The Chronicle of Higher Education: Colloquy

Advocates for disabled people say that colleges and universities have been slow to adopt technology and Web-site designs that will allow blind, deaf, motor-impaired, and other disabled students to work and study online. Are colleges willing or able to write policies to make all their Web sites accessible to people with disabilities? By dealing with the needs of disabled students on a case-by-case basis, do colleges expose themselves to lawsuits and accusations of discrimination?

While I would like to believe that colleges/universities/administrators are interested in an accessible education for all, I don't really see it happening until the lawsuits begin. It's amazing that so many of these same "people in charge" will claim they're not bigots while denying access to an entire population of people.

I recently attened a faculty seminar at the university where I teach regarding ADA compliance. I was amazed at the ignorance of other faculty and administrators when discussing people with disabilities. The language was discriminatory, and in some cases, hateful. Phrases such as "wheelchair bound, retarded, special, incompetent" were used freely with no indication of reflection on the part of the speaker. It was incredibly sad...

As a director of a program serving students with disabilities, and as the parent of a teenage daughter with a developmental disability, I agree with an earlier post that the lack of accommodations for college students is appalling. Most institutions, including mine, do little more than meet the "letter of the law"; indeed, they often fail to do even that. I have fought for 8 years to get an automatic door since students using wheelchairs are unable to enter my office and lab without assistance. Until we create a truly "inclusive" campus climate, students with disabilities will have to fight for the accommodations to which they are entitled.

Universities vary widely in their approaches to Section 508 and online learning. Their web pages may pass the BOBBY test, but increasing expectations of media-rich online instruction make compliance a far more complex consideration.

This is compounded by the accessibility deficiencies of many commonly used CMS products (course management systems), particularly with respect to shared tools for collaboration (e.g., whiteboards) and synchronous communication (e.g., chat rooms). As we develop more media-rich and more interactive online courses, a positive step from a pedagogical perspective, we encounter more accessibility questions.

Instructional designers and faculty do what they can to create accessible online courses; however, they need support from chief academic officers and campus executive officers to make the required investments in human and technology resources. Compromised accessibility in online learning breaks the promise of access and equal educational opportunity--the foundation on which distance learning has rested since its inception.

Hello,

i want to bring to your attention an allarming situation. I recently interviewed for a foreign language position TT with a major public university in NY city. After two rounds of interviews I got offered the job. The Vice- President and I talked about the salary and then when I revealed that I needed to review my H1B visa for this job ( I have been in the US for 13 years, first as as a Ph.D student with an F-1 visa and then 2 years on a H1B) she stopped the conversation and told me that she was not sure if she could hire me. I told her that his was discriminating against me since on the affirmative action pamphet it clearly says that "the school does not discriminate in terms of race, color. ...citizenship, alianage, and national origin"
The next day the President of Legal affairs called me and he told me that it was "a waste of time for them and for me" since my visa would expire after 6 years I would have to leave the country, this this university, if I was not able to find an independent sponsor for the green card". They do not have a policy that states if they want or not to sponsor the green card for foreigners yet, but they did not want to take the risk of hiring someone that may leave due to visa matters.
I told him that they could not refuse to hire me simple becase they did not know if and when I could get a green card. So many things can happend in 5 years, I can get married to an American, or else.

I realize that if you are not a foreigner this might sound confusing, but I was wondering if this has happened to somebody else. I got a lawyer and I will file a complaint with the Human rights and the equal opportunity committee in NY city. This Univ now refuses to hire me simple because of this matter, even if I have offered to pay for the visa, 2000-3000 dollars. Any advice ?
Anonymous

I am no legal expert, much less an expert on immigration and employment law, but I don't think you have much standing. It is my understanding that it is perfectly legal for an employer to not hire someone if they do not have authorization to work in the U.S.

While Universities tend to be more willing to sponsor new hires for the H1B and the green card, I do not think they are obligated to do either.

In fact, many employers will simply refuse to consider candidates who do not have a green card.

It is a shame that the university who interviewed you was not more up front about their requirements for the position, but I don't think you have much legal recourse.

Even so, you should consult an attorney to be sure.

Dear Editor, I believe I have uncovered one of the answers to why there is so much corruption and scandal in corporate world today......

In the op-ed section of the NY Times on Friday 21st an article appeared titled "Why We Built the Ivory Tower" by Stanley Fish.
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/21/opinion/21FISH.html?th

Mr. Fish is dean of a university in Chicago and he openly states that professors should only teach the subject they are experts in and should not guide the students in any other way.

He declares; "In other words, don't confuse your academic obligations with the obligation to save the world; that's not your job as an academic."

His message is; teachers should provides the tools (education), with no instruction on how to use them authentically. He goes on to say "No doubt, the practices of responsible citizenship and moral behavior should be encouraged in our young adults —— but it's not the business of the university to do so"

These words clearly exposes the grip the academic world has on teaching students only the subject matter and does not prepare them for all the pitfalls of the modern world.

Mr. fish would like all professors to stay locked in their Ivory Towers and not try to change the world for the betterment of humanity. They are only there to teach and not to project wisdom.

Unfortunately, dean Fish is not alone and most professors I come into contact (as an un-academic philosopher) mostly go along with Mr. Fishes ignorance.....
They do lock themselves away in ivory towers

That is why many of the company directors who lie and cheat in our world today, all had ‘a good education,' but did not know how to use it in an authentic manner ......they were never taught how....Now we have clear evidence why!

Mr. Fishes article lets the world know that his world of academia is swimming in a tank of ignorance and even if many people are crying out for wisdom, it must be ignored. Many professors are of the same close mindedness and are indeed ....... Fishes swimming out of water.
*************************************
From:
Michael Levy. Author, philosopher.
Service With A Smile.
http://www.pointoflife.com
POBox 7 3032 East Commercial Blvd.
Fort Lauderdale
Florida 33303
USA

"The human intellect can be compared to a nuclear re-actor. It can light up the world or it can destroy the planet."_Michael Levy.
*******************************

The article is right to point out the unprecedented potential for educational inclusion that exists because of technology. The fact that this potential is not being realized is a tragic loss of human resources. I do not agree however that most college adminstrators deliberately choose to leave people out. My experience in providing training and inclusionary practices to universities throughout the country indicates that the lack of accessibility is often the result of simple ignorance.

Our job as advocates is to continue to educate - and yes, bring suit if necessary - to raise the awareness of how and why to create online learning platforms that can be used by everyone, including people with disabilities. Curbcuts and ramps provide access to many more people than those using wheelchairs. Simarly, the accessible design techniques advocated for people with disabilities provide benefits and ease-of-use for all. Once this fact is made clear to those who choose e-learning management systems, I believe we will see the kinds of changes instituted at the University of Texas and other leading schools.

Though they still have work to do, UT has made a real committment and worked with Knowbility for over 3 years on this issue. As a result, it has made major strides in online accessibility. UT has developed a multi-faceted approach and serves as a good role model for those interested in honestly meeting the accessibility challenge.

Sincerely,
Sharron Rush
Knowbility
http://www.knowbility.org

Online accessibility for all?