Effective Practices & Strategies Working with Faculty to Ensure Disability Accommodations Patricia Ewins, Dean of Student Learning, Moorpark College Patricia Ewins, Dean of Student Learning, Moorpark College Grace Hanson, DSPS Director, Mt. San Antonio College Grace Hanson, DSPS Director, Mt. San Antonio College Patie Wegman, DSPS Director, Santa Rosa Junior College Patie Wegman, DSPS Director, Santa Rosa Junior College

Presentation Overview Informal strategies and practices Informal strategies and practices Addressing resistance to providing accommodations Addressing resistance to providing accommodations Compliance and policies Compliance and policies Questions and answers Questions and answers Resources Resources

Building Relationships Disability Awareness Activities Disability Awareness Activities October is Disability Awareness Month October is Disability Awareness Month Lottery of Life activities Lottery of Life activities Staff Development Activities Staff Development Activities Flex program participation Flex program participation Demonstrations/Presentations Demonstrations/Presentations

Academic Infiltration Get your program staff out in the District – everywhere! Get your program staff out in the District – everywhere! Academic Senate Academic Senate Unions Unions Committees Committees Other way around too: District Access Committee with Senate appointees and other key members – administrators with decision making power Other way around too: District Access Committee with Senate appointees and other key members – administrators with decision making power

Liaison With Instructional Departments Individual Department Meetings Individual Department Meetings Leave plenty of time for addressing issues Leave plenty of time for addressing issues Clearly identify role of DSPS as both faculty support as well as student support – play up the “preserving the integrity of the curriculum, but keeping the faculty and institution in compliance” Clearly identify role of DSPS as both faculty support as well as student support – play up the “preserving the integrity of the curriculum, but keeping the faculty and institution in compliance” Develop faculty handbook Develop faculty handbook

But the instructor still doesn’t want to provide the accommodation… “Oh no…now what?” “Oh no…now what?”

Before you whack ‘em over the head with the law… Address your audience… The Curmudgeon The Curmudgeon “No one’s gonna tell me what to do.” “No one’s gonna tell me what to do.” The “Fair” Police The “Fair” Police “It’s not ‘fair’ to the other students.” “It’s not ‘fair’ to the other students.” The Ernest The Ernest “She won’t learn it as well.” “She won’t learn it as well.” The Bleeding Heart The Bleeding Heart “Oh …that’s OK…he doesn’t have to.” “Oh …that’s OK…he doesn’t have to.”

Are We in Compliance? Qualified Student With a Disability? Qualified Student With a Disability? Good Documentation? Good Documentation? Need and Want to Use Accommodation? Need and Want to Use Accommodation? Meet the Scope of Our Responsibility? Meet the Scope of Our Responsibility?

Section of the Ed Code …consistent with the stated purpose of programs and services for disabled students …consistent with the stated purpose of programs and services for disabled students …not duplicate services or instruction …not duplicate services or instruction …directly related to the functional limitations of the verifiable disabilities …directly related to the functional limitations of the verifiable disabilities …students’ full access to and participation in the educational process …students’ full access to and participation in the educational process …independence and the maximum integration of disabled students …independence and the maximum integration of disabled students …most integrated setting possible based on identified student needs …most integrated setting possible based on identified student needs

Citations of Laws and Regulations Citations of Laws and Regulations Review and Decisions are Individual Review and Decisions are Individual Informal and Formal Procedures Informal and Formal Procedures Interactive Process Interactive Process Reasonable Timelines Reasonable Timelines Responsible Parties Responsible Parties While decisions are being made, student? While decisions are being made, student? Applicability at Our College Applicability at Our College Grievance/Appeal Procedures Grievance/Appeal Procedures OCR’s Address OCR’s Address Elements: Policy and Procedures

Considerations Provide Experts Decision on an Individual Basis Look and Evaluate All Alternatives Do Not Force Student to Fail First Final Decision Made and Implemented by Appropriate Authority Document Decision and Reasons For It

Disability Presents Insurmountable Barrier “Gray Area”—Cannot Predict With Adjustment—Should Succeed Three Levels of LD

Wynne Vs. Tufts Process Form an Objective Ad Hoc Group Invite Knowledgeable Persons Identify Objective/Aim of Requirement Does Accommodation Invalidate Objective Search for Alternate Accommodations Implement Alternate Accommodations Mitigate For Lost Time

Questions and Answers

Resources Long Beach City College “Dare To Care” online interactive program Long Beach City College “Dare To Care” online interactive program University of Washington “DO-IT” University of Washington “DO-IT” Galvin Group resources Galvin Group resources Mt. SAC Online Course Mt. SAC Online Course Disability Awareness Week sample: ilityawarenessweek.html Disability Awareness Week sample: ilityawarenessweek.html ilityawarenessweek.html ilityawarenessweek.html