Project EXCEL-UO Summer Institute 2011

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Project EXCEL-UO Summer Institute2011
Expanding Cultural Awareness of Exceptional
Learners at the University of Oregon
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Project EXCEL-UO Overview
CULTURE CHANGE
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Training Activities
Day Theme
1 AwarenessDefining and Understanding
2 History, Laws, Accommodations, University Supports
3 Universal Design, Planning, Delivering, Evaluating Instruction
4 Developing Goals and Spreading Information
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Day 1 Agenda

• Concept of Normality
• Terminology/Communication
• Children and Youth
• College Students and Disability Types
• LUNCH
• Universal/Inclusive Design
• Student Panel

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Concept of Normality

• Brief Overview of Normal Distribution
• Defining normality and abnormality (Testing)
• Social Construction of Disability
• Why categories exist?

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Constructs of Disability (based on the work of
Carol Gill, Chicago Institute of Disability
Research)

• Medical

• Sociopolitical

• Disability is a deficiency or abnormality
• Disability resides in the individual
• The remedy for disability-related problems is
  cure or normalization of the individual
• The agent of remedy is the professional who
  affects the arrangements between the individual
  and society

• Disability is a difference
• Disability derives from interaction between
  individual and society
• The remedy for disability-related problems is a
  change in the interaction between the individual
  and society
• The agent of remedy can be the individual, an
  advocate, or anyone who affects the arrangements
  between the individual and society

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Terminology

• People first language students with
  disabilities
• Ask, dont make assumptions
• Talk directly
• Speak normally
• Be aware of personal space
• Avoid offensive terms, such as restricted to a
  wheelchair, victim of, suffers from, retarded,
  deformed, crippled.
• If you are unsure, ask the person with a
  disability what terminology is preferred.

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Facts About Children Youth

• Approximately 10-12 of students aged 6-21 are
  receiving special education services in public
  elementary, middle, and high schools
• (U.S. Department of Education, 2005)

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Range of Disabilities Among Children Youth

• High Incidence Categories
• Learning Disabilities (LD)
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• Speech Language Disorders (SLD)
• Emotional Behavioral (EBD)/Psychological
• Mild Mental Retardation (MMR)

• Low Incidence Categories
• Visual/Blind
• Hearing Impair/Deaf
• Physical/Orthopedic Disabilities
• Traumatic Brain Injured
• Autism
• Moderate Severe Mental Retardation
• Multiple Disabilities

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Major Differences between K-12 and University
Settings

• K-12
• IDEA Mandates Free Appropriate Public Ed
• Child Find
• Zero Reject
• 15 federally defined
• Categories
• Mandated Supports and Services including major
  modifications as needed
• Funding

• College/University
• Civil rights law (to prevent discrimination)
• Self-Disclosure
• Qualify for admission
• Broad definition, (record of impairment or
  substantial limitations in major life activity
• Reasonable Accommodations that do NOT
  fundamentally alter program requirements
• Limited Funding

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Basic facts about College University

• Approximately 60 of students without
  disabilities attend some form of postsecondary
  school following high school (NCES, 2006)
• Approximately 42 of students with disabilities
  report having been enrolled (2 years prior to
  interview, NLTS2)
• Students with disabilities that do attend are
  approximately 5X more likely to be attending
  2-year community colleges or vocational/technical
  schools rather than 4-year universities.
• In contrast, students without disabilities are
  most likely to attend 4 year colleges (3 xs)
  rather than 2-year or vocational.

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Percentage of Students With Disabilities in
Universities

• Approximately 9 of students at 4-year doctorate
  degree granting (public private) institutions
  report having some form of a disability (NCES,
  2006).
• Definition in university context is broader than
  in K-12
• At the University of Oregon, approximately 4 of
  students report having a disability.
• Disclosure in university context vs. disclosure
  in a survey.

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Disabilities In The University Context

• Were going to talk about disabilities by
  providing an overview with medical labels, common
  characteristics, and typical college student
  experiences.
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• Learning Disabilities (LD)
• Brain Injury
• Health Conditions
• Psychological/ Mental Health
• Aspergers Syndrome
• Mobility
• Hearing/Deafness
• Vision/Blindness

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Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Defining

• Inattention
• Hyperactivity
• Impulsivity
• Age of OnsetExplicit age-of-onset requirement
  evidence of impairment before 7 years of age.
• Impairment present in two or more settings
• Clear evidence of clinically significant
  impairment from symptoms in social, academic or
  occupational functioning
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  (DSM-IV TR )

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ADHD Challenges in College

• Taking notes
• Maintaining attention and focus
• Meeting deadlines
• Organization (study strategies, writing)
• Time Management
• Processing speed (especially reading)
• Interpersonal relationships (roommate issues)

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ADHD Activity

• http//www.pbs.org/wgbh/misunderstoodminds/experie
  nces/attexp1a.html
• Question/Discussion on ADHD?

