Office for Disability Services
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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, Director
Presenter:
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Keith Jervis, M.Ed., C.R.C., L.P.C.
Masters in Counselor Education, Penn State ’84 Rehabilitation
Counseling
Career:
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Teacher of Students with Learning Disabilities, Landmark School.
Prides Crossing
Rehabilitation Counselor, 19 years experience in NH, NYS and PA
College/University Disability Services (Dickinson College and Penn
State) 18 years experience
A student’s experience:
Dana Roberts
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMrv8GMvd18&feature=youtu.be
Setting the Disability Stage…
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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.
Setting the Legislative Stage…
Important Distinctions.
Individuals with
Disabilities
Education Act
(IDEA)
Americans with
Disabilities
Amended Act
Disability as Defined by Legislation…
ADA & Section 504.
Anyone who has a
mental impairment
physical or
which substantially
Significant restriction in
one performing major life activities in
comparison to most people.
limits
or more
Functions include,
but are not limited to, seeing,
hearing, walking, speaking,
breathing, performing manual
tasks, learning, reading,
concentrating, thinking, &
working.
major life
activities.
ADA As Amended 2008
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A 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.
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.
The Number of Students with
Disabilities at University Park
Is…Increasing.
Increase in number of students covered under ADA
can be attributed to implementation of
ADA amended Act in 2008
2008 ADAA implemented 2008-15
800
700
617
600
500
400
287
300
200
353
406
450
693
479
198
100
0
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
Number Students Registered with ODS
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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 Coded
University Park
1418
Campuses
1391
Total
2809
Trend in Number of Students
Identified by Disability 2009 vs. 2015
7
Autism Spectrum Disorders
15
20
TBI / Neurological Conditions
42
22
Sensory Disability (Hearing/Vision
12
2009
28
Health Impairment
68
2015
28
Psychological Disability
150
130
ADHD / Learning Disabilities
302
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
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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.
College & University Disability Services…
Provision of Reasonable Accommodations.
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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:
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Extended time for exams and quizzes
Note-taking assistance
Accessible 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 remote
Priority registration
Consideration given to flexed attendance policies
Course substitutions
Academic Adjustment Letter…
A Changed Role for ODS
• With 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.
Added Services:
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Web based Kurzweil license: 1500 licenses available to students.
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Kurzweil reads text aloud
Allows students to have Kurzweil Reading Software on their personal computers.
Live Scribe Pens: audio records lectures and syncs to written notes
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131 students are using these pens this semester (SP, 2015)
ODS Scholarships
Career Services
Transition Academy (State College Area HS and Phillipsburg/Osceola 40
students)
Summer Academy for Students Who are Blind
ODS Scholarships:
• 13 active donors
• 1 endowment currently pending funds
• Overall awards since inception: $1,301,913.00
Awards: Fall ‘15 to Spring ‘16
• 110 applicants;
• 75 students qualified and awarded;
• Awards were between $600 to $2,000 per student;
• Total: Highest in the ODS history - $96,668;
Scholarships
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Charlotte W. Newcombe Foundation:
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Newcombe Scholarships for Students with Disabilities: Woodring; Polis; Perrotta Family; and Gallagher, Wincek
Other Scholarships:
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Delta Chi Disabled Student Grant Fund
Delta Gamma Golden Anchor Award
Bobbi Coulter Rich Scholarship
William Arthur Vogely Award Fund in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences
David R. Martino Memorial Scholarship
The Charles T. and Ella Fowler Douds Scholarship
Virginia Rimer Memorial Scholarship
Jason C. and Martha Lee Stone Scholarship
Christopher Warren Barnes Endowment
Career Services: Workforce Recruitment Program,
corporate partners:
Measuring Success:
• Objective Studies
• Surverys:
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Student Feedback Survey
Graduation Survey
Academic Performance among
Students with Disabilities: Changes
in Semester GPA after Receiving
Services from the Office for
Jen Chiu, M.Ed, CRC
Disability Services
Doctoral Candidate
Counselor Education and Supervision
Students Had Positive Gains in GPA after
Receiving Services from ODS
• Significant
differences among
the semesters (40, 5-0, 4-1, 5-1)
• Still large
variations among
individuals
N= 84 (Exclude students who did not have semester GPA
prior entering ODS
Student Feedback Survey:
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To understand student impressions of services and interaction
with staff
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68 Responses Spring 2015
Distribution 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)
Graduation Survey
• To capture information concerning
employment out-come
• 48 responses from students in their last (spring
2015) semester
• Feedback indicates need to increase awareness of
ODS Career Services.
Plans for the Future:
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Expanded Testing Center
Collaboration 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 here
Streamlined data management system “ELBA” to allow Disability Specialists to
focus on student interactions and Professional Development
Diversability Awareness Month,
October
• Held during October for the past seven years
• 16 events
• Attended 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.
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Call: (814) 863-1807
Walk-in: 116 Boucke Building
Visit 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.
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http://equity.psu.edu/ods/faculty-handbook/syllabus-statement
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For questions frequently asked by faculty about ODS, please visit:
http://equity.psu.edu/ods/faculty-handbook/faqs.
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ODS can help you support your students, mitigate the impact of disability
symptoms, reduce student stressors, and promote positive outcomes.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMrv8GMvd18&feature=youtu.be.
Physical Barriers are not as “high”
as Attitudinal Barriers:
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When a student’s disability is visible, remember to ask prior to helping.
“Awkward No More” Video:
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gv1aDEFlXq8
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When Hidden Disabilities
become Less Hidden…Signs of
Stress in Students.
It is important to recognize the outward signs of stress in students, including:
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A sudden dramatic increase or decrease in academic efforts;
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Withdrawal or outbursts;
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Complaints of fatigue and vague illnesses;
Major changes in attitude or temperament (irritability, lack of enthusiasm,
carelessness);
Overactive or distracting behaviors (fidgeting, nervous tics, jumping from task to
task, showing difficulty in concentrating, being prone to accidents, sighing);
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; or
Antisocial or disruptive behavior.
Rubenzer, 1988 as cited in Berkowitz, n.d.
If Stress Escalates to Worrisome
Behaviors…When and How to
Intervene.
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When a student is visibly in distress, consider when
to intervene and who to get involved.
“Something’s Wrong with Michelle” Video:
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http://studentaffairs.psu.edu/caps/wsb/vignette_d.html
When to intervene:
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http://studentaffairs.psu.edu/caps/wsb/vignette_d.html
Who to get involved:
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http://studentaffairs.psu.edu/caps/wsb/vignette_d.html
Other Resources for Students
Include…
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Center for Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)
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(814) 863-0395
Hours: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
CAN HELP Crisis Hotline
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(800) 643-5432
Hours: 24 hours per day, 365 days per year
Office of Student Conduct
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(814) 863-0342
Hours: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
The Behavioral Threat Management Team
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(814) 863-BTMT (2868)
Faculty Training
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Online Faculty Training
OL 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.
Faculty Training: Accessibility and
Universal Design for Learning
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Accessibility and Usability at Penn State:
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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
Office for Disability Services
Website: www.equity.psu.edu/ods
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Contact:
Keith Jervis, Director
Office for Disability Services
116 Boucke Bldg.
Phone: 814-863-1807
Email: kej11@psu.edu
Questions?