Assistance obtaining textbooks in alternate formats and/or document conversionCoordination of interpreting and captioning servicesProctoring extended-time and alternative location examsAdvocate for accessibility of all university programs and activities to ensure equal access Referrals to on and off-campus resources
About Disability Support ServicesSlide4
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), reauthorized in 2008
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of
1973Both laws are about ACCESS to facilities, programs and services
Education is not a right; students who are “otherwise qualified” are ensured “equal educational
opportunity”Disability LawsSlide5
What is a disability?
A disability is a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities of an individual, including walking, breathing, learning, and communicating.
Examples: autism, cancer, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, learning disabilities, ADHD, major depression, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, sensory disordersSlide6
DSS Caseload DistributionSlide7
Complete a Self-Identification form.
Provide comprehensive information from a licensed professional who can document
their disability. Meet with a DSS Administrator for an intake appointment.
If approved for accommodations, pick up a Faculty Letter of Accommodation each semester.
Student Registration ProcessSlide8
Sample Letter of AccommodationSlide9
Extended time on examinations - 50%
50% more time for tests, quizzes, and exams given in class or online.
Professors provide this accommodation by allowing a student extended time directly before or immediately after a scheduled exam time, during office hours, or at any other mutually agreed upon time. If there is a scheduling conflict because the student and/or professor have classes directly before and after the course administering the quiz/exam, the student will need to take the quiz/exam at another time that does not conflict with a class. This time should be agreed upon by the student and professor. DSS may be able to assist by proctoring the test for the accommodated student in our testing room.
A Closer Look at Common AccommodationsSlide10
Occasional AbsencesStudent has a disability that may cause absences when symptoms are acute. Please allow student to make up work whenever possible. Class attendance may be considered an essential requirement in your course. The course instructor and/or academic department have academic authority to set attendance policies. All students are expected to attend class and adhere to the
professor’s
attendance policy. However, this student has a documented condition that may cause absences when symptoms are acute. Therefore, a modified attendance policy is appropriate in this
student’s
situation. To accomplish this, you are requested to allow the student to make up missed work whenever possible. In addition, it may be necessary to modify attendance expectations while still maintaining the fundamental requirements of the course. To help identify how this can be achieved, please review the attached material. For further assistance, a joint meeting between you, the student, and the DSS Office can help to clarify expectations in advance and determine what is reasonable. Please contact the DSS Office to arrange this.Slide11
Alternate format (i.e. electronic text, large print, Braille)
Text
books, required readings, and all instructional materials provided in accessible electronic format. This student must have all reading material provided in accessible electronic format to be able to fully engage in the course and meet all requirements. DSS can assist the student in obtaining electronic formats of textbooks when available. Professors are required to assure that all instructional materials provided during the course are accessible. For assistance in meeting this requirement, please review the enclosed material, Quick Facts about Accessible Instructional Materials, also available on our
website.Slide12
The number of students with disabilities entering higher education increasing with each yearFaculty need to be well-informed about the roles, rights, and responsibilities associated with supporting students with disabilities
Faculty Rights & ResponsibilitiesSlide13
Maintain the rigor and the fundamental nature of their course contentDetermine course content and how it will be taught
Require students to demonstrate their knowledge of crucial course content
Award grades appropriate to the level of the student’s demonstration of mastery of material, including failing a student who does not perform to passing standards
Confirm a student’s request for accommodations and ask for clarification with DSS
Faculty rights remain unchanged:Slide14
Refuse to provide an approved accommodation for a documented disability, UNLESS it compromises an essential standard of the courseChallenge the legitimacy of a student’s disability
Review a student’s documentation, including diagnostic data
Faculty do not have the right to:Slide15
Providing handouts, videos, and other course materials in accessible formats upon requestProviding requested accommodations to students with documented disabilities in a timely manner
Implementing best practices in teaching to reach a diversity of learners
Including a statement on their syllabus that informs students with disabilities about how to request accommodations through DSS
Awareness of campus resources available to students and faculty
Understanding University/DSS procedures for implementing accommodationsMaintaining appropriate confidentiality of records concerning students with disabilitiesFaculty responsibilities include:Slide16
Accessibility refers to the practice of designing products, services, and content in a manner that ensures everyone is able to access and benefit
from them.
