A Resource Guide for Faculty and Staff

First Published July 1997

Compiled by:
Kris Kozuch
Office of Disability Services
Springfield Technical Community College
Office of Disability Services
Division of Enrollment Management and Student Affairs
One Armory Square
Springfield, MA 01105
Phone: (413) 755-4551
Fax: (413) 731-0978
TDD: (413) 746-0079

Funding for this guide was made available by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, National Institute on Post-secondary Education, Libraries and Life Long Learning (PR Award Number R309F60067).

This guide will be made available in alternative format upon request by phone (413-755-4551), e-mail (kkozuch@stcc.edu), or in person at the Office of Disability Services (Building 27, 2nd Floor).

A Message From the President of STCC

Dear Colleague:

The Mission Statement of Springfield Technical Community College reflects our commitment to student success by providing educational and training programs to all students. The College continually strives to deliver the highest quality educational experience through its teaching and student support services for a diverse college community that includes students with disabilities.

Springfield Technical Community College offers equal access to all programs, services and facilities within the College. The Office of Disability Services seeks to implement and support the College's commitment to excellence in education in a barrier free environment.

Thank you for your continued contributions to excellence in service to all our students. This resource guide will serve as a valuable asset to the faculty and staff of our college in assisting students with disabilities to develop and achieve their goals successfully.

Sincerely,

Dr. Andrew M. Scibelli
President

The Law

SECTION 504 of the REHABILITATION ACT OF 1973

"No otherwise qualified individuals with disabilities in the United States ....shall solely by reason of his disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance."

Definition of Terms

A person with a disability is an individual with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. An individual is considered to be a person with a disability if he/she (1) has a disability, (2) has a history of a disability, or (3) is perceived by others as having a disability.

Provisions of Section 504
Springfield Technical Community College, as a public institution of higher education which has received federal assistance, is legally bound to prohibit discrimination in the recruitment process, the admission process, or the educational process of students with disabilities. Students with documented disabilities are entitled to receive approved modifications, appropriate academic adjustments or auxiliary aids that will enable them to participate in, and have the opportunity to benefit from, all educational programs and activities of Springfield Technical Community College.

Under the provisions of Section 504, Springfield Technical Community College may not:

  • Limit the number of otherwise qualified students with disabilities admitted;
  • Make pre-admission inquiries as to whether an applicant is disabled;
  • Exclude an otherwise qualified student with a disability from any course of study;
  • Provide less financial assistance to students with disabilities than is provided to non-disabled students, or limit eligibility for scholarships on the basis of disability;
  • Counsel students with disabilities into more restrictive career paths than are recommended to students who are non-disabled;
  • Measure student achievement using modes that adversely discriminate against a student with a disability; or
  • Establish rules and policies that have the effect of limiting participation of students with disabilities in educational programs or activities.
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is still in effect, and it contains (in Subpart E) more specific information regarding post-secondary education than the ADA.

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (ADA)


The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 is civil rights legislation that affects some 43,000,000 Americans with disabilities. It is the purpose of this act to provide a clear and comprehensive national mandate for the elimination of discrimination against individuals with disabilities. The ADA applies to all institutions of higher education regardless of receipt of Federal funds.

Provision of the ADA

  • Title I covers nondiscrimination in employment activities.
  • Title II of the ADA is divided into two subparts.
    • Subpart A requires that state and local government entities and programs be made accessible to persons with disabilities.
    • Subpart B requires that public transportation systems be made fully accessible to and usable by persons with disabilities.
  • Title III covers the accessibility and availability of programs, goods, and services provided to the public by private entities.
  • Title IV requires that telecommunication services be made accessible to persons with hearing and speech impairments and has specific reference to the development of telecommunications relay systems and closed-captioning technology.
  • Title V of the ADA contains miscellaneous provisions that apply to all of the other titles as well.

Facility Access

The ADA requires existing facilities of Title II entities to be accessible. Springfield Technical Community College has a compliance plan to make all existing facilities accessible to students with disabilities to the extent that access is readily achievable and not an undue burden. For new construction or renovations, the college must be in compliance with Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards (UFAS) or the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines for Buildings and Facilities (ADAAG), without the elevator exemption. The choice of standards must be consistent within a single building.

General Etiquette

People with disabilities prefer to be called people with disabilities, not disabled people. People with disabilities are not conditions or diseases; they are individuals first and only secondarily do they have one or more disabling conditions. The following is a glossary of acceptable terms:

WRITING OR TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES - ACCEPTABLE TERMS

Person, persons with a disability

People with cerebral palsy, person with a spinal cord injury, muscular dystrophy.

A person with a hearing impairment refers to a person who has partial loss of hearing within a range of mild to severe.

Person who has a mental illness or a psychiatric disability.

Person who has a mental or developmental disability.

Person who uses a wheelchair or crutches; a wheelchair user; walks with crutches

People who do not have a disability.

UNACCEPTABLE TERMS

Handicap, handicapped person.

Cerebral palsied, spinal cord injured people, etc. Never identify people solely by their disability.

Deaf and dumb--is as bad as it sounds. Inability to hear or speak does not suggest less intelligence.

Psycho, nut, crazy, schizo, psychiatric, schizophrenic.

Retarded, idiot.

Confined/restricted to a wheelchair, wheelchair-bound. Most people who use a wheelchair or mobility devices do not regard them as confining.

Normal--When in use as the opposite of "disabled," implies the person is abnormal.