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Learning Disability

• Definition
• A disorder in one or more of the basic
  psychological processes involved in understanding
  or in using language, spoken or written, that may
  manifest itself in an imperfect ability to
  listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or do
  mathematical calculations, including such
  conditions as perceptual disabilities, brain
  injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and
  developmental aphasia.
• The term does not include learning problems that
  are primarily the result of visual, hearing or
  motor disabilities, of mental retardation, of
  emotional disturbance, or of environmental,
  cultural, or economic disadvantage

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Learning Disability--Identification

• Identification
• Traditionally LD has been identified as a
  discrepancy between IQ or capacity and
  achievement performance in one or more areas,
  reading, written language, mathematics.
• By far, the largest proportion of students with
  LD are identified due to difficulties in
  processing written language in the area of
  reading.
• Increasingly identified by Response to
  Intervention (RTI)
• Age of Onset-Primarily Childhood

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Learning Disabilities Potential Challenges in
College

• Reading Comprehension
• Reading Speed
• Spelling in class writing
• Quick responses on exams
• Organization of writing
• Comprehending and using spoken language
• Technical vocabulary
• MathematicsLesser extent
• By the time enrolled in college, Students with LD
  may have developed compensatory strategies to
  deal with challenges.

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Oral Language the embedded curriculum

• Activity
• Tell a round robin story. Each participant add a
  sentence. The first sentence isYesterday I
  went to the grocery store to buy some vegetables
• Now we are going to retell the story (with a
  twist). N

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Simulations

• Other Simulations
• Perception
• Figure (Perception)
• Color/Word (Processing Conflict)
• Auditory Information
• Decoding (Reading processing)

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Group Activity

• In pairs, discuss what you expect of students
• How might your course design/requirements create
  barriers for students with LD or ADHD?
• Memory
• Organization or Time Management
• Oral Language
• Reading
• Writing
• Math
• Attention Hyperactivity

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Brain Injury and Concussion

• Disturbance in brain function caused by a blow or
  jolt to the head
• Usually period of altered consciousness (amnesia
  or coma) from very brief (minutes) to very long
  (months/indefinitely)
• May impact visual, aural, neurologic,
  perceptive/cognitive, orthopedic, or
  mental/emotional areas
• Severity ranges from "mild," (a brief change in
  mental status or consciousness) to "severe
  (extended period of unconsciousness or amnesia)

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Brain Injury Some Potential Areas of Difficulty

• Depends on location and severity of injury
• Processing speed
• Reasoning/calculation
• Judgment
• Memory/Concentration
• Speech
• Physical functions/Motor skills
• Personality changes, mood swings
• Organizational abilities may be impacted
• Sleep

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Brain Injury What you can do

• Be consistent - helps improve memory, reduce
  confusion, promote emotional control
• Provide structure - Give step by step
  instructions
• Allow response time
• Frequent repetition
• Avoid overstimulation

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Health Conditions-Defining

• Includes a range of medical conditions that can
  have a temporary or chronic impact on academic
  performance, i.e. Arthritis, Cancer, Multiple
  Sclerosis, Asthma, AIDS, Cerebral Palsy,
  Diabetes, Fibromyalgia, and heart disease.
• Medication side effects and the secondary effects
  of chronic illness can impact memory, attention,
  strength, endurance, and energy levels.

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HealthPotential College Challenges

• Fatigue
• Pain
• Concentration
• Memory
• Maintaining consistent class attendance due to
  fluctuations in health condition and need for
  treatments
• Limited mobility
• Diminished stamina for long writing or reading
  assignments.
• Tolerance of stress

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Psychological/Mental Health

• Covers a broad range including Bipolar disorder,
  depression, anxiety, chronic mental illness
• Often functioning can be greatly improved with
  medication, therapy, and social support

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Bipolar Disorder

• Bipolar Disorder
• Symptoms of bipolar disorder are more severe than
  the normal ups and downs that everyone goes
  through from time to time.
• Age of Onset Adolescence/Early Adulthood - At
  least half of all cases start before age 25. Some
  people have their first symptoms during
  childhood, while others may develop symptoms late
  in life.
• NIMH (2009)

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Depression--Definition

• People with depressive illnesses do not all
  experience the same symptoms. The severity,
  frequency and duration of symptoms will vary
  depending on the individual and his or her
  particular illness.
• Symptoms include
• Persistent sad, anxious or "empty" feelings
• Feelings of hopelessness and/or pessimism
• Feelings of guilt, worthlessness and/or
  helplessness
• Irritability, restlessness
• Loss of interest in activities or hobbies once
  pleasurable, including sex
• Fatigue and decreased energy
• Difficulty concentrating, remembering details and
  making decisions
• Insomnia, earlymorning wakefulness, or excessive
  sleeping
• Overeating, or appetite loss
• Thoughts of suicide, suicide attempts
• Persistent aches or pains, headaches, cramps or
  digestive problems that do not ease even with
  treatment
• Age of OnsetBetween the ages of 30-40

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Bipolar and/or Depression Potential
College Challenges Cont.

• Attendance
• Concentration
• Adjustment to Medications
• Meeting Deadlines
• Tolerance for Stress
• Financial Stresses
• Processing Speed

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Anxiety DisorderDefined

• Anxiety is a normal reaction to stress. It helps
  one deal with a tense situation in the office,
  study harder for an exam, keep focused on an
  important speech. In general, it helps one cope.
  But when anxiety becomes an excessive, irrational
  dread of everyday situations, it has become a
  disabling disorder.
• Five major types of anxiety disorders are
• Generalized Anxiety Disorder GAD,
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder OCD,
• Panic Disorder
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Social Phobia (or Social Anxiety Disorder)
• (NIMH, 2009)

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Anxiety Disorders Potential College Challenges
Cont.

