Accessibility Services and Post Secondary Education
Introduction overview
. Studies have shown that students with disabilities can participate in higher education and
compete favorably with other students.
This section will cover these important points:
Faculty should expect to have students with disabilities in their courses.
When students with disabilities graduate, they are as successful as other graduates.
Students with disabilities generally see faculty as supportive and willing to accommodate.
Faculty should have the same expectations of students with disabilities as other students, and
maintain the same academic performance standards.
Study of incoming freshmen
Studies show that students with disabilities make up a growing proportion of college and
university enrollment in the U.S. In 1978, less than 3% of incoming freshmen reported having a
disability. By 1998, it was about 9%. Current data (Rothstein, 2005) indicates that the level is
stabilizing at approximately one in eleven incoming students.
After graduation
Other studies have shown many similarities between college students after graduation. Students
with and without disabilities who graduate from U.S. colleges and universities:
Are equally likely to be employed.
Earn similar salaries.
Are equally likely to attend graduate school.
Horn, L. & Berktold, J. (1999). Students with disabilities in post-secondary education: A profile
of preparation, participation, and outcomes. National Center for Educational Statistics, US
Department of Education, Statistical Analysis Report No. 1999-187. Washington, DC: US
Government Printing Office.
Students’ perceptions of faculty
In the US and Canada, research indicates that, by and large, college students with disabilities
respect their professors, appreciate their efforts, and generally think well of them.
What students with disabilities said:
On average, instructors’ willingness to make accommodations was good to excellent.
Generally, faculty were sensitive, willing to accommodate, and positive.
There were exceptions: Not all faculty were perceived positively.
A higher proportion of students with "invisible disabilities" reported negative experiences with
faculty.
Faculty attitudes about accommodation
When faculty are surveyed, they report the following:
Are willing to accommodate students with disabilities (88%)
Feeling unfamiliar with campus resources and services (55%)
Having had little or no training (82%)
Leyser, Y., Vogel, S., Wyland, S., & Brulle, A. (1998). Faculty attitudes and practices regarding
students with disabilities: Two decades after implementation of Section 504. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 13(3), 5-19.
A few implications of this research
Since students with disabilities make up 1 in 11 incoming freshmen, all faculty should expect to
have students with disabilities in their courses, labs, and field sites.
Students with disabilities will pursue the same range of careers as other students.
Students with disabilities should have the same rigorous curriculum and standards as other
students.
Introduction summary
We need to have the same expectations and impose the same standards of performance on
students with disabilities as we do for all students. Disability accommodations or academic
adjustments must not water down the curriculum, lower standards, or waive requirements for
essential skills or knowledge. It is not consistent with the intent of the law to do so.
Providing reasonable accommodations while maintaining academic standards is essential to
understanding how to work appropriately with students with disabilities in higher education.
Reasonable accommodations
Adaptations intended to lessen the educational impact of the individual’s disability without
compromising the integrity of the academic program or course. Accommodations may include
instructional strategies, technology, and/or aids.
Two main laws for higher ed
Two laws influence disability-related services in higher education:
Section 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990/ADAAA 2008
These laws are civil rights statutes designed to protect the rights of and prevent discrimination
against students with disabilities. Without going into detail on these laws, let’s look at four of
their most important implications for higher education.
Four implications
Those who have qualified for admissions have a right to be in higher ed.
Students, once admitted, have a right to access academic and non-academic programs.
Qualified students are eligible to receive reasonable accommodations that relate to their
disability.
Students have a right to confidentiality of all disability-related information.
Right to be in higher education
Students with disabilities must meet the same entrance criteria as other students. Once they have
met the institution’s admission criteria, with or without the use of accommodations, they have
the same rights as other students.
You will notice that we didn’t say that students with disabilities are entitled to a college degree.
Having a disability doesn’t mean it’s a "free ride." Just like other students, those with disabilities
are responsible for determining their own level of success or failure.
Right to access all programs
Once admitted, students with disabilities have the right to access all programs, academic and
non-academic, that are available to other students.
An instructor cannot refuse to work with a student because the student has a disability or because
the instructor is concerned that having a disability would keep the student from being successful
in education or employment.
