WEBVTT 00:00:10.456 --> 00:00:11.425 Everyone... 00:00:11.426 --> 00:00:17.755 my philosophy really is that everyone is entitled to equal access. 00:00:17.756 --> 00:00:22.245 And everyone with a disability is entitled to those accommodations 00:00:22.246 --> 00:00:23.735 that they need for that equal access. 00:00:23.736 --> 00:00:31.755 I expect that they come prepared to learn. 00:00:31.756 --> 00:00:38.545 My job is to be exciting and to provide interesting lectures. 00:00:38.546 --> 00:00:46.515 My personal responsibility is to ask for what I think I need that will allow me 00:00:46.516 --> 00:00:50.855 to learn what the other students learn, and to show that I know what the other students know, 00:00:50.856 --> 00:00:54.965 and to perform what they perform. 00:00:59.526 --> 00:01:04.195 "One mole of ammonia reacts with one mole of carbon dioxide..." 00:01:04.196 --> 00:01:06.095 Their goals are the same. 00:01:06.096 --> 00:01:08.055 Students want to learn. 00:01:08.056 --> 00:01:10.295 Professors want students to learn. 00:01:10.296 --> 00:01:16.065 For students with disabilities, a successful academic experience requires teamwork. 00:01:16.066 --> 00:01:23.485 Team members are students, faculty, and the staff that supports students with disabilities. 00:01:23.486 --> 00:01:28.135 I had a somewhat cavalier attitude that if they... 00:01:28.136 --> 00:01:33.455 that a student with a disability was not going to be that much different. 00:01:33.456 --> 00:01:40.385 And that if I simply gave them positive feedback, that they would stunningly, 00:01:40.386 --> 00:01:42.985 immediately, overcome their disability. 00:01:42.986 --> 00:01:44.965 And that was not realistic. 00:01:44.966 --> 00:01:48.535 I think what I learned was that I needed 00:01:48.536 --> 00:01:55.295 to really hear what they were saying, and to be creative. 00:01:55.296 --> 00:01:58.655 My contacts with professors have been very positive. 00:01:58.656 --> 00:02:04.875 Either one on one or working through some disability service offices, 00:02:04.876 --> 00:02:09.115 we've been able to reach agreements on, you know, how to test, 00:02:09.116 --> 00:02:11.545 how to teach, and that kind of thing. 00:02:11.546 --> 00:02:15.665 They've been very accommodating when I've let them know what I need, 00:02:15.666 --> 00:02:19.005 and we've been able to work things out. 00:02:19.006 --> 00:02:23.825 Faculty and students have both rights and responsibilities. 00:02:23.826 --> 00:02:27.055 Disabled student services coordinators have the responsibility 00:02:27.056 --> 00:02:30.885 to assist them, to help create a three-way team. 00:02:30.886 --> 00:02:36.015 By working together, the team ensures the best educational experience for all students. 00:02:42.016 --> 00:02:43.805 I really work with both the faculty and the students, 00:02:43.806 --> 00:02:47.855 and I feel that they both really need to be involved. 00:02:47.856 --> 00:02:52.285 To really have a team working there, the faculty also needs to be involved. 00:02:52.286 --> 00:02:57.325 The faculty has an expertise that I don't, and they really need to be involved in that also. 00:02:57.326 --> 00:03:02.425 And so, you know, it takes two to tango, it really takes everybody. 00:03:02.426 --> 00:03:08.505 It really requires everybody's full involvement to make the process work smoothly. 00:03:08.506 --> 00:03:12.265 And when the process works smoothly, everyone benefits. 00:03:12.266 --> 00:03:16.365 You're going to learn a lot from just interacting with students with disabilities; 00:03:16.366 --> 00:03:20.865 you're going to learn new ways of teaching, you're going to have a greater appreciation 00:03:20.866 --> 00:03:27.515 for the problems that students have in approaching difficult material in a course. 00:03:27.516 --> 00:03:30.455 And this will help you become a better teacher. 00:03:30.456 --> 00:03:35.805 With the interaction with faculty and student disability services, 00:03:35.806 --> 00:03:41.075 I've been able to study biochemistry as an undergraduate. 00:03:41.076 --> 00:03:42.515 So how does the process start? 00:03:42.516 --> 00:03:46.005 In college, it begins with the student. 