Introduction to AccessibilitySlide17
Universal DesignSlide18
Curriculum designed to be usable by all students, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for special accommodationScott, McGuire, and Shaw (2001) applied universal design to higher education in nine principles
Universal Design in InstructionSlide19
Visual disability covers a wide spectrumConducted focus group with students with visual disabilities
Six undergraduate students
Low vision (4), blind (2)5 men, 1 woman5 majors
Focus GroupSlide20
Written Word
“… braille is for elevators and bathrooms”
Low cost and convenience of software have made “text to speech” screen readers and screen magnifiers primary tools
How do visually disabled students access your course materials?Slide21
Note taking
Volunteer Note taker
Audio RecordersLaptop
“For some of us, we learn to take notes while listening to the reader. Sighted people get it easier than we do, but we developed skills that let us multitask better. Skill sets differ among [us
]”How do visually disabled students access your course materials?Slide22
Most common barrier discussed was non-accessible course materials (course readings and instructor created content)PDF files need to be properly formatted
PPT is a visual presentation tool and is not well structured for assistive technology
Word is highly accessible
Perceptible InformationSlide23
“The more descriptive a faculty member can be in their presentations, the better it is”
Faculty often fail to realize that images included in course materials, Word and PowerPoint, cannot be processed by screen readers.
Need to annotate all images using ALT TEXTWhen using an image, graph, or chart in class the instructor must describe what is being displayed
If handing out printed material in the class, be sure to send it electronically beforehand to visually disabled students
Size and Space for Approach & UseSlide24
Providing course lectures in various formatsTextbook publishers have been making advances with digital formats of printed editions that work with assistive technologies
Supplemental materials are often not accessible and the faculty replacements lack the quality of those created by the publisher
Equitable UseSlide25
“skim reading using a screen reader is not possible…”
Tasks that require the search and reference of written texts (term papers and open book exams) present unique challenges for students with visual disabilities
Varying the ways that content is disseminated and the types of assignments that provide assessment accommodates the different learning styles and abilities of all students
Flexibility in UseSlide26
Most common accommodation given to students with visual disabilities is extra time on assignments and examsWhile assistive technologies can make the written word accessible, it can be time consuming
Provide flexibility in timing of assignment submissions
Breaking assignments into smaller pieces to assist with time management and to provide time for observation of learner progress
Tolerance of ErrorSlide27
“the biggest problem is if the professor is not prepared to have me in the class”Well planned and organized course is important
Having course materials ready and available at the start of class crucial
LMS are compliant with assistive technology, but need to be used properly“PDF Inception Problem”
Simple and IntuitiveSlide28
“If faculty want to use third-party programs, use should not be mandatory… [they] need to allow flexibility”Nonessential physical or mental effort can lead to fatigue and distract from the learning experience.
Software and/or web services that are bug prone or difficult to operate with assistive technology cause student fatigue.
Low Physical EffortSlide29
“There is still this mentality, I guess, that maybe we don’t know what is going on… I will be doing a group project and [the instructor] will point out <whisper> ‘she is blind’… it is like they treat you like a child”
Peer perception can be impacted by the way the instructor interacts with a student with a visual disability
Can be overt or subtle
Community of LearnersSlide30
“it is better off for both of us, the professor can teach it the way he wants and I can drop the class and take it with someone else”
Faculty can be uncomfortable or anxious about discussing student disabilities
Depends on a willingness of the instructor to openly communicate and engage with the student regarding expectations and plans for accomplishing them
Not unusual for faculty to feel that accommodations undermine academic integrity or give an unfair advantage
Instructional ClimateSlide31
Faculty need to take responsibility for both the technology we choose to use and that which we choose not to use – both decisions can have a large impact on student accessibility
Faculty should construct their courses with UDI principles in mind. It will provide benefits for students with diverse learning styles, as well as promoting accessibility for students with disabilities
Research methods courses and the technology they tend to rely upon (e.g., statistical packages, online databases) pose particular problems for students with visual disabilities.
Take-
aways