Evolving Approaches to Documentation and the Student Interview Melanie Thornton Adam Meyer

What is our field definition of “accommodations”?

Effective modifications to policies, practices, procedures and environmental barriers that offer equal access

What is our role as the disability professional in the “reasonable accommodation decision making process”?

Determining, relative to our respective unique campus environments, effective modifications to policies, practices, procedures and environmental barriers that offer equal access Understand connection between the condition and the environmental barrier for which accommodations are requested

What challenges do you find with your initial interview process?

Our role as interviewers O Initial meeting questions are powerful O Dictate conversation and information collected O Dictate the tone of the conversation O Set tone for student perception of office and experience O General belief students do not know about their situation. Can we help them become experts? O Is the student’s disability the primary focus or is it the environment’s barriers? O Is the student or the documentation the core focus when determining accommodations? 7

Questions that focus on the person/disability: O What is your disability? O What accommodations do you seek? O For what disability are you seeking accommodations? O Did you get help for your disability in high school? O How does X disability impact you? 8

O Does your disability make it hard to take notes (manage time, read, live in housing, etc.)? O What is your biggest problem with classroom learning? O What assistance do you need with exams? O Any difficulties with reading? O Do you struggle with time management?

O Do you have concerns/limitations outside of the classroom? O Do you know how to self-advocate for your disability needs? O What accommodations did you use in high school?

How might the student feel going through this line of questioning?

A PROCESS TO CONSIDER

1. Listen to (read an of) the student’s story O Based on conversation, determine… O Why has the student contacted the office in the first place? O What barriers to access have been identified? O What is the student requesting?

Questions to assist in developing the story and in learning about the barriers present: O What brought you here today? O What environments create barriers/challenges for you? What barriers/challenges in the classroom or otherwise are you experiencing currently? O How does X experience impact you? O What type of classroom environment do you prefer? O What solutions have worked in the past?

O What solutions might work in this situation based on your assessment? O How is X class designed? How are you graded? O What kind of exams or assessments work well for you? O What is it about Y test (class, paper, etc.) that you didn’t need accommodations for it?

O What type of assignments do you enjoy? What types of assignments challenge you? O What is your experience when reading (focus, comprehension, etc.)? O How is the housing experience going? O What accommodations did you use in high school?

2. Initial professional observations? O What makes sense? O What is not adding up for you at the moment? O Start to recognize any gaps in your understanding of the situation. O Other unsaid factors, such as the impact of pain or medication? O Any red flags? O Access vs. success? O Any helpful external documentation?

3. Any known environmental barriers, considerations, or fundamental components in play?

The Person-Environment Intersection The Person The Environment 19

The Disconnect Intersection The Person The Environment 20 Disability Impact

O Is a 60 minute test time limit a barrier? O Is access within and around the classroom a challenge? O Is short-term memory a challenge but the potential accommodation (note-card on exam) possibly not reasonable? O Student wants to take an online course test from home but policy is that all students must test in campus testing center…what to do? O Student part of a campus organization that has weekend meetings and gatherings, sometimes with short notice, and student needs an interpreter…how to handle?

4. Any gaps between what the student requests, details in the environment and what you believe would reasonably create access?

O = ??? O Story, initial observations and environment O Can adjustments to environment be made? O What accommodations are needed? O Does the student specifically seek something that does not make sense to you based on the information gathered? O Consider environment along with disability O Gap

Possible Ways to Close Gap O Ask other questions? O Let the student know you need to mull over? O Get input from others on or off campus? O Review academic transcript? O Experiment with certain accommodations? O ??????

5. Our judgment and assessment matter! O Trust instincts and common sense abilities. O Trust the student. O How have similar situations been handled? O What (good and bad) can be learned from past experiences?

O Not trust your ability to make a decision? O If so, what is missing? O Is there fear about making a decision in this case? O Judgment and assessment can be documented to support decisions made.

6. Use 3rd party documentation to fill gaps in understanding

Ask yourself… O Will it really be a difference-maker in the end? O What will it address that you cannot address within your office or in consultation with others on campus? O Why would you feel more confident making the decision with this additional information than without it?

O Request documentation that specifically fills in gaps to access that cannot be filled otherwise O Remember, access vs. success

7. Student and/or disability office consults with course and department as necessary.

O Next steps for student? O Does the disability office need to get involved with access outcomes in some way? O Might the accommodation result in a fundamental alteration? O Keep the conversations going as necessary with relevant parties until outcome reached

In Review

1. Listen to the story. Ask questions. 2. Observations? 3. Any known environmental barriers, considerations, or fundamental components in play? 4. Any gaps between what the student wants, details in the environment, and what we believe would create access?

5. Our judgment and assessment matters! 6. Use third-party documentation to fill in any gaps. 7. Student or disability office consults with instructor and department as necessary.