Professional Development Strategies to Promote Equal Opportunity for Students with Disabilities Phillip Rumrill Clis Stauffer Linnea Carlson Kent State University

Trends in Higher Education and Disability Enrollment rates triple since % of American students have documented disabilities Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act Titles II & III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Services and supports rapidly expanding Increased federal funding Increased number of employees with disabilities

Postsecondary Students with Disabilities… Have slightly lower academic performance than non-disabled students Drop out at higher rates Take longer to complete their degrees Report fewer friends on campus and less social capital Believe that faculty and administrators are accepting of their needs but lack specific knowledge of disability issues

Concerns of Students with Disabilities Funding Independent living/Housing Choosing a major Social relationships Reactions of other students/Reactions of instructors Transportation Physical accessibility Asking for help Internships/Co-ops Access to technology Access to health care Employment after graduation

Employment and a College Education College graduates have $1,000,000 greater lifetime earning potential than those who never attended college A college graduate with a disability is 4-6 times more likely to be employed than a person with a disability who never attended college College graduates with disabilities are 8 to 12 times more likely to be unemployed than non-disabled college graduates

Faculty & Administrator Concerns Information regarding disabling conditions Disability etiquette Responsibility to provide accommodations Equity of accommodations Academic integrity/adherence to standards Students with psychiatric disabilities Resources – on and off campus Legal liability Technical assistance/use of technology

Faculty & Administrators’ Questions Regarding Students with Disabilities Who are they and what are their needs? Technical assistance, services, and resources? Disability issues in a broader societal context?

Overview of the Access to Quality Higher Education Project Faculty & Administrator Mentoring Program Distinguished Lecture Series on Universal Design for Instruction Faculty & Administrator Professional Development Institute Faculty & Administrator Learning Community on Disability Issues Classroom Accommodation Network Employability Day

Faculty & Administrator Mentoring Program College students with disabilities are paired with university faculty & administrators in their areas of concentration for mutually beneficial discussion Two semi-structured meetings provide an introduction to the program and its purpose

Faculty & Administrator Mentoring Program Topics Academic advisement Career exploration and planning Professional networking Classroom accommodations Disability resources on and off campus Internship/Externship/Co-op opportunities

Faculty & Administrator Mentoring Program Topics (cont.) Mutual research and/or professional interests Professional associations, especially student organizations Graduate school Jobs after graduation Other areas of interest or concern

Distinguished Lecture Series: Universal Design for Instruction (UDI) Bring one national leader in UDI to the Kent State University campus each year One day workshop for faculty members, administrators, student disability service staff members, and students with disabilities Apply UDI principles to specific course content and assignments

Professional Development Institute (PDI) Conducted for one week during the summer with 20 university faculty and administrators Invited speakers lead open discussions on the following issues:

PDI Topics Faculty, administrator and student perspectives Our (KSU) population Student disability services and accommodation process Vignettes of issues in higher education Broad issues of disability and culture Abilities and accommodations Universal design Effective teaching

PDI Topics (cont.) Media portrayals of people with disabilities Panel of effective and experienced faculty Evolution of disability rights movement Legal issues and the ADA Technology

Faculty Learning Community (FLC) on Disability Issues The FLC is composed of faculty, administrators, staff, undergraduate and graduate students Improve awareness of how to facilitate a positive transition to higher education for students with disabilities Increase members’ self-efficacy in implementing classroom accommodations and using assistive technology Equip faculty members with a repertoire of Universal Design for Instruction techniques Involve members in enhancing career preparation of students with disabilities while they are in school

Classroom Accommodation Network (CAN) Respond to queries from higher education faculty and administrators regarding students with disabilities Deliver technical assistance on matters of classroom accommodation:

Employability Day Program Youth with disabilities are less likely than their non- disabled peers to engage in part-time jobs after school or summers They under-explore their career opportunities while in high school and college Students with disabilities are over-represented in jobs whose requirements fall below their qualifications, jobs unrelated to their degree, and temporary and part-time jobs Students with disabilities may need assistance convincing themselves that employment and career success are viable and realistic goals

Employability Day Program (cont.) Bring faculty, staff, and community members together for career-related interventions Employment Laws and Policies Self-Advocacy Training Mentoring from Faculty Members and Business Leaders Job-Seeking Skills and Interview Skills Training

Employability Day Strategy Accommodations Planning Team (APT) Seminar

APT Format Team Format Student with a disability Employer in area of interest Rehabilitation professional Technology specialist 6 to 8 teams total

Employability Day Objective Jump start job seeking planning Reason: 66% unemployment rate Majority want to work Stubborn statistic for over 30 years

APT Sequence Step 1: Identify congruent job options Step 2: Strengthen job interview skills Step 3: Identify barriers to productivity and feasible accommodations Step 4: Understand protections and provisions in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Step 5: Organize the job search

Thank you. Questions?