Background

My name is Amy. I have a mild speech impairment, although my speech is clear enough to be understood by most people. I am a high school senior, and I plan to attend a local community college after I graduate.

Access Issue

I went to the community college admissions office to get some help with my application. I was immediately referred to the college's disabled student services office.

1. Discuss issues regarding the case described.
2. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each proposed solution.
3. Clarify the appropriate roles of the prospective student, admissions office staff, and disabled student services staff in providing accommodations if needed.
4. After you have completed your discussion, read the access solution that actually occurred in this case. It is printed on the back of this handout. Compare your proposed solutions with this solution. Discuss the conclusions listed, and add at least one more.

Source: The Student Services Conference Room, DO-IT, University of Washington. Permission is granted to reproduce this handout for educational noncommercial purposes.

Solution

Following is the solution that was actually employed in this case:

When I arrived at the disabled student services office, I explained that I had questions about the application. The disabled student services coordinator took me back to the admissions office to make sure they provided me with the assistance that I requested. We explained that I was not looking for accommodations but that I simply needed an explanation about some of the information requested to complete the forms.

Conclusion

This case study illustrates the following:

1. Admissions office staff, as well as staff of other student service offices, need to understand the role of the disabled student services office.
2. Students with disabilities may not need accommodations; often their questions are the same as those asked by other students.
3. Front-line personnel need to be trained to address the needs of students with disabilities and understand when referrals to disabled student services should be made for disability-related accommodations.

Background

Sam is a sophomore with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD). He is having difficulty managing a full-time preengineering course load. He does not have enough time to keep up with all of his courses.

Access Issue

Sam wants to take a reduced course load but needs to remain eligible for financial assistance. He was told by staff in the financial aid office that he would be ineligible for financial aid if he was not registered as a full-time student.

1. Discuss potential solutions to the problem described. There can be more than one good solution.
2. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each proposed solution.
3. Clarify the appropriate roles of the student, financial aid office staff, and disabled student services staff in reaching a decision and providing accommodations if needed.
4. After you have completed your discussion, read the access solution that actually occurred in this case. It is printed on the back of this handout. Compare your proposed solutions with this solution. Discuss the conclusions listed, and add at least one more.

Source: The Student Services Conference Room, DO-IT, University of Washington. Permission is granted to reproduce this handout for educational noncommercial purposes.

Solution

Following is the solution that was actually employed in this case:

The disabled student services counselor explained that, with her help, Sam could request to take a reduced credit load and still be considered for financial aid. The counselor helped Sam complete the university procedure for requesting a reduced credit load due to a disability. Sam completed the process and was able to continue his part-time studies and remain eligible for financial aid, although at a reduced level and for a limited amount of time. Working with disabled student services and the housing office, Sam was also able to remain in the residence hall even though typically campus housing requires that residents be full-time students.

Conclusion

This case study illustrates the following:

1. Part-time course loads may be a reasonable accommodation for some students with disabilities, particularly during terms when they are enrolled in difficult courses.
2. Students with disabilities may be eligible for financial aid and housing, even if they are not taking a full-time credit load.
3. Financial aid and housing staff and administrators should be aware of special procedures, documentation, and accommodations for students with disabilities.

Background

My name is Lisa. I am a full-time graduate student majoring in Women's Studies. I have a seizure disorder.

Access Issue

I began experiencing an increase in the frequency of my seizures as a result of the glare from the computer screens used in the computer lab. Therefore, I could not use the campus computers for assignments or research.

1. Discuss potential solutions to the access issue described. There can be more than one good solution.
2. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each proposed solution.
3. Clarify the appropriate roles of the student, computer lab staff, and disabled student services staff in reaching a decision and providing accommodations if needed.
4. After you have completed your discussion, read the access solution that actually occurred in this case. It is printed on the back of this handout. Compare your proposed solutions with this solution. Discuss the conclusions listed, and add at least one more.

Source: The Student Services Conference Room, DO-IT, University of Washington. Permission is granted to reproduce this handout for educational noncommercial purposes.

Solution

Following is the solution that was actually employed in this case:

I met with the manager of the computer lab and told him of my need for an antiglare screen on the computer I use. Two computer nonglare inserts were purchased and placed on computers in the lab that I use for my studies. The disabled student services office also purchased an additional insert that could be loaned to other campus facilities that I might need to use.

Conclusions

This case study illustrates the following:

1. Low-tech devices can solve some computer access problems.
2. Sometimes the student with a disability can work directly with computer support staff to obtain accessible products; sometimes disabled student services staff need to get involved.

Background

Suzanne is a junior with a psychiatric impairment. She had an episode of depression that resulted in her inability to attend classes for several days. Because of her absence, she fell behind in her coursework and petitioned to drop one of her three classes as a "hardship withdrawal." Suzanne had received a hardship withdrawal three quarters earlier because she missed a week of class as a result of hospitalization related to her disability.

