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Introduction
On behalf of the Advising and Testing Center at IUP, we are pleased
to provide you with this Disability Support Services Handbook for
faculty. We are grateful to be able to do this because of a fortuitous
offer from an author and a willing intern. We would like to take the
time to thank many individuals who have graciously offered their support
and input, but would especially like to extend our greatest thanks to
Natalie Whalen who, while she was a doctoral student, created the base
of this Handbook as a part of her dissertation on students with
disabilities. We hope you find this useful and informative! As you read
this, please remember that, should a classroom accommodation or
classroom assistant be required, the Advising and Testing
Center/Disability Support Services will work with you in providing this.
The
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a civil rights guarantee that
prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities. The ADA
imposes obligations and rules upon all post-secondary institutions to
provide appropriate and reasonable accommodations to individuals with
documented disabilities. Title II of the ADA prohibits excluding
qualified individuals with disabilities from participating in or being
denied the benefits of the services and all programs provided by a
post-secondary institution. The ADA defines a person with a disability
to mean a person who:
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has a physical or
mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life
activities.
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has a record of
such an impairment; or
-
is regarded as
having such an impairment.
In cases of
questions about requests for accommodations, we recommend that you
contact the Advising and Testing Center. If you received a letter from
the Advising and Testing Center regarding the student’s disability and
need for accommodation, this means that the student’s documentation is
located in our files. We, at the Advising and Testing Center, remain
ready to discuss concerns that may arise with some portions of the
student’s accommodation plan. However, it is best to keep in mind that
accommodations requested by students are necessary and, in fact,
required by the law. Taking the proactive approach of discussing them
with the Advising and Testing Center allows you, the professor, to avoid
claims of illegal discrimination and litigation against the individual
as well as the institution, and the student to achieve the access
intended by ADA.
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The Role of
Language in Providing Access
Language
reinforces, reflects, and shapes our perceptions of people. Language
that reflects a positive meaning helps develop positive attitudes and
communication. Words about disability have been affected by legal,
medical, and political terms. Often times our language may not convey
our intended social message. This section of the handbook, although it
may be mostly common sense, will allow you to gain an awareness of what
type of language may be appropriate or politically correct when
discussing a disability.
When
addressing disability, language should emphasize the person rather than
the disability. Use words and phrases such as "a person with a
disability," "a person who uses a wheelchair," or "a person with
cerebral palsy, mental/emotional disability or a hearing impairment." It
is inappropriate to use terms such as "mongoloid/retarded," "deaf and
dumb," "epileptic/spastic," "confined to a wheelchair/wheelchair bound,"
etc.
Certain
"etiquette" rules should be followed as much as possible. The basic rule
is not to treat the person differently. Rules of disability etiquette
include:
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Do not raise your
voice unless requested.
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Offer to shake
hands! Often times, those who may have limited hand use or who wear
an artificial limb are capable of shaking your hand.
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Treat adults in a
manner befitting an adult.
-
When talking with a
person with a disability, look at and speak directly to that person
rather than a companion or interpreter.
-
Offer assistance
with sensitivity and respect, but do not proceed if your offer is
declined. If the offer is accepted, listen carefully for
instructions.
-
Do not inform the
class that a student has a disability, except at the student’s
request.
1.
Provide students with a
syllabus indicating due dates, topics covered, exam dates and criteria
for evaluation.
2.
Provide opportunities
for students to meet with you early in the semester.
3.
Encourage the student
to sit near the front of the classroom.
4.
Ask the student exactly
what types of accommodations are needed (i.e., extended time for exams,
taped exams, oral exams, note takers, computer resources for additional
academic development, peer tutoring, or counseling).
5.
Allow students to tape
lectures and discussions if needed.
6.
Advise student of
building emergency evacuation procedures.
7.
If they are not already
registered with Disability Support Services, upon request, refer the
student to the office dealing with students with disabilities.
Plans for evacuating a
building, in case of fire, must be coordinated between the student and
the professor during the first day of class. The following procedure
will assist in the plan-making process. As well, copies of the
university fire evacuation plan are available at the office of Campus
Safety and Stapleton Library.
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Teaching a Student with a Disability
(Physical Disability)
Physical
disabilities are wide ranging in nature. A student may have a back
problem affecting sitting or walking; have a chronic medical condition
leading to physical problems; have small amputations such as fingers or
toes; or have a disability that necessitates the use of a wheelchair for
mobility and/or a personal assistant for care. In working with these
students follow these guidelines:
-
Acquaint yourself
with the location of the nearest accessible restroom and water
fountain.
-
Allow for tardiness
in case of inclement weather.
-
Do not offer to
hold a cane or crutches unless the individual requests.
-
When talking with a
person who uses a wheelchair, sit down or kneel in order to place
yourself at eye level if the conversation is more than a few
minutes.
-
Never lean on a
wheelchair, as it is part of the body space of the person who uses
it.
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Theater type
classrooms may present difficulties unless there are flat spaces in
the front or rear of the room large enough to accommodate a
wheelchair.
-
Tables are more
accessible than standard desks, and should have an under-table
clearance of at least 27 ½ inches.
-
Classes taught in a
laboratory setting will usually require some modification of the
work-station. Working directly with the student may be the best way
to provide modifications to the work station. (D.C)
-
Students are not
confined to wheelchairs. They often transfer to automobiles and
furniture. Using a wheelchair only some of the time does not mean an
individual is "faking" a disability. It may be a means to conserve
energy or move about more quickly. (D.C.)