Eligible for reasonable accommodations
Faculty need to be prepared to make adaptations, or what we call reasonable accommodations, to
instructional practices so that students with disabilities can do the same things that other college
students are required to do. This may mean making changes in the delivery of some course
materials and assessment of knowledge.
Each student must provide evidence of the need for each accommodation. For example, notetakers are provided only if there is a documented impairment that limits the student’s ability to
take notes.
Right to confidentiality
Information about a student’s disability is confidential. As a result, there may be times when you
receive a request for accommodation from the Disability Service Office without knowing which
student needs the accommodation. Most of the time, however, the student will approach you and
tell you that he or she has a disability that will require some accommodation.
In either case, information about a student’s disability or accommodations should not be
disclosed without the students permission. It is up to the student to decide how much information
he or she is comfortable sharing.
Faculty should use caution to avoid inadvertently identifying a student with a disability to
classmates or other faculty. Violation of confidentiality can present a legal risk to faculty and the
institution.
Accommodation defined
Let’s talk for a few minutes about what we mean by the term reasonable accommodation.
Accommodation refers to adaptations aimed at lessening the impact of a disability-related
limitation. For example, a student with a vision impairment may need to have his or her
textbooks made available on audiotape. Remember, the focus of all accommodations is to
mitigate the effects of the disability, not to make sure that all students with disabilities are
successful in college.
Although a student may benefit from using personal aides, the University is not responsible for
providing them. A university is not required to provide students with disabilities with personal or
individually prescribed devices, such as wheelchairs, prescription glasses, or hearing aids, or to
provide services of a personal nature, such as assistance in eating, toileting, or dressing.
Academic Accommodations
Nonexaustive list of “typical” accommodations:
Priority registration
Extended time on exams
Take exams in a distraction-reduced environment
Not being penalized for missing class/assignments due to exacerbation
Substitutions and extensions
Note taking assistance
Reasonable Accommodations in Higher Education
Essential Components of the Curriculum/Class May Not be Altered
Level the Playing Field
Access to All Programs, Curriculums, and Services
Code of Conduct Enforced
When are accommodations unreasonable?
Fundamentally alter the nature of the training program
Compromise the essential elements of the program
Cause an undue financial or administrative burden
Endanger the safety of self or others
Accessibility Service Office
As you can imagine, designing individual, course-specific accommodations is complex.
Thankfully, most universities have a designated Accessibility Service Office (ASO) to do that
job. We will refer to this office as the ASO (Accessibility Service Office) throughout this
program.
The ASO oversees and coordinates a variety of disability-related services. ASO staff may:
provide training and support for faculty, students, and departments
advocate for rights of students with disabilities
evaluate students’ eligibility for accommodations
recommend and coordinate accommodations
provide accommodations
The law summary
In order to keep this program as short as possible, we only provide basic information about
working with students with disabilities. Therefore, we encourage you to get acquainted with the
ASO office and the many valuable resources they have to offer. The ASO staff can support your
efforts, protect you from liability, and offer critical support to your students with disabilities.
5 Steps in the Accommodation Process
For convenience, we are going to talk about the process as having five steps.
Getting to the DSO
Meeting the eligibility requirements
Deciding on specific accommodations
Implementing the accommodation plan
Revising the accommodation plan
Step 1: Getting to the ASO
The first step in the process is Getting to the ASO. There are a variety of ways that students
contact the Accessibility Service Office. Those who received accommodations in high school
may be referred by their high school counselor or their parents. In these cases, getting to the
ASO is fairly straightforward.
But sometimes students are not aware of the ASO. Some students do not even know they have a
disability until they have been in college for a while. This puts you in a position to refer students
to the ASO.
The easiest way to do this is to include a statement on your syllabus about your institution’s
policies on students with disabilities and spend a little time in class at the beginning of the
semester talking about how a student should go about getting disability-related accommodations.
This lets the student know you are approachable and provides clear direction to the student on
the steps to follow to receive accommodations. It also emphasizes that all disability-related
accommodations have to be coordinated through the DSO.
