a team approach: welcoming and accommodating students with disabilities

1. Northwestern Health Sciences University February 15, 2007 Barbara Blacklock, MA, LISW Disability Services, University of Minnesota Black005@umn.edu

2. Barbara Blacklock, Disability Services, University of Minnesota

3. Barbara Blacklock, Disability Services, University of Minnesota Legal Foundations Section 504 Rehabilitation Act 1973 American Disability Act 1990 Minnesota Human Rights Act

4. Barbara Blacklock, Disability Services, University of Minnesota Meaningful Access Access Environments Physical Programmatic Informational Attitudinal

5. Barbara Blacklock, Disability Services, University of Minnesota Models of Disability Medical Model Disability is a deficiency or abnormality Being disabled is negative Disability resides in the individual The remedy is cure or normalization of the individual The agent of remedy is the professional Carol Gill, Chicago Institute of Disability Research Socio-Political Model Disability is a difference Being disabled, in itself, is neutral Disability derives from the interaction between the individual and society The remedy is a change in the interaction between the individual and society The agent of remedy is the individual, an advocate, or anyone who affects the arrangements between the individual and society

6. Barbara Blacklock, Disability Services, University of Minnesota What is a Disability? A person has a disability if he or she has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities: Walking Standing Seeing Speaking Hearing Breathing Learning Working Self-care

7. Barbara Blacklock, Disability Services, University of Minnesota Common Disability Conditions Invisible Disabilities Psychiatric Learning Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Systemic Disabilities Sensory Impairments Physical Disabilities Brain Injury

8. Barbara Blacklock, Disability Services, University of Minnesota Reasonable Accommodations A reasonable accommodation is a modification or adjustment to a course, program, service, job, facility or activity that enables a qualified person with a disability to have an equal opportunity to participate.

9. Barbara Blacklock, Disability Services, University of Minnesota Determining Reasonable Accommodations �Person with a disability� �Otherwise qualified� What are the barriers? What are possible accommodations? Does the individual have meaningful access? Would accommodations compromise essential elements of the curriculum or position?

10. Barbara Blacklock, Disability Services, University of Minnesota Role of Student Affairs Obtain and maintain medical/psychological documentation in a confidential manner. Determine if a condition is a disability. Identify and assist with the implementation of reasonable accommodations. Communicate accommodation needs in writing. Modify accommodations as needed. Provide consultation and problem-solving.

11. Barbara Blacklock, Disability Services, University of Minnesota Role of Faculty Referral to Student Affairs. Participate in the process to determine and implement reasonable accommodations. Identify essential course components for accommodations to be determined. Request assistance (from Student Affairs) with accommodations, implementation, or consultation.

12. Barbara Blacklock, Disability Services, University of Minnesota Role of Student Request reasonable accommodations. Provide medical and/or psychological documentation to Student Affairs. Participate in the process of determining and implementing reasonable accommodations. Inform Student Affairs when accommodations are not working, need to be modified, or symptoms change.

13. Barbara Blacklock, Disability Services, University of Minnesota Common Accommodations Exam Accommodations Coursework Modifications Classroom Accommodations Programmatic Accommodations

14. Barbara Blacklock, Disability Services, University of Minnesota Proactive Approaches Use a Disability Services syllabus statement. Refer students to Student Affairs. Participate in the process to determine and implement reasonable accommodations. Identify essential course or program components. Request assistance from Student Affairs as needed. Incorporate the Principles of Universal Design for Curriculum into your instruction.

15. Barbara Blacklock, Disability Services, University of Minnesota Sample Syllabus Statement The University of Minnesota is committed to providing all students equal access to learning opportunities. Disability Services is the campus office that works with students who have disabilities to provide and/or arrange reasonable accommodations. Students registered with Disability Services, who have a letter requesting accommodations, are encouraged to contact the instructor early in the semester. Students who have, or think they may have, a disability (e.g. psychiatric, attentional, learning, vision, hearing, physical, or systemic), are invited to contact Disability Services for a confidential discussion at 612-626-1333 (V/TTY) or at ds@umn.edu. Additional information is available at the DS website http://ds.umn.edu.

16. Barbara Blacklock, Disability Services, University of Minnesota Universal Instructional Design (UID) The basic premise of UID is that curriculum should be designed to include alternatives to make it accessible and applicable to students with different backgrounds, learning styles, abilities and disabilities, with little need for additional adaptation or retrofitting. Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) UID does not remove academic challenges; it removes barriers to learning for all qualified students.

17. Barbara Blacklock, Disability Services, University of Minnesota

18. Barbara Blacklock, Disability Services, University of Minnesota

19. Barbara Blacklock, Disability Services, University of Minnesota Additional Information on UID FacultyWare http://www.facultyware.uconn.edu/home.htm Center for Applied Special Technology http://CAST.org Center for Teaching Effectiveness http://www.cte.udel.edu/bestpract.htm DO-IT Universal Design of Instruction http://www.washington.edu/doit/Brochures/

20. Barbara Blacklock, Disability Services, University of Minnesota If a student discusses their disability with you� Respect confidentiality. Focus on the person, not the disability. Ask yourself: Why do I need to know? before asking a disability-related question. Focus on removing educational barriers and providing an equal opportunity.