ACCA WEBINAR SERIES ADA IN THE CLASSROOM ACCA WEBINAR SERIES - PowerPoint Presentation

ACCA WEBINAR SERIES ADA IN THE CLASSROOM

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ADA IN THE CLASSROOM OUR PRESENTER Dr. Sherri Taylor Central Alabama Community College

ADA IN THE CLASSROOM STATISTICS ON STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES DISABILITY RIGHTS LAWSRIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIESREASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS TIPS FOR THE CLASSROOM/UNIVERSAL DESIGN OVERVIEW

ADA IN THE CLASSROOM Statistics Now more than ever, high school students with disabilities are attending postsecondary institutions to continue their educational endeavors (including vocational and career schools, two-and-four year colleges, and universities). Ninety-nine percent of two and four year public universities reported enrolling students with disabilities. The National Center for Education Statistics (the U.S. Department of Education’s federal agency for data and research), states that 11% percent of undergraduate students reported having a disability. Thirty one percent of disabilities reported by institutions were specific learning disabilities. Eighteen percent of disabilities reported by institutions were for students with ADD/ADHD, 15 percent of disabilities were mental illness/psychological or psychiatric conditions, and 11 percent of disabilities were a health impairment/condition.

ADA IN THE CLASSROOM Americans With Disabilities Act (as amended) ADA ( as amended) The term "disability" means, with respect to an individual(A) a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities of such individual;(B) a record of such an impairment; or(C) being regarded as having such an impairment 2008

ADA IN THE CLASSROOM Section 504 Section 504 Section 504 states that "no qualified individual with a disability in the United States shall be excluded from, denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under" any program or activity that either receives Federal financial assistance or is conducted by any Executive agency or the United States Postal Service.

ADA IN THE CLASSROOM Students with documented disabilities have the right to: Equal access to courses, programs, services, jobs, activities, and facilities available through the college . Individualized professional assessment of the documentation. Appropriate and reasonable accommodations, academic adjustments, and/or auxiliary aids determined on a case-by-case basis . Appropriate confidentiality of all information pertaining to the disability with the choice of to whom to disclose the disability , except as required by law . Information reasonably available in accessible formats. Students with documented disabilities have the responsibility to: Meet the essential qualifications and institutional standards of the college he/she attends. Disclose his/her disability in a timely manner seeking accommodations to the Office of Disability Services . Follow the specific procedures for obtaining reasonable accommodations as outlined by the Office of Disability Services. Provide documentation from an appropriate professional source that verifies the nature of the disability, functional limitations, and the need for special accommodations. Rights and Responsiblities of Students

ADA IN THE CLASSROOM The College has the right to: Identify and establish standards for courses, programs, services, activities and facilities, and evaluate students on this basis. Request and receive current documentation that supports requests for accommodations . Select among equally effective accommodations, adjustments, and/or auxiliary aids and services . Deny a request for accommodations if the documentation demonstrates that the request is not warranted, or if the student fails to provide appropriate documentation . Refuse an unreasonable request for an accommodation that imposes a fundamental alteration on a program or activity of the College. T he College has the responsibility to: Ensure that courses, programs, services, activities and facilities are available and usable in the most appropriate settings . Evaluate students on their abilities and not their disabilities . Provide or arrange reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities in courses, programs, services, activities and facilities . Maintain appropriate confidentiality of records and communication, disclosing only when permitted or required by law. College Rights and Responsiblities

ADA IN THE CLASSROOM Reasonable Accommodations A reasonable accommodation is a modification or adjustment to a course, program, service, activity, or facility that enables qualified students with disabilities to have equal opportunity to attain the same level of performance or to have equal benefits and privileges as are available to similarly situated students without a disability. Temporary accommodations are offered to students who may have undergone surgery or experienced a temporary physical injury that requires assistance with course work or the ability to maneuver around campus. To qualify for this one-time accommodation, the student must provide documentation from a medical source describing the nature of his or her injury and indicating the duration of the impairment. All accommodations are individualized and based on the specific criteria of the student’s needs. Colleges and universities must look at each individual disability and the functional impact of the disability for each student (case-by-case and class-by-class). When evaluating a student’s request for accommodations, the overall objective of the law is to afford “equal access” to the opportunity not unfair advantage. Postsecondary institutions are not required to lower or substantially modify essential academic requirements or make adjustments that would fundamentally alter the nature of a service, program, or activity, or that would result in an undue financial or administrative burden.

