Building Teams to Promote Success for Students with Disabilities

1
Building Teams to Promote Success for Students
with Disabilities

• Sandi Patton
• District Director of Disability Services
• North Harris Montgomery Community College
  District
• Houston, Texas
• July 30, 2007

2
Impacting Families and Communities through
Education and RehabilitationMy Story
3
Looking Back Over the Years

• Rehabilitation Act of 1973
• Personal Reflections
• State Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies,
  Rehabilitation Centers, and Postsecondary
  Education
• Learning Disabilities and Postsecondary
  Education Reading, Writing, Math
• Americans with Disabilities Act
• Section 508 and Accessible Technology
• Universal Design

4
The Evolution of a Disability Services
OfficeorDripping Water Wears Down Stone
5
The One-Person Office

• Finding and Educating your Team
• Scavenging for Resources
• Developing Ambassadors of Good Will
• Successful Students with Disabilities
• Faculty and Staff with Success Stories
• Faculty, Staff, and Administrators with Personal
  Experiences
• Ask, Ask, Ask..
• For staff, funds, grants, volunteers, community
  support

6
Key Players on Your Team

• Faculty Member
• Understands the critical learning components of
  the class
• Student with Disability
• Understands the personal impact of disability
• Disability Services Provider
• Understands what kinds of accommodations best
  ensure access while also minimizing the impact of
  the disability

7
Strategic Planning

• Develop an advisory team to engage in long-term
  strategic planning
• Create a long-term strategic plan for your
  program (tie it into your universitys plan)
• Set challenging, but realistic goals

8
Building an Advisory Committee

• Administrators
• Faculty
• Staff
• Students
• Community Members
• Your Independent School Districts and Community
  Colleges
• Agencies and Organizations
• And of course, Individuals with Disabilities

9
Document, Document, Document!

• Remember
• Accountability is critical.
• Personal Stories are powerful.

10
Maximizing Effectiveness

• Utilize existing university resources when
  practical
• Train others to be departmental liaisons
• Encourage Advisory Team members to be your
  voice in critical meetings
• Recruit powerful administrators to support your
  mission