• Being comfortable in a classroom environment
• Engagement and participation
• High stress situations - Taking examinations,
  answering questions, group or individual
  presentations. Meeting deadlines.
• Course content, such as war or domestic violence
  images or discussions can be triggers

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Psychological College Challenges

• Poor concentration, fatigue, anxiety,
  irritability, apathy, problems with perception,
  physical symptoms
• Medications can cause undesirable side effects,
  ie. disorientation, drowsiness, lack of
  creativity
• When treatment is effective periods of active
  symptoms may be infrequent

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Psychological What you can do

• Listen to students needs or concerns
• Engage student in conversation if invited by
  student
• Invite student to meet with you if you have
  concerns about performance, attendance, etc..
• Be aware of campus resources Disability
  Services, Counseling Center, Office of Student
  Life
• Take seriously any reference to suicidal ideation
• Recognize that getting to class and/or engaging
  with academic work may be a huge undertaking

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Asperger's Syndrome

• Social Interactions challenge understanding
  obvious and subtle social cues and rules failure
  to develop developmentally appropriate peer
  relationships
• Communication Skills very literal and concrete,
  may blurt out thoughts, limited use of gestures,
  precocious speech, may have restricted interests,
  repetitive behaviors (especially when stressed)
• Change is very hard- inflexible adherence to
  non-functional routines or behaviors. Likes
  rules!
• Needs to find interest or relevance to be
  motivated.
• Sensory sensitivities smell, textures light,
  sound

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Aspergers - What you can do

• Provide very concrete and specific instructions
  rules to follow
• When possible relate to area of interest
• Make any changes as predictable and structured as
  possible
• Be aware of hypersensitivities to light, noise,
  smell etc.

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Mobility Impairment--Define

• Orthopedic or neuromuscular conditions can impact
  mobility and/or hand functions.
• Spinal Cord Injury (paraplegia or quadriplegia),
  Cerebral Palsy, Stroke, Multiple Sclerosis,
  amputation, Muscular Dystrophy, cardiac
  conditions, Arthritis, and respiratory diseases
• Movement and function may be facilitated by
  canes, walkers, prostheses, or wheelchairs , as
  well as splints or braces
• Very wide range of experiences, specific
  diagnoses, prognoses, and severity

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Mobility Possible Challenges and College

• Manipulation of objects grasping, writing, or
  typing
• Turning pages, retrieving research materials
• Physical access to classrooms, offices, and
  programs -Identifying accessible seating
• Increased time to travel between classes
• Decreased endurance for extended activity

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Mobility - Non-classroom Challenges

• Heavy doors
• Cracks in sidewalks
• Steep ramps/ pathways
• Crowds
• Inaccessible restrooms
• Inattentiveness of others while walking
• Power outages no elevator access
• Slick sidewalks due to rain or ice and snow
• Difficulty transporting books and equipment due
  to needing arms and hands free

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Hearing Impairments DeafnessDefinition
Frank Bender

• Hearing impairment is a broad term used to
  describe the loss of hearing in one or both ears.
  There are different levels of hearing impairment
  
• Hearing impairment refers to complete or partial
  loss of the ability to hear from one or both
  ears. Can be mild, moderate, severe or profound
  
• Deafness refers to the complete loss of ability
  to hear from one or both ears.
• There are two types of hearing impairment
• Conductive hearing impairment - a problem in the
  outer or middle ear. This is often medically or
  surgically treatable, if there is access to the
  necessary services. Childhood middle ear
  infection is a common cause
• Sensorineural hearing impairment - usually due to
  a problem with the inner ear, and occasionally
  with the hearing nerve going from there to the
  brain. This type of hearing problem is usually
  permanent and requires rehabilitation, such as
  with a hearing aid. Common causes are excessive
  noise, aging and trauma.
• (World Health Organization, 2009)

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Degrees of Hearing Loss
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College Challenges for Students with Hearing
Impairment and Those Who are Deaf

• Unaware of the degree of their hearing loss
• Following lecture materials, taking effective
  notes, working in groups, and physical and
  emotional challenges associated with fatigue.
• Emotional barriers impeding requests for support,
  utilizing campus resources, or open to using
  technology supports.
• A feeling of both ability level and cultural
  isolation frustration.

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Supports for Students with Hearing Impairments or
those Who are Deaf

• Communication may be enhanced via speech, hearing
  aids, lip reading, or use of an interpreter
  utilizing sign language.
• FM or infrared amplification systems may be used
  (amplifies sound from microphone to receiver)
• Many people who are Deaf learn American Sign
  Language (ASL) as their first language, and
  English as their second language.
• ASL is a distinct language with unique
  characteristics
• When utilizing an interpreter speak to the
  student.
• This could also impact writing skills.

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Strategies to Support Students with Hearing
Impairments or those Who are DeafWhat You Can Do

• When communicating with student, always face the
  student.
• Facial expressions, gestures, and body language
  will help convey your message.
• Use visual aids (PPT, Notes, etc.)
• Try to avoid writing on the white/chalk board and
  talking at the same time if so, repeat
  paraphrase your message to the class.
• Be aware of your speech volume and pace
• Check for comprehension A good strategy for
  entire class.
• Be open to the use of FM technology

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Current Hearing Technology
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Visual Impairments Blindness--Definition

• Three categories
• 1) Restricted Central Visual Acuity
• 2) Visual Field Loss -Restricted Peripheral
  Vision
• 3) Difficulty with focusing and eye movements
  (Focusing or binocular coordination)
• "Low vision" a severe visual impairment applied
  to individuals with sight who are unable to read
  the newspaper at a normal viewing distance, even
  with the aid of eyeglasses or contact lenses.
  They use a combination of vision and other senses
  to learn, although they may require adaptations
  in lighting or the size of print, and, sometimes,
  Braille.
• Legally blind" person has less than 20/200
  vision in the better eye or a very limited field
  of vision (20 degrees at its widest point)
• Totally blind students have no vision and often
  learn via Braille and/or auditory