00:03:46.006 --> 00:03:49.395 Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA, 00:03:49.396 --> 00:03:53.815 students with disabilities have the right to reasonable accommodations. 00:03:53.816 --> 00:03:57.355 The student has a right to accommodations, 00:03:57.356 --> 00:03:59.345 they have a right to equal access. 00:03:59.346 --> 00:04:05.795 Not additional access beyond what a non-disabled student would have, 00:04:05.796 --> 00:04:08.605 but they have a right to equal access. 00:04:11.606 --> 00:04:15.425 Students with disabilities have to play an active role in claiming that right. 00:04:15.426 --> 00:04:19.975 Their first step is to contact the office that provides accommodations for students 00:04:19.976 --> 00:04:25.425 with disabilities, which is sometimes called Disabled Student Services, or DSS. 00:04:25.426 --> 00:04:29.485 They are coming to us with their documentation of what their disability is, 00:04:29.486 --> 00:04:34.935 and based on having that documentation, we then will set up what their accommodations are. 00:04:34.936 --> 00:04:38.405 It's the responsibility of the student, though, to self-identify with our office 00:04:38.406 --> 00:04:43.905 as to what they need for accommodations and to provide us with the documentation. 00:04:43.906 --> 00:04:48.085 Besides verifying that a student is eligible for accommodations, 00:04:48.086 --> 00:04:51.655 documentation helps the student services counselor 00:04:51.656 --> 00:04:53.605 determine what that student might need. 00:04:53.606 --> 00:04:58.385 The counselor also spends time talking with students about specific accommodations. 00:04:58.386 --> 00:05:02.245 They'll talk about what accommodations a student may have used in the past, 00:05:02.246 --> 00:05:06.095 what kind of classes they're going to be taking in the upcoming semester or quarter, 00:05:06.096 --> 00:05:09.675 and what types of accommodations the student thinks they're going to need. 00:05:09.676 --> 00:05:14.435 And then the DSS officer will either supplement those accommodation requests, 00:05:14.436 --> 00:05:17.305 if they feel that there are some other things that maybe the student hasn't tried 00:05:17.306 --> 00:05:22.125 that may be beneficial to them; they'll offer suggestions; and they'll come to a consensus. 00:05:22.126 --> 00:05:28.605 One of the major accommodations I use is, the university provides my class materials, 00:05:28.606 --> 00:05:32.945 all the handouts that the other students receive on paper, 00:05:32.946 --> 00:05:34.555 they give them to me in electronic format, 00:05:34.555 --> 00:05:39.555 so I'm able to read them with my computer, which uses speech synthesis 00:05:39.556 --> 00:05:42.635 to actually read the material out loud to me. 00:05:42.636 --> 00:05:49.165 Another accommodation is the use of raised line drawings, which can represent things 00:05:49.166 --> 00:05:51.365 such as cross sections through the brain, 00:05:51.366 --> 00:05:54.825 or what another student might see on a microscopic slide. 00:05:54.826 --> 00:05:59.835 And this helps me understand the same material that the other students might pick up visually. 00:05:59.836 --> 00:06:05.215 There's a wide range of accommodations. 00:06:05.216 --> 00:06:07.925 Here are a few examples. 00:06:07.926 --> 00:06:11.385 Students with low vision have difficulty seeing small print. 00:06:11.386 --> 00:06:13.345 Accommodations for them may include: 00:06:37.000 --> 00:06:41.855 Students who are blind rely on oral or tactile alternatives to visual presentations. 00:06:41.856 --> 00:06:43.845 These include: 00:07:18.846 --> 00:07:22.955 Students who are deaf or hard of hearing may benefit from visual alternatives. 00:07:24.956 --> 00:07:27.025 Accommodations may include: 00:07:52.026 --> 00:07:56.465 Students with mobility impairments may request accommodations to make classrooms accessible. 00:07:56.466 --> 00:07:59.375 They may also request some of these accommodations: 00:08:27.376 --> 00:08:30.615 People with health impairments may need flexibility in scheduling. 00:08:30.616 --> 00:08:32.645 They may also need some of these accommodations: 00:08:52.146 --> 00:08:55.125 Some disabilities may not be apparent to others. 