[Each week at ProfHacker, George Williams hosts an open thread discussion devoted to a particular topic, often one suggested by one of our readers. The Commenting and Community Guidelines still apply. And remember that you can always suggest topics or ask us questions via email: ProfHackerCHE@gmail.com. —Ed.]
Over the last 5 months or so I’ve written a few posts concerning disability (“The ADA Turns 20”), accommodation (“5 Suggestions Concerning Disability, Accommodation, and the College Classroom”), and universal design (“Academic Resources and Universal Design”). One topic I haven’t tackled so far, however, is working with an office of disability support services, a campus division whose purpose is to meet the needs of students with disabilities.
On my campus, this office describes some of the most frequent accommodations they provide:
- Alternative Test Administration
- Books on Tape/Textbooks Scanned to CD
- Note-taking Services
- Priority Registration
How about you?
What have you learned from working with the office on your campus? Alternately, if you work in such an office, what have you learned from working with faculty to meet the needs of students with disabilities? What advice do you have to share? Let’s hear from you in the comments!
[Creative Commons-licensed flickr photo by phonogalerie.com]
Follow Profhacker through your favorite RSS reader: 
11 Responses to Open Thread: Advice For Working With Disability Support Services?
bbaylis - October 13, 2010 at 10:35 pm
Having worked with faculty for 40 years, obviously some of those before ADA came along, I found a great deal of suspiciousnes of students’ claims to difficulties. FOr years I will admit that I felt all students students complete on an even field. However, an episode that struck me 15 months ago has completely changed my view of the ADA and challanged students. 20 months ago, I had a blood vessel in a benign tumor in my brain burst creating all the symptoms of a stroke. I immediately developed a case of aphasia necessitating extended time to read, understand and write and do other problem solving activities. 9 months after the brain episode that resembled a stroke, i had 4 grand-mal seizueres in a 30 minute time frame. In the 9 months since those seizures, I have had to fight epilepsy with medications that slow down my mental processing. Aphasia is a communication disorder, it does not affect intellectual. I have a great deal of relevant knowlege in my head, it can sometimes be problematic to get that information out in a timely manner. When people ignore me and my ideas, I want to scream, “Wait just a minute, what I know is relevant, I you will just work with me, then maybe we can all learn something.”i have used the following two descriptions of how I have had to deal with words: the first is “WOrd are more like cats than dogs. Dogs come to you when you call them. Cats come to you when they want to come.” THe second is that “communicating with aphasia is like trying to put together jigsaq puzzles with pieces missing.”I have a whole new understanding of our challenged students in terms of their problems, but also in terms of what new knowledge annd insights they can bring to the table. FOr some of these student extra time for assignments and/or tests is appropriate. Pay attention they may teach you something.
chedie - October 14, 2010 at 8:13 am
In my limited experience in dealing with the Disability Resource Center on our campus, the competence of the people working in the center are the key to success. I have always encouraged students with disabilities to seek help at the DRC, and have no problem with allowing them to take their exams at the DRC. In one instance last year I sent a copy of the exam to the DRC with instructions for the exam to be given no earlier than the start of the 12 am class for which the exam was being administered. The department showed up at my office at 11:15 am the morning of the exam with the completed exam from the DRC to be graded. The student could have informed the entire class of the material on the exam. After an embarrasing tirade in the DRC office over the error I have not had this occur since.
midtownlabgeek - October 14, 2010 at 9:09 am
My department’s big freshman class (750 students in 6 sections) takes exams in the evening, all at the same time – rather than spread out over their usual lecture times. (Same conditions, we can all use the same test, etc.) Makeups are given a few days later, during the daytime. All students are aware that the makeup is an option, although we encourage them to register for it in advance (lets us anticipate how many copies we’ll need). This isn’t necessarily an ideal solution, but it’s how we’ve decided to handle it.
Our ODS apparently takes issue with this, claiming that it’s unreasonable to expect students on medication (ADHD etc.) to be alert as late as 9 pm. They refuse to provide any data on how many students might fall into this category. They’ve said repeatedly that they want “complete control” over how and when exams are given to students receiving their services, even though – as chedie noted – this may lead to compromises in test security, or differences in testing conditions (extra-extra time because the student worker supervising the test “forgot” to watch the clock). (Both of these have actually occurred.)
So it’s not that the faculty here are unsympathetic, or skeptical of the idea of “disabilities”. Rather, our ODS appears (at least sometimes) to be on some sort of power play that doesn’t necessarily benefit the students they’re here to help. Any tips on dealing with that?
berkeleyprof - October 14, 2010 at 9:34 am
I had a guy from Disability Services tell me (and other faculty) that a student has a right to commit suicide. The context was not hypothetical.
dank48 - October 14, 2010 at 10:16 am
Good for you, BBaylis. I wouldn’t have wished this on you or anyone else, but you’ve learned something from the experience, something many others have yet to absorb even superficially, much less in their bones.
There’s an unconscious assumption that people choose their circumstances. Nobody in their right mind, of course, would say such a thing aloud, but when it comes to attitudes and behavior, it becomes embarrassingly obvious.
As a matter of fact, disabled people have not, as a rule, volunteered for their “special” status. Those of us who are, as the poignant phrase has it, “temporarily abled” would do well to realize that the cards get shuffled and dealt, and you get the hand you’re given, not what you might have chosen.