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Blindness or Low Vision Potential College
Challenges

• Reading Course material
• Following visual information presented in class
• Becoming oriented to campus, and traveling
  throughout campus
• Taking notes during class
• Writing papers
• Responding to written exams
• Lack of accessibility of some web pages, pdfs,
  and other electronic resources
• Technology failures
• Effectively studying visually based concepts

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VisionWhat You Can Do

• Determine reading materials far in advance (when
  possible make available in electronic format)
• Describe visually presented information, be aware
  of print size in lectures
• Minimize non-text content in exam/quizzes
• Advance copies of lecture notes, slides, etc..

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Student Veterans

• Wounded Warriors
• Head injury (different than past wars higher
  survival rate, head trauma often resulting from
  reverberations of loud blasts, as opposed to
  direct impact to the head)
• Mobility
• Hearing
• Psychological

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Universal and Inclusive Design

• Molly Sirois
• Advisor, Disability Services
• 164 Oregon Hall
• 541-346-1073
• sirois_at_uoregon.edu

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Constructs of Disability (based on the work of
Carol Gill, Chicago Institute of Disability
Research)

• Medical

• Sociopolitical

• Disability is a deficiency or abnormality
• Disability resides in the individual
• The remedy for disability-related problems is
  cure or normalization of the individual
• The agent of remedy is the professional who
  affects the arrangements between the individual
  and society

• Disability is a difference
• Disability derives from interaction between
  individual and society
• The remedy for disability-related problems is a
  change in the interaction between the individual
  and society
• The agent of remedy can be the individual, an
  advocate, or anyone who affects the arrangements
  between the individual and society

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Human Variation Model

• Disability defined as a mismatch between physical
  and mental attributes and the ability of social
  institutions to incorporate those attributes
  Shriner Scotch, 2001

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Universal Design (UD)

• The design of products and environments to be
  usable by as many people as possible regardless
  of age, ability, or situation without the need
  for adaptation or accommodation

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Universal Design in Education

• The design of instructional materials and
  activities that makes learning goals achievable
  by individuals with wide differences in their
  abilities to see, hear, speak, move, read, write,
  understand English, attend, organize, engage, and
  remember.
• continued

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Universal Design in Education

• Universal design for learning is achieved by
  means of flexible curricular materials and
  activities that provide alternatives for students
  with differing abilities.
• These alternatives are built into the
  instructional design and operating systems of
  educational materials. They are not added on
  after-the-fact.
  (Research Connections, Number 5,
  Fall 1999, p. 2)

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Student Panel

• Undergraduate and Graduate students with
  disabilities share their experiences as college
  students.

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Final Activity

• Take a few minutes to write
• Three things you learned and
• One thing you would like to know.
• Things to REMEMBER!! Please bring one of your
  course syllabi on Day 3!!!

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Day 2 Agenda

• History and Laws
• Special Education
• Federal Legislation
• Law and Universities
• How it Works on College Campuses
• General Resources
• Documentation and Notification
• Accommodations and Other Strategies

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History and Laws

• History of Special Education
• IQ testing
• Civil rights movement
• State initiatives
• University of Oregon

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Historical Current Outcomes

• Employment
• Earnings
• Independent Living
• Post-Secondary
• Training, 2 Year, 4 year
• Attendance vs. graduation
• Increasing numbers
• Potential causes of poor outcomes

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Legal Issues

• Heidi von Ravensberg, JD, MBA
• Adjunct Instructor
• School of Law
• University of Oregon
• [phone]
• hvr_at_uoregon.edu

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Federal Legislation Overview

• 1973 Vocational Rehabilitation Act (Sec. 504)
• 1974 Educational Amendments Act
• 1974 Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
  (FERPA)
• 1975 Education for All Handicapped Children Act
  (EAHCA)
• 1986 Education of the Handicapped Act Amendments
• 1990 and 2008 Americans with Disabilities Act
  (ADA)
• 1990 1997 Individuals with Disabilities
  Education Act (IDEA)

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Law and Universities

• Non-Discrimination
• Section 504 (1973 Voc. Rehab. Act) mandates that
  any public institution of higher education that
  receives federal funding including financial aid
  can not discriminate against otherwise qualified
  students with disabilities.
• The Americans with Disabilities Act (1990 ADA)
  mandates that any public or private institution
  with 15 or more employees can not discriminate
  against otherwise qualified individuals with
  disabilities.
• Admissions
• Education
• Exit Requirements

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Admissions

• Students must be qualified - meet academic and
  technical standards required for admission
• No quotas on admission
• Confidentiality - Cannot inquire about a
  disability

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The Enrolled Student

• Reasonable accommodations
• Modifications to policies, practices and
  procedures
• Architectural barrier removal
• Provision of auxiliary aids and services
• The institution must make only reasonable
  accommodations or modifications
• To students who have disclosed and documented
  their disability
• No undue financial or administrative burden
• Does not fundamentally or substantially alter
  major program or degree requirements
• Is not a direct threat to health or safety

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Appropriate educational adjustments INCLUDE

• Accommodations must be made to allow meaningful
  access to education.
• Requires one to distinguish between thinking and
  learning processes that are affected by LD or
  ADHD and thinking or learning processes that are
  essential to the academic integrity of a program.
  
