FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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What Do I Do if I Suspect a Student has a Disability?

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What Can I Do to Help Students with Disabilities in My Class?

The following are offered as suggestions when you have a student with a disability in your class. Remember, a student with a disability is first a STUDENT and will have the same motivations and desires as any other student to learn and to be successful.

The three guiding concepts of Universal Design are helpful for any student and are highly recommended they be considered in your teaching. Please see Universal Design/Instruction for more information.

For more suggestions as to how to help a specific student with a disability be more successful in your class, please contact RDS, 491-6385.

For All Students	For Deaf/Hard of Hearing Students
For Blind/Sight Impaired Students	For Students with Learning Disabilities

For Students with a Variety of Disabilities

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For All Students

You may want to include on your syllabus a statement that invites students to talk to you if they have a need for an accommodation due to a disability or other situation. Students are sometimes intimidated with the act of speaking to instructors because of negative experiences they have encountered in the past concerning their needs. Your demonstrated willingness to work with a student can often make it easier for a student to approach you early in the semester rather than in the middle of a crisis. Again, if a student has not yet had contact with RDS, this may be a good time to inform them of university procedures for obtaining accommodations.

Sample Statement:

If you are a student who will need accommodations in this class, please make an appointment to see me to discuss your individual needs. Any accommodation must be discussed in a timely manner prior to implementation.

Each student with a disability is an unique individual. A student may approach you appropriately or he/she may not be very adept at self-advocacy. Your understanding of this and your willingness to give appropriate feedback as to the student's interaction with you may help her/him with future encounters with faculty and other representatives of the university.

Courses taught from a universal design framework emcompass the following ideas:

1) to support recognition learning by providing multiple, flexible methods of presentation;
2) to support strategic learning by providing multiple, flexible methods of expression and apprenticeship; and
3) to support affective learning by providing multiple, flexible options for engagement.

These three concepts share one common recommendation: provide students with a variety of options for accessing, using, and engaging with learning material. While helpful for students with additional learning needs, these principles enhance opportunities for learning for every student. For more information about designing your instruction under universal design concepts, please go to Universal Design/Instruction. Another good resource is www.cast.org.

For Students who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing:

If a student is hard of hearing, facing the class while lecturing will be helpful for those students who lip-read. You may also be asked to wear a microphone that is programmed to work with an individual FM system a student will have. This system focuses your voice directly and allows the student to use his/her hearing aid more effectively.

(Note: this system has also been used by students with specific types of learning disabilities such as central auditory processing deficit or attention deficit disorder (ADD) to minimize distractions.)

If a student is deaf, he/she will be accompanied by a sign language/oral interpreter. You should be contacted prior to the beginning of class by either the interpreter or another representative from RDS who will orient you to working with a sign language/oral interpreter. An oral interpreter is one who 'mouths' what is being said. Students who rely on speech (lip) reading often need this type of accommodation. Students who have more profound hearing losses or who are more proficient in sign language will require an interpreter who not only 'mouths' what is being said but can also translate into pictorial gestures (American Sign Language).

A classroom interpreter will position him/herself in view of the student as well as within hearing distance of you. The interpreter is also available to reverse interpret - or voice what the student wants to say. It is important to remember to speak to the student and not the interpreter when conversing with the student since the interpreter is there to simply translate words into and from signed gestures. If your pace of lecturing is too fast for the interpreter to follow you may be asked to repeat or to slow down so that the student does not lose important information. Remember, too, whatever the interpreter voices will be the words of the student and not the interpreter.

For those students who are not familiar with sign language, another effective accommodation is real-time captioning (RTC). When resources are available, RDS may provide RTC for a student, especially those who are not proficient in sign language. RTC is similar to a court recording in that a transcriber translate what is being said in "real time" to the student via a computer screen.

If a particular video is closed-captioned, you can reserve a monitor that will show the closed-captioning from Instructional Services. If not closed-captioned, you might want to consider providing a copy of the text. If a student uses an interpreter, proper lighting may need to be provided for the interpreter if the lighting in class is altered for visual displays.

For Students who are Blind/Sight Impaired:

If you plan to use videos, slides, or other visual media, it might be helpful to have someone in class describe the material orally to students who are blind. Written material may need to be converted to alternative formats and your cooperation in this process may be to provide an extra copy of a book (for someone from RDS to read aloud on tape) or copies of printed handouts prior to distribution to the class so that they may be translated into an appropriate format (i.e., audio or Braille).

If you post anything via the Internet (e.g., notes, bulletin boards, assignments, etc.), be sure it is accessible for students who use adaptive devices. Students with visual impairments in particular often use screen readers. These devices DO NOT read pictures; they only read text. An alternative format or adaptive aid may be necessary for a student to have access to your material and information.

For more information on how to make your WebPages more accessible to students with visual limitations, or other disabilities, contact the Assistive Technology Resource Center (ATRC), 491-6258.

For Students with Learning Disabilities:

Some students with learning disabilities may not realize they are experiencing trouble in a class until they take an exam. More frequent testing throughout the semester or other measures of performance in addition to exams only is often helpful for these students.

Study guides can also be helpful for students who have difficulty differentiating the minutia from what is important.

Students may also have difficulty with specific types of exams. Often an alternative format will prove to be a better indicator of the student's mastery of the material.

Your assistence in identifying potential tutoring support may also benefit students who are struggling with the compatibility of their learning disability and your teaching style.

For more information about learning disabilities, go to What is a Learning Disability?

