1. STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES IN HIGHER EDUCATION A WORKSHOP FOR FACULTY Presented By : Emily Lucio, Director of Disability Support Services

2. PURPOSE OF DSS Determine a student’s eligibility for services Determine and implement accommodations Ensure all policies and procedures allow for accessibility Assist in maintaining physical compliance to all university facilities

3. Eligibility for Accommodations A person is considered to be an individual with a disability and protected by the law if he/she has the disability, has a record of having the disability or (for certain purposes) is regarded as having the disability. A qualified student with a disability means an individual who, with reasonable modifications or accommodations to rules, policies or practices, the removal of barriers or the provision of auxiliary aids and services, meets the eligibility requirements for the receipt of services and the participation in programs or activities. Determining Eligibility: Accommodations are determined on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the needs of the student, the course standards and essential requirements, and the educational environment. At CUA, the determination of an appropriate and reasonable accommodation is based on approved documentation and through interaction with the student and DSS. Documentation is not just to verify if there is a disability. It is to determine if they are eligible for accommodations and to determine what are appropriate accommodations DSS Policies: http://policies.cua.edu/studentlife/disabilitysvcs/disabilityfull.cfmhttp://policies.cua.edu/studentlife/disabilitysvcs/disabilityfull.cfm

4. TYPES OF DISABILITIES AD/HD Autism Spectrum Disorders Blind or Low Vision Chronic Health Deaf or Hard of Hearing Emotional/Psychiatric Learning Disabilities Physical Traumatic/Acquired Brain Injury

5. What is an “accommodation”? An accommodation allows a student to complete the same assignment or test as other students, but with a change in the timing, formatting, setting, scheduling, response and/or presentation. It does not alter in any significant way what the test or assignment measures. They are in place to “level the playing field” Examples: Faculty would never be asked to change a test from an objective test to a subjective test. change the way a course is graded (i.e. to P/F) Make an exception to their grading policy that is considered to be a fundamental alteration.

6. Over-Accommodation can do more harm than good Accommodations are not one size fits all. Providing the same accommodations to two different students, could possibly be providing an unfair advantage to one student while denying a different student an appropriate accommodation. When a faculty member chooses to directly decide on and provide accommodations for one student, but does not for another student with a different disability, it could open the door for a grievance complaint. When faculty choose to make accommodation decisions directly with a student without going through DS potentially sets students up for problems with other faculty members and could conceivably invite litigation. Providing accommodations outside the DS office, can set the student up for difficulty in other settings like Graduate school or employment. DS needs to maintain a record of accommodations for verification purposes in order to be considered a student with a disability (I.e. ETS Exams). DSS Website Article: http://dss.cua.edu/Providing%20Equal%20Access%20in%20the%20Cl assroom/whenfacultyaretooaccommodating.cfm http://dss.cua.edu/Providing%20Equal%20Access%20in%20the%20Cl assroom/whenfacultyaretooaccommodating.cfm

7. The Accommodation Process Student requests the accommodations each semester DSS creates a letter for the student to give to the professor and helps the student implement accommodations Student submits letter to the faculty member and discusses the accommodations 1:1 during office hours Student notifies faculty member before each test they want to use accommodations Faculty help student to implement accommodations DSS is available to consult at any time in regards to accommodations See Accommodation Letter Instruction handout in folder See Exam Process handout in folder See Notetaker Request handout in folder

8. Things to Understand About Accommodations Accommodations are not retroactive Students who bring you their letter late in the semester are not entitled to apply their accommodations to previously assigned work Additional time This is only for in-class tests. It is not for take-home exams It is not for papers or other assignments that were listed on the syllabus* It should not be given to a student unless They are registered with DSS and approved for it The faculty member agrees to give extra time to every student Tests Option 1: Work with student to see about starting early or finishing late Option 2: Work with student to take test 1:1 another time Option 3: Through DSS- requires test form 5 days/2 weeks in advance It is the student’s responsibility before each test to notify the instructor of their desire and need to use accommodations and to make those arrangements. They should do this 2-3 days in advance

9. Things to Understand About Accommodations Notetaker Requests Follow instructions on the purple handout Make sure to maintain student confidentiality May need to make the announcement more than once Make sure to notify the student when someone has come forward It is the student’s responsibility to follow-up with the instructor if no one comes forward. Materials in alternative formats (including large print, electronic, descriptive or audio captions for videos) Consult with DSS

10. Things to Understand About Accommodations Recorded Lectures All students will be informed by the instructor that permission was granted Lectures recorded may not be shared with other people without the consent of the lecturer. Permission to allow the recording is not a transfer of any copyrights in the recording. The recording may not be reproduced or uploaded to publicly accessible web environments. Recordings, course materials, and lecture notes may not be exchanged or distributed for commercial purposes, for compensation, or for any other purpose other than study by the students named above. Students must destroy recordings at the end of the semester in which they are enrolled in the class. Public distribution of such materials may constitute copyright infringement in violation of federal or state law, or University policy. Violation of this agreement may subject a student to disciplinary action. The student and faculty member must sign the pledge before lectures can be recorded. It is the responsibility of the student to notify the instructor that they may be recording the lectures due to their disability.

11. Important Things for Faculty to Know What is a reasonable accommodation? In the context of higher education, it is easier to define what is not reasonable and assume that if the accommodation needed does not clearly fall under those guidelines, it is probably reasonable! If making the accommodation or allowing participation poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others; If making the accommodation means a substantial change in an essential element of the curriculum or a substantial alteration in the manner in which you provide your services; and If it poses an undue financial or administrative burden.

12. Important Things for Faculty to Know When is an accommodation a fundamental alteration? It is not a reasonable accommodation if it means making a substantial alteration in the manner in which you teach your class. What is an “essential element”? Deemed essential and supported by faculty member and department Not reasonable to make a substantial change in an essential element of a course or a given student’s curriculum. It is the institution’s responsibility to demonstrate that the change requested is substantial that the element targeted for change is essential to the conduct of the course or curriculum.

13. Questions for faculty to consider in establishing essential requirements What is the purpose of the course? What methods of instruction are absolutely necessary? Why? The consideration here is if by altering the method of instruction it would compromise the purpose of the course. What outcomes are absolutely required of all students? Why? What specific knowledge, principles, concepts, and skills do the faculty believe must be mastered by students. What methods of assessing student outcomes are absolutely necessary? Why? For example, if a student, based on their disability, requested an oral tape-recorded essay exam, would this compromise the purpose of the course? What are acceptable levels of performance on these student outcome measures? Adjusting or changing grades is not an accommodation required by law or a recommended practice. Faculty may need to consider how to evaluate student outcome measures that have been accommodated or provided in alternative, nonessential formats such as an essay exam presented orally.

14. Things Faculty Can Do Include a statement in the syllabus Provide materials in an alternative format (inc. Power Point) Submit book lists to bookstore early Ensure that material in the course management system is accessible (Blackboard) Assist with providing testing accommodations Ensure that all video segments (i.e. youtube) have captioning (note: free sites available) Order DVD’s with captioning Include UD Principals in all areas of course design Make sure all Fieldwork, internships, and practicum sites have a memoranda of understanding to ensure access Ensure websites are accessible

15. CONTACT INFORMATION Disability Support Services Catholic University of America 201 Pryzbyla Center Washington, DC 20064 202-319-5211 202-319-5126 Fax cua-disabilityservices@cua.edu http://dss.cua.edu/ cua-disabilityservices@cua.edu http://dss.cua.edu/ Make sure to check out the faculty page on our website!