• Sec. 504 provides examples -- taped texts,
  substitution of required courses, adapting the
  manner in which something is taught or assessed
  -- but provides no guidance on how to apply these
  accommodations.

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Academic Standards

• Institutions are not required to make
  accommodations that would lower academic
  standards or compromise integrity of programs or
  schools.
• However, important to be able to justify how an
  alteration would lower the academic standards.

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Legal Decisions

• Determining Reasonableness of the Requested
  Accommodation
• Courts will defer to the institutions
  determination where the facts add up to a
  professional academic judgment
• Courts want to make sure institution goes through
  specific process (did relevant officials consider
  the range of accommodations, feasibility, cost
  and effect on the academic program and come to a
  rationally justifiable conclusion that the
  available alternatives would result either in
  lowering academic standards or requiring
  substantial program alteration.)
• Wynne v. Tufts University School of medicine, 932
  F.2d 19 (1st Cir. 1991).

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Types of Accommodations

• Auxiliary aids and services
• Assistance animals
• Barrier removal
• Reduced course loads
• Incompletes
• Refrain from academic suspension or termination
• Substitution of courses
• Waiver of courses
• Exam accommodations
• Excuse or accommodate behavior or conduct

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Legal Decisions

• Requested accommodations were ordered or found
  reasonable
• Extra time to take exam or complete course of
  study
• Retake examinations or courses
• Modified curriculum or course substitutions
• Receive incomplete in course
• Refrain from suspending from academic program

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How it Works on College Campuses

• Typically one office is responsible for
  determining eligibility and coordinating the
  provision of accommodations
• The entire institution is responsible for making
  sure the campus is inclusive and welcoming to all
  students

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University of Oregon Disability Services

• 164 Oregon Hall
• [phone]
• disabsrv_at_uoregon.edu

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College Disability Resource Offices

• Determine eligibility for accommodations, and
  coordinate as needed
• Facilitate removal of barriers architectural,
  curricular, attitudinal
• Empower students to articulate their needs and
  self-advocate
• Provide guidance on academic issues/decisions
• Work with faculty and others to increase access
  for all students, and to provide individual
  student accommodations when needed
• Serve as a resource to university community
• Develop disability related institutional policies
  and procedures

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Other Support

• Time management/organizational skills
• Specific study strategies
• Academic Planning
• Teaching self-advocacy/ self-determination
• Conferencing

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Other UO Resources

• University Counseling Center
• Academic Advising
• Teaching and Learning Center
• Office of Dean of Students
• Career Center
• University Health Center

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Sample Syllabus Statement

• The University of Oregon is working to create
  inclusive learning environments. Please notify
  me if there are aspects of the instruction or
  design of this course that result in barriers to
  your participation. You may also wish to contact
  Disability Services in 164 Oregon Hall at
  346-1155 or disabsrv_at_uoregon.edu

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Course Syllabi

• Procedural Considerations
• Adding a disability statement
• Working in pairs develop a statement for students
  with disabilities that could be included in your
  course outline.
• Report Out

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How you Invite Students to Discuss
Barriers/Needs

• In pairs, think about the first day of class.
• Do you think you could say or do something that
  would make students with disabilities more
  comfortable disclosing and talking with you?
• Write a brief example.

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Documentation

• Students identify disability and provide
  documentation.
• Meet with student and review all info, including
  history, report of experience, other sources
  (parent/teacher reports)
• Substantial limitation in a major life activity
• Diagnosis, Functional Limitations
• Impact in academic environment

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Confidentiality of Documentation

• Disability related information is confidential.
  The DS office is charged with maintaining this
  confidentiality.
• Typically students will want to discuss
  accommodation needs directly with instructors,
  and often will share specific relevant
  information.
• However, it is the students choice whether or
  not to disclose information, such as the type of
  disability.

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Determination of Accommodations

• One of the ways that we meet our legal
  obligations and support students is through the
  accommodation process.
• Enable an otherwise qualified individual to
  have an equal opportunity to participate.
• Focus of all accommodations is to mitigate the
  effects of disability
• Designed on an individual basis, may vary from
  class to class for the same person, i.e.
  notetaker in one setting, lab assistant in
  another.

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Proactive Considerations for Determining
Appropriate Accommodations

• Is the individual Otherwise Qualified?
• Is the requested accommodation an appropriate or
  reasonable academic adjustment?
• Would the accommodation require a substantial
  modification to an essential element of a
  program?

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Other Accommodation Considerations

• Reasonable accommodations should not result in
  the lowering of academic standards or alteration
  of the fundamental nature of a course or program.
• Denying an accommodation must only be done after
  careful consideration by qualified professionals
  who are knowledgeable about disability and legal
  implications. It is never appropriate for faculty
  or staff to deny a requested accommodation
  without documented consultation.

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Discussion Are These Reasonable Accommodations?