ADA IN THE CLASSROOM Examples of Reasonable Accommodations Testing in a distraction-reduced environment Extended time on testingNote takers, readers, scribesPreferential classroom seatingE textsAssistive technology (use of computers and calculators) Interpretors

ADA IN THE CLASSROOM DO NOT SAY “The Anything” (the blind, the disabled, the autistic)Wheelchair bound or confined to a wheelchairSuffers from…. Mute, StutterRetardedHandicapped, Crippled“Admits he/she has a disability”Courageous DO SAY Person first language Wheelchair user or person who uses wheelchair Person who is deaf or hard of hearing Person who communicates differently eg . nonverbal Person with a disability Vision impaired Communication in the Classroom

ADA IN THE CLASSROOM Helpful Communication Tips for the Classroom Be patient; listen closely. Allow students to finish sentences.Ask students to repeat anything that you do not understand.Let the student establish the communication mode (lip-reading, sign language, writing notes). Talk directly to the student even when interpreter is present. Speak clearly at moderate pace. Conduct meetings with students with disabilities in a private setting. Remember some information processing skills may impact social skills and communication. Do not push, lean, or hold onto a wheelchair and try to put yourself a eye level. Be prepared to assist with student who uses a wheelchair for reaching, grasping, lifting, etc. but ALWAYS ask first. When greeting a student who is blind, identify yourself and others who are present. Do not leave the room with a student who is blind with excusing yourself first. If guiding a student who is vision impaired, let him/her take your arm then walk slightly ahead. As you enter a room with a student who is vision impaired, describe the layout. Remember students with learning disabilities or mental illness do NOT have a lower intelligence level. They may have difficulty processing information or expressing emotions. They may appear confused or disoriented at times.

ADA IN THE CLASSROOM Classroom Issues Overstimulation can be an issue. Distractions can interfere with processing abilities. Strong odors or scents may impact persons with medical issues. Loud noises can be “triggers” for certain disorders. Public speaking may cause excessive anxiety . Certain behaviors may be an attempt to “hide a disability or mask it.” Specific behaviors may appear to be unusual or suspect and are often symptoms mistaken as personality issues. An individual may “know” much more than he/she is able to reveal in a traditional classroom setting. Chronic disruptive or disturbing behaviors may also be a symptom and not intentional. Allow individuals to be excused as needed and without asking Assume there is someone with a hidden disability present and act accordingly Use scented products sparingly and carefully

ADA IN THE CLASSROOM Teaching Students with Universal Design in Mind Think “Universal Design.” Universal Instructional Design (UID) or Universal Design for Instruction (UDI) is an educational framework for applying universal design  principles to learning environments with a goal toward greater accessibility for all students, including students with disabilities . Be prepared for ask for volunteers to be notetakers . Do NOT identify the student who will be using the notes. Provide copies of powerpoints or lecture notes on line. Remember that on line programs must be accessible to all students, including who have visual impairments and are deaf. Closed captioning must be included on all videos or video clips placed on line. (It is not the responsibility of the student.) Do not use strictly visual examples in class; verbalize the information and provide tactile experiences when possible. Verbalize when you are writing instructions on a board. Spell out or give descriptions to technical terms you use in class. Students with visual impairments may use or need larger font. State the number of words required for a written assignment rather than the number of pages. Contact your college ADA Coordinator for assistance. Don’t be afraid to ask for direction or guidance.

ADA IN THE CLASSROOM References Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 42 U. S. C. 12101 et seq. Anderson, P.L. (1998b, Winter). Essential support services for postsecondary students with learning disabilities: Highlights from a Delphi study: Postsecondary Disability Network News , 32, 1-2, 5, 6. Bigaj , S. J. , Shaw, S.F., Culen , J.P., McGuire, J.M. & Yost, D.S. (1995). Services for students with learning disabilities at two-and four-year colleges and universities: Are they different? Community College Review , 23 (2), 17-36. (1995) Blosser , R. (1984). The roles and functions and the preparation of disabled student services directors in higher education. Dissertation Abstracts International, 45, 2396A. Brinkerhoff, L., McGuire, J. & Shaw, S. (2002). Postsecondary Education and Transition for Students with Learning Disabilities. Austin, TX: Prod-Ed. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended 29 U.S.C. 794. Steinfeld , E. & Maisel,J . (2012). Universal Design: Creating Inclusive Environments. Hoboken: Wiley.

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