Disability Services At Penn State we are committed to providing a welcoming encouraging and empowering environment for students with disabilities to ensure equal access full participation and reasonable accommodations for their academic ID: 536299
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Office for
Disability Services At Penn State, we are committed to providing a welcoming, encouraging, and empowering environment for students with disabilities to ensure equal access, full participation and reasonable accommodations for their academic pursuits.
Presenter: Keith Jervis, DirectorSlide2
Presenter:Keith Jervis, M.Ed., C.R.C., L.P.C.Masters in Counselor Education, Penn State ’84 Rehabilitation CounselingCareer: Teacher of Students with Learning Disabilities, Landmark School. Prides CrossingRehabilitation Counselor, 19 years experience in NH, NYS and PACollege/University Disability Services (Dickinson College and Penn State) 18 years experienceSlide3
A student’s experience:
Dana Robertshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMrv8GMvd18&feature=youtu.be Slide4
Setting the Disability Stage…Nearly 1 in 5 people have a disability in the U.S. (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010).Students with disabilities account for about 13% of the nation’s students in preschool through high school settings (National Center for Education Statistics [NCES], 2013).
Students with disabilities account for about 3.5% of all undergraduate students enrolled in college (NCES, 2010). (At PSU 3.4 % of students)It is difficult to ascertain true enrollment estimates of college students with disabilities due to the nature of self-reporting and collegiate standards (Rickerson et al., 2004; Sharpe et al., 2004).There is evidence that an increasing number of students with disabilities are entering college.Slide5
Setting the Legislative Stage…Important Distinctions.Slide6
Disability as Defined by Legislation…
ADA & Section 504.Anyone who has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities.
Significant restriction in performing major life activities in comparison to most people.
Functions include, but are not limited to, seeing, hearing, walking, speaking, breathing, performing manual tasks, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, & working.Slide7
ADA As Amended 2008A More Inclusive Definition of Disability.Provides a broader interpretation of the definition of disability.
Specifically rejects Supreme Court decisions that had reduced protections for people with disabilities.Determining whether a person’s impairment is a disability should not demand extensive analysis.Prohibits the consideration of mitigating measures when assessing whether a person has a disability.Has increased the number of students receiving disability support services in college.Has changed the role of college disability service providers from determining eligibility to direct service provision for students with disabilities.Slide8
Changes from 2009 to Present:
Americans with Disabilities Act Amended Act (ADAAA) 2008 Eligibility for Services, change in role for Disability Services Availability of Direct Services to Students.
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The Number of Students with Disabilities at University Park Is…Increasing.Slide10
Number Students Registered with ODS 2809 students with disabilities determined to be covered under the ADA Amended Act at all PSU campuses combined.
1418 students covered at University Park
Location
ADA CodedUniversity Park
1418
Campuses
1391
Total
2809Slide11Slide12
ADAAA & Section 504…Student Responsibilities.Must meet a college or university’s standard admissions requirements for all students.Must meet a college or university’s essential requirements for courses or programs
either with or without reasonable accommodations.Must disclose their disabilities and initiate disability services.Must provide documentation related to substantial functional limitations in a major life activity to determine qualification for services.Must engage in self-regulated learning because they are not entitled to the same level of academic support that they may have received in high school.Slide13
College & University Disability Services…Provision of Reasonable Accommodations.Provide access to education by mitigating or reducing functional impairments.Must be supported by documentation and determined on a
course-by-course and case-by-case basis.Should not compromise a course’s essential requirements.Examples include:Extended time for exams and quizzesNote-taking assistanceAccessible instructional media (e.g., books accessible formats, enlargement of course materials, etc.)Assistive technology (e.g., screen readers, text-to-speech software, Smart Pens)ALS interpreting / Captioning in-person or remotePriority registrationConsideration given to flexed attendance policiesCourse substitutionsSlide14
Academic Adjustment Letter…Slide15
A Changed Role for ODSWith the change in ADAAA the focus for disability services has changed.Before the Amended Act, the primary role was the determination of eligibility.After the Amended Act, increase in direct services for students, less focus on documentation of a disability. Slide16
Added Services:Web based Kurzweil license: 1500 licenses available to students. Kurzweil reads text aloudAllows students to have Kurzweil Reading Software on their personal computers.