• A student with visual processing challenges
  requests to not have to write a required paper
• Student with a learning disability in writing
  asks to spell check quiz
• Student with a serious documented illness misses
  four weeks of your class
• Elevator malfunctions and as a result a student
  misses a midterm

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Notification Letters

• Outlines recommended accommodations
• May be individualized for a specific class or
  situation, or may be very generic and stable over
  time (i.e. extra time on all exams)
• Appropriate to have a private discussion with
  student about their needs and perceptions of any
  barriers in a particular course
• The student chooses how much personal information
  to share

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Notification Activity

• Imagine that Kevin comes to you at the beginning
  of the first class, hands you his notification
  letter and then goes back to his seat.
• OR Kevin sends you an email letting you know that
  he has a notification letter.
• In pairs, discuss how this process of
  notification could be improved

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Typical Accommodations

• Electronic Formats of Readings
• Class Relocation
• Tests and Quizzes
• Separate Testing Environment
• Additional Time On Exams
• Modified Exam Format
• Assistive Technology
• Notetaking
• Sign Language Interpreters
• Flexible Attendance Policies
• Course Substitutions
• Decelerated program

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Alternate Print Formats

• Most appropriate for students
• who are unable to or have difficulty with reading
  standard print (blindness low vision visual
  focusing/tracking attention problems)
• Who have difficulty with reading speed and/or
  reading comprehension
• Most commonly electronic formats are prepared for
  access to speech output, enlarged font, and
  Braille formats.

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Alternate Print Formats What you can do

• Order textbooks or course packets early
• Ask publishers if they have an accessible
  electronic version available before you commit to
  a particular text
• Identify the order of readings early, especially
  if using excerpts or partial textbooks.
• Be aware of access when posting online

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Class Relocation

• Necessary in cases where
• a student is unable to physically get into the
  building or classroom
• The distance or terrain between classes is not
  able to be navigated, so they may need to be
  clustered closer together

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Class Relocation and Mobility Challenges what
you can do

• Be sensitive to the fact that some students may
  have difficulty traveling between classes
  quickly.
• If a class or class related activity is held in
  an alternate location, ie. Library, Museum, be
  aware of possible transportation challenges
• Be aware of the layout of the classroom and any
  need for adjustable desks, etc..
• Report unsafe or hazardous conditions

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Tests/Quizzes

• When test accommodations cannot be provided by
  the instructor, students may request that
  Disability Services coordinate this process
• The student submits an online request AFTER the
  student has met with the instructor, and
  discussed accommodations and test parameters
• The request should be made early, but no later
  than 5 working days before the test. Disability
  Services works in collaboration with the Testing
  Center to facilitate this process.

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Separate Testing Environment

• Most appropriate for students
• who have difficulty with
• Visual distractions
• Any type of noise
• Extreme anxiety around performance
• Perceptions that others are watching them
• Need to verbalize questions or move around

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Testing Environments- What you can do

• Discuss accommodation needs privately with
  student
• Respond in a timely manner if tests are being
  proctored by Disability Services and information
  or confirmation is requested
• Minimize test scheduling changes whenever
  possible
• Consider whether you or your department has
  access to an appropriate quiet place for students
  to take exams/quizzes
• For larger classes, consider offering an
  alternate administration in a smaller room with a
  proctor, ie. GTF who can respond to questions

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Additional Time on Exams

• Most appropriate for students who
• Experience slower processing speed (i.e. ability
  at 97, processing speed 3)
• Experience memory/retention problems
• Need more time to write and organize thoughts
• Experience slow reading speed
• Need a scribe, reader, computer assisted, or
  modified format
• Experience panic or an inability to think through
  problems when under intense time pressure

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Additional Time on Exams What you can do

• Some students prefer to take exams with their
  class, but need additional time. Consider
  allowing such a student to start the exam
  earlier, or move to an alternate location at the
  end of the exam for additional time.
• Consider designing tests so that there is
  additional time built in to the structure for all
  students

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Modified Exam Format

• Most appropriate for students who have difficulty
  or are unable to demonstrate their knowledge in
  certain formats.
• For example
• A student may need a Braille version of an exam,
  a reader, or to utilize speech technology.
• A student who is not able to accurately fill in
  the bubbles on a scantron sheet may need to mark
  off answers .
• A student unable to write may need to respond to
  questions on a computer or to a scribe
• For performance or studio based courses, an
  alternate format may be reasonable, i.e.
  videotaped presentation, oral in front of
  instructor instead of entire class

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Modified Exam Format What you can do

• Consider the feasibility of offering more than
  one exam format for all students, ie. take home
  version or in class version.
• Prepare exams in Word with simple text (limited
  graphics). This format is the easiest for
  creating other formats, ie. Braille.

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Modifications to Course Requirements

• In many cases small adjustments to existing
  course requirements may be appropriate. For
  example, a student who experiences panic attacks,
  or stutters, or has great difficulty with speech
  fluency, may be allowed to write a paper in place
  of giving a presentation. Alternatives to group
  work may be appropriate in some classes.

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Discussion Question

• What are some strategies to minimize the need for
  individualized test format accommodations or
  modifications to course requirements in your
  course?

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Assistive Technology

• Scanned materials to speech. Most commonly used
  by students who either are unable to read
  standard print (low vision, or blind) or have
  significant difficulty with reading speed or
  comprehension, and learn more effectively through
  auditory input
• Voice recognition
• Enlarged text
• Alternate formats
• Range of different inputs (puff switch,
  alternative keyboards, etc)
• .