Access Issue

Suzanne's hardship withdrawal petition was denied on the basis of a university policy that prohibited another hardship withdrawal based on the same condition for which a previous hardship withdrawal was approved.

1. Discuss potential solutions to the issue described. There can be more than one good solution.
2. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each proposed solution.
3. Clarify the appropriate roles of the student and campus staff in reaching a decision and providing accommodations if needed.
4. After you have completed your discussion, read the access solution that actually occurred in this case. It is printed on the back of this handout. Compare your proposed solutions with this solution. Discuss the conclusions listed, and add at least one more.

Source: The Student Services Conference Room, DO-IT, University of Washington. Permission is granted to reproduce this handout for educational noncommercial purposes.

Solution

Following is the solution that was actually employed in this case:

Suzanne met with the director of disabled student services to voice her concerns about the hardship withdrawal policy. She felt the policy was unfair because it did not consider the special circumstances resulting from her disability. The director contacted the associate registrar to discuss the situation. The associate registrar approved her hardship withdrawal petition as a disability-related accommodation after he received more information about the impact of her psychiatric impairment and the current situation.

Conclusions

This case study illustrates the following:

1. University administrators should consider making exceptions to policies as a disability-related accommodation. Procedures should be put in place for requesting such exceptions.
2. Students with psychiatric and other disabilities may require flexible withdrawal policies as an academic accommodation.
3. Successful accommodations are often best reached through collaboration between the student, disabled student services staff, and campus administrators.

Background

Dan is a sophomore living on the fourth floor of Johnson Hall. He has paraplegia and uses a wheelchair for mobility.

Access Issue

Dan had a concern about a recent fire drill that occurred in his residence hall. He was not notified before the drill. He saw the flashing signs and heard the alarm and assumed it was an actual fire. He was distressed because during the entire drill, no one came to assist him. When he reported his concerns to dorm staff, they showed little interest.

1. Discuss potential solutions to the issue described. There can be more than one good solution.
2. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each proposed solution.
3. Clarify the appropriate roles of the student, housing staff, and disabled student services staff in reaching a decision and providing accommodations if needed.
4. After you have completed your discussion, read the access solution that actually occurred in this case. It is printed on the back of this handout. Compare your proposed solutions with this solution. Discuss the conclusions listed, and add at least one more.

Source: The Student Services Conference Room, DO-IT, University of Washington. Permission is granted to reproduce this handout for educational noncommercial purposes.

Solution

Following is the solution that was actually employed in this case:

Dan called his counselor at the disabled student services office and explained the situation and his concerns. The counselor contacted the residence hall director to inquire about the procedures for a fire drill. There were no evacuation policies or procedures in place. The disabled student service counselor worked with the campus housing office, the student, and the residence hall director to solve the immediate problem but also to establish a policy that required the identification of a common area on each floor where people with disabilities should gather in case of an emergency and to establish evacuation procedures to protect the students. Campus and local police and fire departments were consulted. All of the resident assistants were informed of the final policy and procedures.

Conclusions

This case study illustrates the following:

1. Emergency and evacuation procedures for students with disabilities need to be established in residence halls and other campus buildings in consultation with local police and fire departments.
2. All housing staff should to be informed about residence hall emergency and fire evacuation procedures.
3. Students with disabilities should be informed of campus emergency and evacuation routes and procedures and make their specific needs known to housing staff.

Background

My name is Rick and I am legally blind. I use Braille and speech output on a computer to access electronic information. This quarter, one of my sociology courses requires reading several articles that are on electronic library reserve.

Access Issue

When I opened the electronic documents, my text-to-speech software could not read them. I was unable to access the reserve articles through the library because the format was incompatible with my screen-reading software.

1. Discuss potential solutions to the access issue described. There can be more than one good solution.
2. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each proposed solution.
3. Clarify the appropriate roles of the student, instructor, library staff, and disabled student services staff in reaching a decision and providing accommodations if needed.
4. After you have completed your discussion, read the access solution that actually occurred in this case. It is printed on the back of this handout. Compare your proposed solutions with this solution. Discuss the conclusions listed, and add at least one more.

Source: The Student Services Conference Room, DO-IT, University of Washington. Permission is granted to reproduce this handout for educational noncommercial purposes.

Solution

Following is the solution that was actually employed in this case:

I explained the access situation to my disabled student services counselor. My counselor contacted library staff and informed them of the problem. The library scanned the printed articles with a flatbed scanner and optical character recognition software and saved the files as text on a disk that could be read by my text-to-speech computer system.

Conclusions

This case study illustrates the following:

1. Some electronic information may not be accessible, even with the use of assistive technology (e.g., screen readers).
2. Campus instructors and library staff need to be aware of the accessibility of electronic information when it is required course material.
3. Postsecondary students can work with disabled student services, faculty, and/or library staff to make sure course materials are accessible, ideally before the beginning of a term.