Live Scribe Pens: audio records lectures and syncs to written notes 131 students are using these pens this semester (SP, 2015)ODS ScholarshipsCareer ServicesTransition Academy (State College Area HS and Phillipsburg/Osceola 40 students) Summer Academy for Students Who are BlindSlide17
ODS Scholarships: 13 active donors1 endowment currently pending fundsOverall awards since inception: $1,301,913.00Slide18
Awards: Fall ‘15 to Spring ‘16110 applicants;75 students qualified and awarded;Awards were between $600 to $2,000 per student;Total: Highest in the ODS history - $96,668;Slide19
Scholarships Charlotte W. Newcombe Foundation: Newcombe Scholarships for Students with Disabilities: Woodring; Polis; Perrotta Family; and Gallagher, Wincek
Other Scholarships: Delta Chi Disabled Student Grant FundDelta Gamma Golden Anchor AwardBobbi Coulter Rich ScholarshipWilliam Arthur Vogely Award Fund in the College of Earth and Mineral SciencesDavid R. Martino Memorial Scholarship The Charles T. and Ella Fowler Douds Scholarship Virginia Rimer Memorial ScholarshipJason C. and Martha Lee Stone Scholarship Christopher Warren Barnes EndowmentSlide20
Career Services: Workforce Recruitment Program, corporate partners: Slide21
Measuring Success:Objective StudiesSurverys:Student Feedback SurveyGraduation Survey Slide22
Academic Performance among Students with Disabilities: Changes in Semester GPA after Receiving Services from the Office for Disability ServicesJen Chiu, M.Ed, CRCDoctoral Candidate
Counselor Education and SupervisionSlide23
Students Had Positive Gains in GPA after Receiving Services from ODS
N= 84 (Exclude students who did not have semester GPA prior entering ODS Significant differences among the semesters (4-0, 5-0, 4-1, 5-1) Still large variations among individualsSlide24
Student Feedback Survey: To understand student impressions of services and interaction with staff 68 Responses Spring 2015Distribution across gender and disability type reflective of larger data set“I believe my accommodations have helped my academic achievement” (78% either agreed or strongly agreed)Slide25
Graduation SurveyTo capture information concerning employment out-come48 responses from students in their last (spring 2015) semesterFeedback indicates need to increase awareness of ODS Career Services.Slide26
Plans for the Future:Expanded Testing CenterCollaboration with faculty to produce accessible classroom and online material (see:
http://accessibility.psu.edu/) Provide resources to incorporate Universal Design for Learning (UDL) see: http://enact.sonoma.edu/udl Student to student learning concerning uses for assistive technology to take notes, read, manage time, and study. Student Support Group: WINGS, see: for Newstory, click hereStreamlined data management system “ELBA” to allow Disability Specialists to focus on student interactions and Professional DevelopmentSlide27
Diversability Awareness Month, OctoberHeld during October for the past seven years16 eventsAttended by over 350 students, faculty, staff and visitors. Complete listing of 2015 events is available at: http://equity.psu.edu/ods/diversability/schedule
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When and How to get ODS Involved…Contact ODS if you have any disability-related questions or are unsure where to refer a student who you believe may need academic or mental health assistance.
Call: (814) 863-1807Walk-in: 116 Boucke BuildingVisit website: http://equity.psu.edu/ods Including a disability statement on your syllabus, per the Academic Administrative Policies and Procedures R-5 SYLLABUS, can encourage students with disabilities to disclose their need for help.http://
equity.psu.edu/ods/faculty-handbook/syllabus-statement For questions frequently asked by faculty about ODS, please visit:
http://equity.psu.edu/ods/faculty-handbook/faqs.ODS can help you support your students, mitigate the impact of disability symptoms, reduce student stressors, and promote positive outcomes.https://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMrv8GMvd18&feature=youtu.be
. Slide29
Physical Barriers are not as “high” as Attitudinal Barriers: When a student’s disability is visible, remember to ask prior to helping.“Awkward No More” Video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gv1aDEFlXq8 Slide30
When Hidden Disabilities become Less Hidden…Signs of Stress in Students.It is important to recognize the outward signs of stress in students, including:
A sudden dramatic increase or decrease in academic efforts;Major changes in attitude or temperament (irritability, lack of enthusiasm, carelessness);Withdrawal or outbursts;Overactive or distracting behaviors (fidgeting, nervous tics, jumping from task to task, showing difficulty in concentrating, being prone to accidents, sighing);Complaints of fatigue and vague illnesses;Problems sleeping;Headaches or stomachaches;Drug and/or alcohol use or abuse;Increase in allergic or asthmatic attacks;Avoidance of school or testing situations by direct refusal or convenient illness;
Loss of appetite or excessive eating; orAntisocial or disruptive behavior.
Rubenzer, 1988 as cited in Berkowitz,
n.d.
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If Stress Escalates to Worrisome Behaviors…When and How to Intervene.When a student is visibly in distress, consider when to intervene
and who to get involved.“Something’s Wrong with Michelle” Video:http://studentaffairs.psu.edu/caps/wsb/vignette_d.html When to intervene:http://
studentaffairs.psu.edu/caps/wsb/vignette_d.html Who to get involved:http://
studentaffairs.psu.edu/caps/wsb/vignette_d.html Slide32
Other Resources for Students Include…Center for Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)(814) 863-0395
Hours: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PMCAN HELP Crisis Hotline(800) 643-5432Hours: 24 hours per day, 365 days per yearOffice of Student Conduct(814) 863-0342Hours: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PMThe Behavioral Threat Management Team(814) 863-BTMT (2868)Slide33
Faculty TrainingOnline Faculty TrainingOL 1800 - To register for OL 1800, go to: http://wcfd.psu.edu/programs/certificate_ot/ Self-directed course with six common scenarios to effectively meet the needs of students with disabilities. See:
Lesson 5: Handling Difficult Behavior That May or May Not Be Related to a Disability To register for OL 1800 Accessibility: Go to http://psuwcfacdev.ning.com/. Click on the Courses tab and select OL 1800: Accessibility. Click the "Register Now" button. Slide34
Faculty Training: Accessibility and Universal Design for Learning Accessibility and Usability at Penn State:This site explains how to ensure Web pages and online documents can be made usable for users with different disabilities. http://accessibility.psu.edu
/Training Options: http://accessibility.psu.edu/training/ Blockers, what to fix first and how, see: http://accessibility.psu.edu/blockers/ UDL-Universe: UDL-U supports postsecondary faculty and staff by providing resources and examples to improve postsecondary education for all students, including those with disabilities. Go to: http://enact.sonoma.edu/udl Slide35
Office for Disability ServicesWebsite: www.equity.psu.edu/ods
Contact: Keith Jervis, DirectorOffice for Disability Services116 Boucke Bldg. Phone: 814-863-1807Email: kej11@psu.eduSlide36
Questions?