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Notetaking

• Most appropriate for students who have difficulty
• Writing (fine motor movement, paralysis, pain in
  hand, fingers, or wrist)
• Processing auditory information
• With focus and concentration trouble listening
  and writing at the same time
• Hearing clearly enough to accurately take notes
• Seeing visual material presented, or seeing well
  enough to write or type notes, switching eye
  focus from paper to screen or instructor

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Notetaking What you can do

• Consider making outlines and/or notes available
  to all students (rotate volunteers)
• Allow students to record lectures to supplement
  notes
• Allow students to use laptops
• Present new or technical vocabulary visually, use
  in context
• Prepare lecture outline and make available in
  advance
• Respond quickly to requests to help identify a
  volunteer notetaker

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Sign Language Interpreters

• Provided when American Sign Language is the most
  effective form of communication
• Classes, meetings with instructors, study groups,
  any class related activity
• When requested, campus events and programs

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Sign Language Interpreters What you can do

• Make sure that any video clips, movies, etc. are
  captioned, provide scripts when available
• Provide an additional copy of the textbook or
  other materials to the sign language interpreter
• Be aware that lighting can be a challenge
  especially in darker rooms

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Flexible Attendance Policies

• It may be appropriate to be more flexible with
  strict attendance criteria in cases where a
  student is experiencing significant medical
  challenges, and unavoidably misses classes, i.e.
  surgery, chronic illness flare up, manic episode,
  chemotherapy treatment, serious depression, or
  blood transfusions

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Activity

• Sierra is going through chemotherapy treatments
  and misses 3 consecutive weeks of class.
• Working in pairs, think about one of your
  classes.
• Describe two or three accommodations that might
  be reasonable for this student.

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Decelerated Program

• Some students need to complete their
  undergraduate or graduate degrees over a longer
  than typical period of time.
• A student may need to reduce their per term
  course load because of medical conditions.
• There can be financial aid and scholarship
  implications.

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Course Substitutions

• May be considered for students who are unable to
  meet specific academic requirements due to the
  impact of a disability. These may occur at the
  departmental level with academic major
  requirements, or at the institutional level with
  general education.
• For example, a student who is deaf may be allowed
  to meet reading competency requirements and have
  a cultural component substitute for an oral
  component of meeting the BA language requirement.
  A student with a severe math disability may be
  allowed to substitute computer based, or logic
  courses.

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Many Accommodations Occur Outside of
Classroom/Lab Settings

• Housing
• Recreational
• Programs/events
• Student Union
• Libraries
• Museums
• Student Employment
• Tutoring/Support Programs

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Scenario Activity

• Sarah contacts you by email to report that she
  has just been released from two days in the
  hospital due to stress, and has been unable to
  attend class for the past 5 days. She has a
  midterm exam tomorrow.
• How might you respond, what other information
  would you want to have? What would you do?

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Scenario Considerations

• Separate the immediate issue of the exam tomorrow
  from the medical situation that may or may not be
  an ongoing concern.

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What if you found out that

• She is a freshman who just broke up with her
  boyfriend of 2 years
• OR
• She has Bipolar Disorder and stopped taking her
  medications last week
• OR
• She is a returning veteran and a tire blow out
  (like a bomb blast) on the freeway triggered a
  full panic attack she felt safer at the VA
  hospital

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Final Activity

• If you wanted to tell other faculty members in
  your department two important things about
  accommodating students with disabilities what
  would they be?
• Please bring a syllabus tomorrow

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Day 3 Practice - Agenda

• Universal Design an Overview
• Adaptive Technology Center
• Creating an Accessible PDF and Syllabus
  Considerations
• Demonstration of Kurzweil 3000
• Universal Design and Blackboard
• Universal Design Designing, Delivering and
  Evaluating Instruction

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Day 3 Practice

• Today we want to focus on Instruction. In doing
  so, we want to spend time thinking about the
  following
• Designing InstructionSyllabi, Course
  Planningcontinuation of yesterday afternoon
• Delivering Instruction-Teaching strategies
• Evaluating Students
• Rather than thinking about these issues as
  pertaining ONLY to students with disabilities, we
  want to think about strategies that are good for
  students with disabilities but also good for all
  students.

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Universal Design An Overview

• What is Universal Design?
• The philosophy comes from the disciplines of
  engineering and urban planning based upon the
  premise of universal access for all individuals.
• In terms of developing and building a community,
  the core value would be to permit the optimal
  accessibility for all individuals without having
  to make special accommodations by the nature of
  the pre-planned design.
• The following factors would be considered
  Safety, engineering options, environmental
  issues, aesthetics, and cost (North Carolina
  Center for Universal Design).

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Whats UDs Connection to Education and the UO?

• Principles of UD are now being incorporated
  within the educational continuum.
• Why? With such student diversity, using a UD
  preplanned approach will provide access to
  learning to a greater number of students and will
  potentially reduce the need for individual
  accommodations.
• A pre-planned UD approach to learning and
  instruction will benefit both the student and the
  professor/instructor.