Background

My name is Jen. I am a freshman majoring in Fashion Merchandising and enrolled in a retailing course. I have Dyslexia and a visual-processing problem.

Access Issue

In order to pass my midterm exam, I needed a way to memorize information about fashion designers and the materials with which they work. I doubted my ability to do this.

1. Discuss potential solutions to the access issue described. There can be more than one good solution.
2. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each proposed solution.
3. Clarify the appropriate roles of the student, instructor, and campus support services in reaching a decision and providing accommodations if needed.
4. After you have completed your discussion, read the access solution that actually occurred in this case. It is printed on the back of this handout. Compare your proposed solutions with this solution. Discuss the conclusions listed, and add at least one more.

Source: The Student Services Conference Room, DO-IT, University of Washington. Permission is granted to reproduce this handout for educational noncommercial purposes.

Solution

Following is the solution that was actually employed in this case:

I went to the disabled student services office for help. A counselor there referred me to the learning center. I went to the learning center and asked for a tutor who also has a background in learning strategies. I worked with someone who helped me with mnemonic techniques to memorize the designers and other content.

Conclusions

This case study illustrates the following:

1. Students with learning disabilities can benefit from learning strategy and study skill support.
2. Campus tutors and learning support specialists should be aware of the needs of students with disabilities.
3. Disabled student services staff and faculty should be aware of campus support services that can benefit students with disabilities.

Background

Susan is a sophomore who is blind. She has joined several campus organizations and would also like to join the equestrian team.

Access Issue

The advisor and trainer of the equestrian team was concerned about how Susan could handle this type of activity, as well as the liability of the university if she had an accident.

1. Discuss potential solutions to the access issue described. There can be more than one good solution.
2. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each proposed solution.
3. Clarify the appropriate roles of the student, advisor, trainer of a sports-related organization, and disabled student services staff in reaching a decision and providing accommodations if needed.
4. After you have completed your discussion, read the access solution that actually occurred in this case. It is printed on the back of this handout. Compare your proposed solutions with this solution. Discuss the conclusions listed, and add at least one more.

Source: The Student Services Conference Room, DO-IT, University of Washington. Permission is granted to reproduce this handout for educational noncommercial purposes.

Solution

Following is the solution that was actually employed in this case:

The advisor and trainer of the equestrian team called the campus disability services office to ask whether the student should be allowed to join the team. The disabled services director told her that the student should be allowed to join the organization because it is a university-sponsored activity. The director suggested that they talk with the student about what reasonable accommodations would allow full access and participation. The student informed them that she could distinguish light and dark and that, since the fencing around the corral where they practiced was painted white, she would be able to detect how to steer her horse around the corral. They agreed to give this a try. They also agreed to evaluate the environments of horse shows to assure her safety before approving her participation and to continue to work together to make the best decisions to maximize her participation and her safety, as well as that of others.

Conclusions

This case study illustrates the following:

1. Students with disabilities should be allowed to participate in campus-sponsored organizations and activities.
2. Students are often the best source of information about the accommodations and strategies they need to fully and safely participate in an activity.
3. Communication, creativity, and flexibility among all parties involved can lead to a workable solution to most access issues.

Background

My name is Jack. I am a sophomore majoring in Travel/Tourism. I have a learning disability.

Access Issue

I have a one-semester foreign language requirement for my major. Because of my learning disability, I scored low on the Modern Language Aptitude Test and did not take a foreign language in high school. I requested a course substitution; however, the dean denied my request because the foreign language requirement is an integral part of the program. I enrolled in Spanish I as part of my regular course load for the quarter, but I decided to drop the course when my performance in other classes began to suffer. I petitioned to take the class during summer quarter. However, I soon realized it was offered during a four-week summer session, which I thought would move too quickly for me to successfully complete the class.

1. Discuss potential solutions to this dilemma. There can be more than one good solution.
2. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each proposed solution.
3. Clarify the appropriate roles of the student, the instructor, and campus support services in reaching a decision and providing accommodations if needed.
4. After you have completed your discussion, read the access solution that actually occurred in this case. It is printed on the back of this handout. Compare your proposed solutions with this solution. Discuss the conclusions listed, and add at least one more.

Source: The Student Services Conference Room, DO-IT, University of Washington. Permission is granted to reproduce this handout for educational noncommercial purposes.

Solution

Following is the solution that was actually employed in this case:

My college advisor found a course given at a nearby community college, Introduction to Spanish Conversation Skills. The class was eight weeks long and concentrated on introducing Spanish for everyday use. We proposed this option to the dean, and he was willing to grant me credit for this class. Under these circumstances, I successfully completed the foreign language requirement for my Travel/Tourism major.

Conclusions

This case study illustrates the following:

1. Alternatives other than course substitutions may be available for required courses.
2. Academic advisors need to work closely with students who have disabilities to fully understand their needs.
3. Reduced course loads and the timing and pacing of academic classes are important factors to consider when advising some students who have disabilities.