Notes

Outline

Educating NVCC Faculty, Staff, and Students With Disabilities  About Their Rights and Responsibilities Under the Law Counselors for Students With Disabilities Northern Virginia Community College

Workshop Objectives: To gain a better understanding of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act To gain understanding of different learning styles as it relates to accommodations To  define and identify a “reasonable accommodation”

Workshop Objectives (continued): To increase your knowledge of counselors’ responsibilities To increase your knowledge of students’ rights and responsibilities To increase your knowledge of faculty rights and responsibilities To demonstrate some common adaptive equipment at NVCC Questions and Answers

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 Contains the following requirement relating to postsecondary schools’ obligations:  “...shall take such steps as are necessary to ensure that no handicapped student is denied the benefits of, excluded from participation in, or otherwise subjected to discrimination under the education program…because of the absence of educational auxiliary aids for students with impaired sensory, manual, or speaking skills.”

Title II of the American With Disabilities Act “ A public entity shall furnish appropriate auxiliary aids and services where necessary to afford an individual with a disability an equal opportunity to participate in, and enjoy the benefits of, a service, program, or activity conducted by a public entity.”

Persons with Disabilities Anyone with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of such major life activities as: Walking Seeing Hearing Speaking Working Learning

Learning Styles, 1 Definition of Learning Styles Types of Learning Styles: Visual Learners Auditory Learners Tactile Learners

Learning Styles, 2 Students with some disabilities need to learn in specific ways The Special Needs Counselors can offer teaching strategies to be used with students requesting accommodations.

Reasonable Accommodations, 1 Post-secondary schools that receive federal financial assistance must provide effective auxiliary aids and services to students who are disabled. An institution may meet its obligation to provide auxiliary aids by assisting the student in obtaining the aid or reimbursement for the cost of the item from an outside agency such as the Department of Rehabilitative Services.

Reasonable Accommodations, 2 An institution has flexibility in choosing the specific aid or service it provides to the student, as long as the aid or service selected effectively meet the needs of the student with the disability These aids should be selected after consultation with the student who will use them Colleges are not required to provide the most sophisticated auxiliary aids available All programs and activities must be accessible, although not every element of a program is required to be accessible

Undue Hardship When does a reasonable accommodation become an undue hardship? It is not necessary to provide an accommodation if doing so would fundamentally alter the nature of the course. Postsecondary institutions are not required to compromise on requirements that are essential to the course or program. An accommodation is not reasonable if it creates a financial or administrative burden.

Counselor’s Role Central point for coordinating services Provide guidelines for faculty, staff, students Review documentation; determine reasonable accommodations

Counselor’s Role (continued)

Students’ Rights Equal opportunity to participate in and benefit from educational programs Right to confidentiality regarding disability

Student Responsibilities,1 Provide documentation of the nature of the disability to a disabilities service counselor Initiate requests for services in a timely manner Assist in identifying appropriate and effective auxiliary aids Work cooperatively with faculty (follow policies and procedures) Meet and maintain the same academic and technical standards as non-disabled students

Student Responsibilities, 2 Adhere to all laws, policies, and regulations of the campus Provide their own personal aids and services for help in: Bathing Dressing Using the restroom Other personal care

Faculty Rights Request copy of student’s authorization for accommodation Speak with student and Special Needs Counselors about any concerns with providing accommodation Use Special Needs Counselors as resources to help in providing accommodations Be able to maintain academic and technological standards (accommodation does not “alter the nature of the course”)

Faculty Responsibilities Communicate process to students for requesting accommodations (may list on syllabus).  Include student in accommodation process Provide “reasonable accommodation” or alternative accommodation when specific accommodation is not available as long as the student still has equal access to academic and technological quality in completing the objectives of the course Maintain confidentiality Promote equal educational opportunity to all students without regard to race, religion, sex, handicap, national origin, or other non-merit factors

Resolution of Concerns Regarding Accommodations If concern is not resolved, follow general grievance procedure with The Office of Affirmative Action/Minority and Legal Affairs, while continuing to provide accommodation.

Assistive Technology Technology : Becoming Informed Users Effective Use of Technology with Students Integrating Technology into the Process of Education Technology available in Northern Virginia Community College, Annandale Campus

Questions?