For Students with a Variety of Limitations:

Some students find it difficult to take notes in classes based on their particular disability (e.g. unable to use hands, learning disability, hard of hearing, etc.). At times, a student may ask you to make an announcement for a volunteer note taker (someone to share his/her notes with the student). Your cooperation in this process helps especially if the class is a large one and the student does not know anyone in the class. Notes will often be taken on carbonless paper provided by the student or will be copied through RDS.

An outline of your lecture may also be helpful for students as well as copies of overheads for students who have difficulty copying information. In addition, some students may need to use tape recorders as an accommodation or other assistive devices/auxiliary aids in lieu of a taking notes. If you are comfortable in doing so, providing a student with a copy of your lecture notes is also helpful.

At times, RDS will hire another person to take notes on behalf of a student in a particular class. Students who receive notes from a volunteer, through an instructor or through a paid notetaker are expected to consider this information only for their use and not for shared distribution. Notetakers are normally not expected to provide notes to any student who does not attend class.

If you are in a class that requires students to work with computers, specific adaptations may need to be made for a student (usually those who are visually or mobility limited). The Assistive Technology Resource Center (ATRC) on campus is available to help in assessing needs, loaning adapted equipment, software, etc., in order to facilitate a student's ability to access computers. In addition, courses and/or materials on-line may not be in accessible formats. The ATRC is available to consult with you to ensure your course and/or materials are accessible to all students, including those with disabilities. Contact them at 491-6258.

Students who have difficulty taking standard exams under standard conditions may require an "alternative" testing procedure. Some may only need extra time and a quieter environment. Others may need a reader and/or scribe or the use of an assistive device. Students with particular processing problems may need an alternative format in order to demonstrate their knowledge (e.g. an essay or oral exam instead of a multiple choice or vice versa). Another alternative may be to have a student give their answers on a tape rather than in written form.

In order to facilitate testing alternatives, RDS provides Alternative Testing Services. These service provide the student with extra time, an alternative location, readers and scribes and/or other accommodations according to the needs of the student and the agreement of the instructor. A pick-up and delivery system for exams is also in place or instructors may FAX exams to the office. Students arrange to use these services with the cooperation of their instructors. For more information on these services as an option for you go to RDS Alternative Testing Services.

Students may need to meet regularly with their instructors in order to clarify points or simply to verify they are understanding the material correctly. Your willingness to meet with students will be especially helpful for these students. At times, too, a student may request help in locating study partners or tutors to help in learning class material and your assistance could be invaluable if you are aware of particular students who are doing well in your classes.

Do not be surprised if you find that your class is moved at the beginning of a given semester. Because not all locations on campus are accessible to students who use wheelchairs, your class (or other meeting space) may need to be moved to a more accessible location if a student using a wheelchair is enrolled. Locations may also be moved for students who have difficulty walking distances. These are acceptable accommodations to provide access and is commonly arranged through room scheduling once a student notifies RDS of the need. If your office is located in an inaccessible location, you may need to meet with a student in an alternative location.

If a student with a mobility impairment is required to participate on a field trip, please contact RDS as soon as possible so that appropriate accommodations can be arranged.

Assistance in laboratories for physical manipulation of equipment may be needed for a student with a mobility impairment. You assistance in helping to facilitate a "buddy" arrangement may be required.

What Should I Do if I Suspect a Student has a Disability but has not Requested an Accommodation?

Having a disability is a personal issue for some individuals and students are not always comfortable discussing such aspects with others who might not understand. Some students may have an undiagnosed disability (usually learning) and not realize they need an accommodation. Others may feel there is no need for an accommodation from their instructor until something goes awry.

If you decide to approach a student, it is strongly suggested you do so within the context of the student's performance in your class. The issue of a disability may be part of the discussion but it is recommended that it not be the focus. It is a student's choice to request an accommodation.

While some students may need some adjustment based on personal circumstances, a student must have a recognized disability to be eligible for an accommodation under Section 504/ADA. Although you are free to offer any assistance you feel might facilitate an individual student's learning process, the accommodations offered through RDS are contingent upon the identification of a specific disability. If an accommodation is requested because a student claims to have a disability, please verify the student's eligibility with RDS prior to providing the accommodation.

Students can be referred to RDS for further assistance to determine if they do have a disability and qualify for an accommodation. If you or the student suspects the presence of a learning disability, diagnostic testing is available free on campus through the Learning Assistance Center of the University Counseling Center (104 General Services, 491-5527). LAC counselors can also provide assistance with study skills and other learning strategies.

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Who Should I Contact if I have Any Other Questions Regarding Students with Disabilities?

Feel free to contact RDS, 100 General Services, 491-6385, regarding questions you might have about disabilities in general or about students with disabilities. RDS Counselor, Kathleen Ivy, works more closely with students and can help in assessing what their needs may be. Other contacts in the office include: Karin Bright (Alternative Testing Coordinator/Van Coordinator); Dede Kliewer (Interpreting Services Coordinator); Jackie Charlesworth (Alternative Text/Note Taking/Van Coordinator); Merry Wright (Administrative Assistant); Rose Kreston (Director).

For specific questions concerning the ADA or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, contact the Office of Equal Opportunity, 104 Student Services, 491-5836.

In addition, the Assistive Technology Resource Center (ATRC), located in the Occupational Therapy building, can be contacted to assist you in determining the most appropriate adaptation for accommodations on computers and other technology (491-6258). Contact Marla Roll, director at the ATRC, for more information.

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