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Universal Design for Learning and Instruction

• Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Developed by
  Center for Applied Technology (CAST). UDL is a
  student-focused method that provides strategies
  and advocacy skills to students to help improve
  their access and understanding of the course
  material.
• Universal Design for Instruction (UDI) Developed
  by researchers from University of Connecticut.
  UDI is an approach to college instruction that
  anticipates diversity of learners and provides a
  framework for university faculty to incorporate
  inclusive strategies into their teaching.
• Websites
• CAST www.cast.org
• University of Connecticut www.facultyware.uconn.e
  du

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Examples of UDI

• Planning for Instruction
• Physical Characteristics of Class Room Setting
• Syllabi
• Delivery Instruction Curriculum
• Interaction
• Material/Information Delivery
• Informational Resources and technology
• Environment Class Climate
• Evaluating Instruction Assessment
• Feedback Mechanisms
• Clear Communication and Expectations
• Assessment Administration and Rubrics

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Adaptive Technology CenterJames Bailey,
Adaptive Technology Access Adviser 140 Knight
Library1299 University of Oregon Eugene, OR
97403-1299541-346-1076 jbailey_at_uoregon.edu
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Adaptive Technology Center Purpose

• Support adaptive technology across campus
• Support students using adaptive technology
• Provide alt-text conversion to students
• Advise on accessible electronic documents
• Advise on accessible web

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Alternative Texts

• A very critical area for student success
• Required by students who are blind or low-vision
• Required by students with reading LD
• Faculty have great impact on this area

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Alternative Texts - 2

• Texts that can be read by assistive technology
• Paper text requires conversion
• Electronic texts may be accessible

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What is an Accessible Alternative Text?

• Braille
• Large print
• Electronic files gt text files audio files

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Focus On Accessible PDF Files
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Rationale

• PDF is the most common document file on Moodle or
  Blackboard
• May be structured for accessibility
• This helps students with low vision, blindness
  and reading learning disabilities

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Tools

• MS Word
• Acrobat Pro

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Types of PDF Files

• Picture only
• Searchable text
• Tagged

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Ways to Create PDF Files

• Scan a document into PDFthe least accessible
  product
• Convert from a picture filesimilar to a
  scanned document
• Create from word processing file more accessible

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Examples of Poor PDF files

• Very poor initial copy
• Poor copy and a marked original

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Poor Scanning Example One
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Poor Scanning Example Two
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Identifying a Picture Only PDF
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Identifying an Editable PDF
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The Select Button
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Converting image-only to text

• Convert within Acrobat pro

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Reading converted text

• Recheck with select and try to read it

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Creating an Accessible PDF with MS Word

• Using correct document structure in Word
  makes for a very accessible PDF.
• It essentially takes no more time than ignoring
  document structure.

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Sample Syllabus
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Sample Syllabus

• Columns
• Headers
• Table

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Sample Syllabus page two

• Table
• Headers
• Image

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Exercises2. Creating PDF from MS word

• Software
• MS Office 2000 (or later) on Windows platform
• Adobe Acrobat 5.x, 6.x, 7.x, or 8
• Office 2007 requires Acrobat 8.1 (may also use
  Save as PDF plug-in from Microsoft)

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Creating PDF from MS word

• Sample Workflow
• Create your content in MS Word
• Use "Styles" to provide document structure and
  modify content presentation
• Use the Column tool in MS Word to display
  multi-column layout
• Add appropriate descriptions for any images

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Creating PDF from MS word - headers

• Use Headers instead of just Bold

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Creating PDF from MS word columns Use
Columns instead of just tabs
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Note Ruler
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Creating PDF from MS word - tables

• Use headers in tables
• Expand abbreviationsi.e. Tuesday instead of Tue

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Exercises2. Creating PDF from MS word - images

• Use alternative text descriptions

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Creating PDF from MS word - conversion
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Check Reading Order One
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Check Reading Order Two
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Summary Accessible PDF

• Start with clean well copied original matter
• Create text-based or editable text
• Create new documents in Word
• Use header styles rather than BOLD
• Create true columns
• Put in Table headers
• Use alt-text for images

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• Demonstration of Kurzweil 3000

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UNIVERSAL DESIGN BLACKBOARD

• Robert Voelker-Morris
• Teaching Effectiveness Program (TEP)
• Teaching and Learning Center
• 68 PLC (The Teaching and Learning Center)
• 541-346-1934
• rmorris1_at_uoregon.edu

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Blackboard

• Create File Name Conventions
• Provide File Extensions
• Construct Navigational Consistency
• Designate Essential Content
• Provide Support Resources
• Consider Multiple Media Types

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I. Planning for Instruction

• Designing Your Course
• Working in groups, create a list of important
  issues to consider when designing your course.
  These issues should be relevant to students with
  disabilities but might also be important for all
  learners.
• Try to incorporate issues into your own course
  planning (examples, list of assignments, choices,
  timing of reading, strategies for instruction,
  calendar of topics, due dates, homework,
  assessment, grading options, etc.)

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II. Delivering InstructionInstructional
Techniques

• Multi-sensory or multi-format instructional
  approaches (Visual, verbal, auditory,
  practice/hands on)
• Auditory output redundant with info on visual
  displays
• Visual output redundant with auditory displays
• Opportunities for group work to verbalize and
  apply understanding
• Challenge!!
• Balancing the need to cover a lot of content
  while delivering it in a variety of instructional
  formats!

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Delivering InstructionInstructional Techniques
continued

• Grouping Strategies (Peer-tutoring, Cooperative
  learning).
• The importance of clearly defined roles
• Individual Group Accountability
• Can be implemented for projects or classroom
  activities

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Delivering Instruction

• Individually, think of a commonly taught lesson/
  activity in your area. Write down the topic and
  the typical approach you use to deliver
  instruction.
• Working in pairs, discuss each approach and
  generate a list of strategies that might enhance
  the instruction for students with disabilities
  AND all students--REPORT

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III. Evaluating Students/ Assessment

• Providing options and choice
• Rubrics
• Curriculum-based Assessment

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Providing Options Choice

• Different assessments for different content
  throughout the course.
• Choice of assessment using alternatives for each
  content area (multiple choice, or essay).
• Pr