00:08:55.125 --> 00:08:58.985 These include learning disabilities, attention deficit disorder, 00:08:58.986 --> 00:09:01.825 psychiatric disabilities, and brain injuries. 00:09:01.826 --> 00:09:05.425 Accommodations for these disabilities are unique to the individual. 00:09:05.026 --> 00:09:10.925 These are examples of accommodations often used by students with learning disabilities: 00:09:33.000 --> 00:09:36.500 Many students develop success strategies of their own. 00:09:36.501 --> 00:09:41.115 They're mostly accommodations that I've come up with individually for myself; 00:09:41.116 --> 00:09:49.535 taking more time to study, outlining my textbooks; using a word processor, spell check, 00:09:49.536 --> 00:09:54.975 grammar check; just taking more responsibility for talking to my professors, 00:09:54.976 --> 00:09:59.245 finding out what I need to do to be successful in their particular class. 00:10:00.000 --> 00:10:03.175 Taking that personal responsibility is essential 00:10:03.176 --> 00:10:04.815 for a successful college experience. 00:10:04.816 --> 00:10:07.725 When I first registered for the university, there was, 00:10:07.726 --> 00:10:10.745 I remember when I was signing up for housing, there was a little box to check 00:10:10.746 --> 00:10:14.135 if you had a disability, so my parents and I, we checked the little box, 00:10:14.136 --> 00:10:16.735 and we thought that that's all we had to do to become registered. 00:10:16.736 --> 00:10:21.000 The student must request services from the appropriate office on campus. 00:10:21.001 --> 00:10:25.535 Once contacted, the disabled student services staff may act as a liaison 00:10:25.536 --> 00:10:27.715 between the student and the faculty. 00:10:27.716 --> 00:10:30.735 They may send a letter notifying professors 00:10:30.536 --> 00:10:33.085 that the student is eligible for specific accommodations. 00:10:33.086 --> 00:10:37.145 The student is then expected to follow through with faculty- 00:10:37.146 --> 00:10:40.305 which might take some self- advocacy skills. 00:10:40.306 --> 00:10:44.325 On some campuses, staff may help students develop those skills. 00:10:44.326 --> 00:10:48.075 A lot of times, students come to us without those skills. 00:10:48.076 --> 00:10:51.255 They're used to having other people advocate for them. 00:10:51.256 --> 00:10:55.824 So we try to teach them what their rights and responsibilities are, that they need to give, 00:10:55.826 --> 00:11:01.175 for example, timely notice to faculty, that it's up to them to disclose and make requests; 00:11:01.176 --> 00:11:03.485 if they never request from a faculty person, 00:11:03.486 --> 00:11:07.225 the faculty is not obligated to provide a service for them. 00:11:07.226 --> 00:11:12.025 Students should contact professors early, preferably before classes start. 00:11:12.026 --> 00:11:15.515 That gives time to make adjustments, if necessary. 00:11:15.516 --> 00:11:19.415 What normally happens is a student will call me or e-mail me 00:11:19.416 --> 00:11:20.985 to tell me that they have a disability. 00:11:22.986 --> 00:11:25.175 Sometimes, accommodations require advance notice. 00:11:25.176 --> 00:11:29.255 For example, books on tape or in Braille may have to be ordered. 00:11:29.256 --> 00:11:33.305 I usually ask them, first of all, what text books they're using in the class, 00:11:33.306 --> 00:11:38.195 so that I can get them in Braille or on tape; and I also ask them, or tell them, 00:11:38.196 --> 00:11:41.855 that I will be needing to have tests read to me, and ask them if they can do it 00:11:41.856 --> 00:11:45.185 in the department, or if they want me to take the tests at the McBurney Center, 00:11:45.186 --> 00:11:46.555 and then they e-mail me back; 00:11:46.555 --> 00:11:50.000 I also give my phone number, so a couple of times professors have called me and said, 00:11:50.000 --> 00:11:54.675 "Oh, I'd really like to meet with you, just so we can talk about this more in person" 00:11:54.676 --> 00:11:56.015 and I'm very happy to do that as well. 00:11:56.016 --> 00:12:00.215 Students have the right to choose if, and when, to reveal their disabilities. 