Syllabus Statement
NOTE: “In accordance with federal law, it is university policy to comply with the Americans
With Disabilities Act (ADA). If you believe that you have a physical, learning, or psychological
disability that requires an academic accommodation, contact the Coordinator of Accessibility
Services by phone at (505) 454-3252, via e-mail at desquibel@nmhu.edu, or visit Room 111 of
the Felix Martinez building on the Las Vegas campus. If you need the document upon which this
notice appears in an alternative format, you may also contact the Coordinator of Accessibility
Service.” David Esquibel Student Advisor/Coordinator of Testing and Accessibility Services
Step 2: Meeting Eligibility Requirements
The next step in the process is Meeting the Eligibility Requirements to receive accommodations.
In this step, the student brings documentation of his or her disability to the DSO.
The DSO counselor evaluates the documentation to determine whether or not the student meets
the eligibility requirements as per the policies of the institution.
Step 3: Deciding on Specific Accommodations
Once a student is found to be eligible, he or she moves on to the third step in the process,
Deciding on Specific Accommodations. In this step, the student and the DSO counselor look at
the student’s disability-related limitations and how these limitations interact with the required
activities.
* The counselor may need to talk with you, the instructor, to get information about the course
and to find out about the essential knowledge and skills the course is intended to teach.
Step 4: Implementing the Accommodation Plan
The fourth step in the process is Implementing the Accommodation Plan. Your role in the
process often begins when the student approaches you and tells you that he or she will need some
accommodations.
The student should provide you with a letter from the DSO recommending accommodations for
your course. If the student has not been to the DSO or does not have this letter, inform the
student that all disability-related accommodations must be coordinated through the DSO and
encourage the student to go to the DSO.
Once Faculty receives the letter
Once you receive the letter from the ASO, take some time to look it over. Set up a time to talk
privately with the student so you can review the ASO recommendations and discuss how the
accommodation will be delivered.
Plan a way to carry out the accommodation so that the student’s confidentiality is protected as
much as possible. Be sure to keep a copy of the request for your files and refer back to it as
needed.
Step 5: Revising the Accommodation Plan
The fifth step of the process is Revising the Accommodation Plan. Sometimes it is necessary to
make adjustments to the original accommodation. Keep in mind that most of the time
accommodations go smoothly and revisions are not needed. While revisions are being worked
out, continue to provide the accommodations that you originally agreed upon.
Most often, small adjustments can be handled between you and the student. Other times, it may
be helpful to consult with the ASO. In any case, continue to provide the original accommodation
and communicate in writing to the ASO any changes you and the student make to the plan.
Every student has unique challenges and circumstances. The ASO is there to answer questions
and work with faculty, students, and the administration to make sure that students with
disabilities are accommodated appropriately while academic integrity is maintained.
Faculty Rights
Verify that a student is registered with the Office of Disability Services and is eligible for
accommodations
Identify and establish essential elements of course, program or activity
Determine when and where students will take exams/quizzes
Contact the Office of Accessibility Services with concerns
Faculty Responsibilities
Ensuring that students with disabilities receive accommodations requested
If using proctoring services thru ODS, providing copy of exam/quiz with completed proctoring
sheet
Allowing the use of auxiliary aides needed by student in the classroom
Using a syllabus statement that encourages students to disclose their disability to ODS if they
need accommodations
Interacting with Students with Disabilities
Avoid expressions that are derogatory with regard to physical or mental abilities, such as
"handicapped" or "retarded". Instead, use person first language, such as "person with a disability"
or "person with Down's Syndrome". People have disabilities, they are not defined by them.
Respond courteously to all accommodation requests and be sure to promptly direct the request to
appropriate personnel who can assist.
Not all disabilities are apparent. Because of the stigma associated with certain disabilities, people
may be reluctant to disclose a disability or ask for an accommodation. If someone looks as
though he or she may not understand you, do not ask them if they have a disability. Instead, ask
in a respectful way if there is an alternative method for facilitating communication.
Don't make assumptions about the person or the disability.
Always speak directly to the person with a disability, not to a companion, assistant or sign
language interpreter. Speak in your normal tone and do not raise your voice unless requested.
If the person doesn't understand you, try again. Don't become anxious if you have to make
repeated attempts at listening or speaking to ensure effective communication.
Good Resource for information
http://dsp.berkeley.edu/TeachStudentsWithDisab.html
Questions