It’s mildly inconvenient for those of us who have not (yet) experienced some disability to accommodate those who have. It’s worth remembering that it’s more than mildly inconvenient for the disabled person to request the accommodation; nobody wants to start out the semester by ticking off the instructor. And if you think you find it hard to deal with the Office of Disability Support Services, what do you think it’s like for the disabled person?
There has been a certain amount of abuse of the ADA, as could be expected and as has been widely publicized. There are lowlifes everywhere, and a culture of victimhood hasn’t provided much defense against their selfish exploitation of society’s basically decent attitude toward the less fortunate.
But putting yourself in the other person’s shoes (if that person has shoes) can really put the inconvenience in perspective.
shawnbrackett - October 14, 2010 at 10:51 am
I strongly suggest arranging a meeting with the students and staff of the disability support office. Understanding who the staff are, what qualifications they hold, what they do on a daily basis, and how they serve students is critical to forming and maintaining a good working relationship.
More importantly, take the time to get to know your students as individuals. If they request accommodation and self-disclose their disability(ies), talk to them about it. Some students may not be comfortable, but on the other hand, they may be nervous and unsure of who they can approach for help.
Lastly: be genuine. Including the mandated disability statement does no good if you treat it as an undue burden. Doing so will deter students from seeking the accommodation(s) they need. Being genuine means talking about disabilities openly and without judgment. You may find that by being genuine, you will learn more from your students than you might have thought.
matt_l - October 14, 2010 at 12:01 pm
I agree with many of the commenters above. Its especially important to communicate with the people in the DSS office. It doesn’t hurt to hand deliver the first test or set of exam materials in person. That way they have a face to put to the instructor’s name for the rest of the semester.
Its really good to talk with the student who is seeking accommodation. I find it helps to ask them what their strengths and weaknesses are, what they have done in other classes, etc. Usually I do not have to change things around all that much, and the student does a better job of showing me what they know.
Working with DSS has also helped me think more about the kinds of assignments and tests I use with all my students. For example, I am not nearly so worried about the time limits on exams. If any student needs more time on a test, I can usually give it to them, unless we have to vacate the room. But even then I can usually find a place where they can have an extra ten or fifteen minutes to finish up. I think I’d like to try different kinds of projects to assess their knowledge and skills.
haggard - October 14, 2010 at 12:08 pm
as a deaf faculty member i can speak to the difficulties of being “heard” by others, and believed. because my deafness has arrived slowly and i am good at lip-reading, many people assume i am “normal”. (at least when it comes to the ability to hear!) i have the results of my hearing tests on file in my personnel file, but that, of course, is priviledged.
creamcity - October 14, 2010 at 1:45 pm
On the whole, I’ve had good experience with the campus disabilities office — and having been around long enough to recall what it was like before it vetted student requests, I am very grateful to not have to do so and to simply be given recommendations for accommodations. Almost always, those have been easily accomplished. Some have been so successful that those accommodations have been offered to all students, with success for others as well, because some ought to seek assistance but do not do so.
However, now that I’m teaching online courses, too, I find that the disabilities office is far behind us on that fast-growing reality on my campus. It would seem that the disabilities office would be well ahead on this, as online technologies could help many student. However, not so. For just one example, I am told that I am responsible for ensuring a quiet learning and testing environment — for an online course?
I took it up with the office and asked that it catch up, that it update its forms, that it not advise students to give us such requests that then give students unreasonable expectations of us, etc. So far, I’ve gotten nowhere on that . . . and some students have gotten nowhere in online courses as well, without good preparation for their responsibilities in such courses.
vanessa3 - October 18, 2010 at 11:08 pm
I work for a program, College Living Experience (CLE), which provides post-secondary support for special needs students. I have helped many of our students successfully navigate through the supportive services process, and agree with Chedie that “… the competence of the people working in the center are key to success”. At the post-secondary level, it is the student’s responsibility to self-disclose and utilize the recourses available through supportive services. However, it is also vital that colleges expose students to the services that are provided so they, as well as members of the surrounding community, are aware of resources and potential accommodations available.
I advocate for students by accompanying them when they need to communicate with faculty and staff. One of the biggest issues I’ve noticed is the difference in understanding of supportive services between full time and adjunct faculty. I often notice that adjunct faculty are aware of the supportive services office, but are unaware, or do not understand the different services available for students. The supportive services provided at the post-secondary level are vital for student success, and it is essential that everyone is educated and informed of the resources available for students.
The accommodations most frequently used by our students are:
- Extended time on exams ( in a distraction reduced setting)
- Circling multiple choice answers on exams ( instead of
transposing the answers onto a “scantron”)
- Use of a computer in class and on exams
- Digital formatting of text books
- Note-Taking
- Priority Registration
11196496 - October 19, 2010 at 4:38 pm
1. Professional courtesy. My experience with the staff of offices for students with disabilities in three very different universities is that they can vary tremendously in policies and procedures. I suggest that when one can, one make direct contact with the staff and demonstrate a willingness to work with them and have them work with you. Most staff are actually relieved and excited that a faculty member wants to work with them and is taking the time to understand how their office works before the student in the class uses the services they provide.
2. Learning from students. I have found that any time I make a personalized accommodation for a student I learn more not only about teaching that student with her/his particular abilities but also about learning processes for students generally. Some of my best uses of A/Vs (for the entire class) have come from experiences I have had with students with hearing or visual accommodations. So I want to second all of shawnbrackett’s suggestions.