00:12:00.216 --> 00:12:05.805 If they don't reveal them, instructors should respect their privacy and not ask them directly. 00:12:05.806 --> 00:12:09.635 They can say something like, you know, "I see you're really struggling in my class" and 00:12:09.636 --> 00:12:11.585 "Is there something I can do for you?" 00:12:11.586 --> 00:12:13.665 Then if the student says, 00:12:13.665 --> 00:12:17.025 "I'm really having problems reading, I just can't seem to get the information" 00:12:17.025 --> 00:12:18.965 the professor can refer them to a number of places 00:12:18.966 --> 00:12:21.915 and include DSS in that list of places. 00:12:21.916 --> 00:12:25.705 An instructor can also put a statement on a class syllabus, 00:12:25.706 --> 00:12:29.685 inviting students to discuss disability-related accommodations. 00:12:29.686 --> 00:12:34.375 These accommodations do not lower the class content, quality, or standards. 00:12:34.376 --> 00:12:38.255 They simply help students with disabilities gain and demonstrate knowledge. 00:12:38.256 --> 00:12:41.895 Faculty members have a right to maintain a quality curriculum. 00:12:41.896 --> 00:12:45.045 What we have talked to faculty about is 00:12:45.046 --> 00:12:49.865 that there is a fundamental requirement of a program. 00:12:49.866 --> 00:12:55.385 In other words, if the student is unable to meet the curriculum guidelines, 00:12:55.386 --> 00:13:01.235 it's a fundamental alteration to that program, then we would look at other alternatives 00:13:01.236 --> 00:13:04.445 for that student here to be successful at the university. 00:13:04.446 --> 00:13:09.145 At the same time, it is also the requirement of the faculty member to look 00:13:09.146 --> 00:13:11.795 at other alternatives to assist the student. 00:13:11.796 --> 00:13:14.855 Working with students with disabilities, so far, 00:13:14.856 --> 00:13:19.685 in the 25 years I've been here, I haven't compromised at all. 00:13:19.686 --> 00:13:21.255 I haven't had to compromise at all. 00:13:21.256 --> 00:13:22.555 And I wouldn't. 00:13:22.556 --> 00:13:26.655 I might work a little harder to give a student an extra way of learning something, 00:13:26.656 --> 00:13:30.000 but you don't have to compromise at all in your standards. 00:13:31.000 --> 00:13:37.200 Again disability service staff can facilitate communication between faculty and students. 00:13:37.201 --> 00:13:42.200 They can help faculty think about the essential requirements of their course, 00:13:42.201 --> 00:13:44.800 in advance of an accommodation request. 00:13:44.801 --> 00:13:50.500 They can show how to provide commonly occurred accommodations to faculty, 00:13:50.501 --> 00:13:52.600 so they don't have to reinvent the wheel. 00:13:52.601 --> 00:13:58.500 They can show you that there are some standard methods, acceptable methods, 00:13:58.501 --> 00:14:02.500 for providing accommodations that are accepted all over the United States, 00:14:02.501 --> 00:14:06.500 because they've been there, seen that, kind of accommodation occur before. 00:14:06.501 --> 00:14:14.400 They can clarify the procedures and expectations for both faculty and students. 00:14:14.401 --> 00:14:19.800 Sometimes in order to accommodate a student with a disability a professor 00:14:19.801 --> 00:14:22.800 may have to make some adjustments in teaching style. 00:14:22.801 --> 00:14:28.500 All the students will benefit in the long run because I'm always learning, 00:14:28.501 --> 00:14:33.500 always working to try to figure out better ways of getting points across. 00:14:35.501 --> 00:14:39.200 Flexibility and communication are the tools needed for success. 00:14:39.201 --> 00:14:45.200 Cooperation between faculty, students, and service coordinators is the key to making it happen. 00:14:47.201 --> 00:14:52.800 I guess what my story has taught me so far, is that when it comes to accommodations, 00:14:52.801 --> 00:15:01.800 some patience and some creativity and an open dialogue with faculty and disability services 00:15:01.801 --> 00:15:06.200 can help to figure out a way around, just about, every challenge there is.