**For
fieldwork or field trips, assess the site for type of terrain and slope,
and availability of ramps, accessible rest rooms and parking.
Teaching a Student with a Disability
(Hearing Disability)
The term
"hearing impaired" is a generic term which refers to students with any
type or degree of hearing loss that interferes with development or
adversely affects educational performance in a regular classroom
setting. When working with students classified as persons with hearing
loss, the following suggestions should be utilized:
-
Use normal speech and speech patterns. Shouting
distorts sounds accepted through hearing aids and inhibits lip
reading.
-
Get the student’s attention before you speak. The
student may need a touch on the shoulder, a wave, or other signal.
-
If the student is also speech impaired, ask short
questions requiring short-answers. Rephrase statements and questions
until the student indicates understanding.
-
Face the class as much as possible. Keep
movements around the room to a minimum. Indicate when you will be
moving from one place to another.
-
If an interpreter is present, speak to the
student not the interpreter. Maintain eye contact with the student.
If technical words are necessary, give the interpreter time to finger
spell them.
-
Most students lip-read to augment hearing aids.
Both hearing aids and lip-reading are imperfect corrections. Ensure
that the student understands what you are saying by providing notes of
the conversation.
Teaching a Student with a Disability
(Visual Disability)
A person
with a visual disability has an impairment in vision ranging from
wearing correcting lenses to total blindness. Between 70-80 percent of
all legally blind persons in the United States have measurable vision.
The partially blind student meets the challenge of disability in much
the same way as the blind student (D.C) . The following guidelines will
enable the blind or partially blind student to fully utilize the course:
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Students with guide dogs should be allowed to sit
where appropriate to accommodate the dog. Other students should be
advised to not pet or distract the dog without permission from the
owner.
-
When conversing in a group, give a vocal cue by
announcing the name of the person to whom you are speaking. Let it be
known when the conversation is at an end.
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Provide an auditory and visual teaching approach.
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For fieldwork or field trips, assess the need for
safety and transportation accommodations.
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Physical education and recreation classes can
usually be modified so that the student can participate.
-
Classes taught in laboratory settings will
usually require work-station modification. However, students may not
be able to fully participate in a laboratory class without the help of
an assistant.
Be aware
that students may be using recorded or scanned texts or may need
materials enlarged. Work with the student and Advising and Testing
Center to ensure that the student has appropriately modified materials.
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Teaching a Student with a Disability
(Learning Disability)
A learning
disability is a perceptual difficulty. Any one of the sense’s "normal"
functioning can be impaired. A learning disability is most likely to be
one of a genetic, neurological origin (Iowa). Learning
disabilities may be broadly categorized as reading, language, and
mathematics deficits. The majority of students with learning
disabilities have their primary deficits in basic reading skills or
written expression. Guidelines in working with these students may
include the following:
-
Allow students to tape lectures and discussions,
and/or have a notetaker. Attempting to focus on lecturing and taking
notes can be problematic.
-
Encourage the use of a study classmate to
exchange information about class notes and reading.
-
Allow students to sit in the front of the room to
reduce distractions.
-
If necessary, allow students to answer essay
questions orally or on a tape recorder. Often these students will lose
focus when trying to put thoughts and ideas on paper.
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Encourage use of a schedule booklet or calendar
with designated study times to increase organizational skills.
Responsibilities of
Faculty, Staff and Students with Disabilities
-
Verify if there is a fire or a false alarm. If
there is a fire, call 911 regardless if the alarm rings into the
campus police station or not.
-
Designate someone to call the University Police
immediately at extension 2141.
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All faculty and staff supervisors have
responsibility for directing evacuation from their work area(s).
Therefore, they should be familiar with building layout to ensure safe
evacuation.
-
Elevators must never be used when a building is
evacuated due to fire or fire alarm.
-
It is the responsibility of the student with a
disability to notify the university if they require assistance during
an emergency evacuation. The student must also coordinate a plan for
evacuation with the staff, professor, or supervisor they are in
contact with.
This will include assistance needed, and notification of emergency
personnel that there is a need for assistance with a student with a
disability. It is important that someone remains with the student
until evacuated from the building.
-
Know the location of fire extinguishers, nearest
fire exists, fire alarm pull stations, and gathering points for those
with disabilities.
This handbook provides
only a brief overview of basic accommodations for students with
disabilities. When providing reasonable accommodations to students with
disabilities, the goal is to provide opportunities that allow them to
reach their fullest potential. The best method of provision will be
review of the accommodation plan provided by the Advising and Testing
Center for the student, accompanied by discussion with the student and
common sense.
Americans with
Disabilities Act. The Law and its Impact on Postsecondary Education.
http://www.und.nodak.edu.
Indiana University of
Pennsylvania. Fire Evacuation Plan for Students with a Disability.
Institute for Human
Development. The Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
http://www.nau.edu.
Office of Services for
Handicapped, The University of Iowa. Serving Handicapped Students: A
faculty/ Staff handbook.
Pacer Center.
Post Secondary Education.
http://www.pacer.org.
The President’s
Committee on Emplloyment of the Handicapped. The College Student With
a Disability: A Faculty Handbook.
Whalen, N.A. Disability
Do’s and Don’ts. A Guide to Help College Professors having Students
with Disabilities.
Vocational
Rehabilitation and Counseling. History of Vocational Rehabilitation.
http://www.vba.va.gov.
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