(Taken from Oklahoma Disability Etiquette Handbook, from the Office of Handicapped Concerns, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 1993)

Springfield Technical Community College Resources

ADA Coordinator/Disability Services Coordinator

Mary A. Moriarty is the official ADA Coordinator for Springfield Technical Community College. Her office is within the Office of Disability Services in Building 27 on the second floor and can be reached by calling (413) 755-4551. The Coordinator is responsible for ensuring that the college complies with federal regulations that guarantee qualified college students with disabilities equal access to all programs and services. Any student, faculty or staff member may contact her office for clarification of federal regulations, appeal of a grievance, or resolution of a disability-related problem.

Office of Disability Services

The Office of Disability Services (ODS) is the official contact for students with disabilities who request special services or accommodations to provide equal opportunity for academic success. Students must identify themselves to the ODS and provide documentation of their disability from a licensed professional. The staff of ODS serve as advocates for students with disabilities and can assist them in achieving equal access to all college programs and services. The staff are available to consult with faculty, administrators and staff concerning appropriate services for students with disabilities.

Specific services provided by ODS include: (not exhaustive)

  • Maintenance of confidential records of students' documentation
  • Assistance with registration including priority registration
  • Assistance with interpretation and implementation of accommodations
  • Provision of notetakers, readers, adapted testing arrangements
  • Assistance with ordering recorded tests
  • Access to adaptive/assistive technology.

Counseling for Services to Students with Disabilities

Students with disabilities who request services and/or accommodations to minimize the effects of their disabilities are assigned a counselor. The counselors serve as advocates for students and ensure equal access to all college programs and services. Counselors are also available to consult with faculty, administrators and staff about appropriate services and modifications for students with disabilities. Counselors will assist in the implementation of accommodations whenever possible.

General Considerations for Students & Faculty

Specific suggestions for teaching students with disabilities will be offered in the sections devoted to each disability. This section will discuss several general considerations.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF STUDENTS

It is the responsibility of the student to identify himself/herself to the Office of Disability Services and to provide documentation of the disability by a licensed professional.

The student will consult with the staff to determine specific accommodations that will be required while he/she is a student at Springfield Technical Community College. The student will authorize any notification of instructors of his/her required modifications and strategies. The student will be told of his/her responsibility to meet with his/her instructors at the beginning of each quarter to discuss arrangements for accommodations in each course.

Students with disabilities must maintain the same responsibility for their education as students who do not have disabilities. This includes maintaining the same academic levels, maintaining appropriate behavior and giving timely notification of any special needs.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF FACULTY

It is the responsibility of the faculty to cooperate with the ODS in providing authorized accommodations and support services for students with disabilities in a fair and timely manner. Faculty should meet with students who provide an accommodation form as early in the semester as possible in order to establish the means of providing the accommodation. Students should initiate this meeting, but faculty are encouraged to take the initiative when students are reluctant to advocate for themselves.

If a student requests that an instructor provide accommodations for a disability and the faculty member has had no official notification of the student's need for accommodation, it is important that the instructor assist the student in contacting the ODS. If the disability is visible (use of wheelchair, hearing aids, service dog, etc.) and the requested accommodation is obviously appropriate, the faculty member should provide the accommodation while paperwork is being completed.

Faculty may not refuse to provide required accommodations, to question whether the disability exists when accommodations have been authorized by the college, or to request to examine the student's documentation without a written consent signed by the student. However, faculty members may provide input and should arrange with students the means for making accommodations in a particular class. A student must be able to comprehend the course material and communicate that comprehension to the instructor, but accommodations must give the students the opportunity to achieve that outcome, so long as the accommodation does not alter the fundamental nature of the course or program. If a faculty member has questions about the appropriateness of a required accommodation, he or she should consult with the ODS staff.

SHARED RESPONSIBILITIES

Students with disabilities should report their needs to the faculty in a timely manner, since faculty may not be able to anticipate the needs of students with disabilities. Faculty/staff members should keep students in mind when making special class arrangements such as field trips. Faculty/staff should state on their course syllabi that students need to inform them of their special needs as soon as possible to ensure that those needs are met in a timely manner. If a student waits until the day of an exam to ask for extended time or a separate testing area, the student has failed to make the request in a timely manner. If the student fails to ask for extended time until late in the semester, the instructor is only required to provide accommodations from that time forward.

When a student discloses a disability, faculty/staff members should ask the student what they can do to facilitate his/her learning. Sometimes simply allowing a student to sit in the front of the class is beneficial.

Faculty/staff members may not discourage students from specific fields of study if the student meets the admission requirements, maintains the appropriate grades and is otherwise qualified. Faculty/staff members are responsible for providing education and students are responsible for maintaining academic requirements.

General Considerations for Students & Faculty

WHAT FACULTY CAN DO:

  1. During the first class and in the course syllabus, announce that if any students need accommodations, they should see you after class or during office hours.
  2. Know about services available on campus for students with disabilities.
  3. Early in the semester, provide an outline of the course, courses requirements, and necessary reading materials.
  4. If the student has not approached you, approach the student and ask if accommodations are necessary and indicate you are willing to help.
  5. If a student requests an accommodation without an accommodation form from the ODS, refer the student to the office. You are not obligated to provide any unauthorized accommodations at a student's request.
  6. Make lectures and notes easy to understand and make assignments clear.
  7. Allow preferred seating for students with disabilities.
  8. Be flexible with the content and format of arrangements and exams (ex: oral exam, Braille, audio taped). Give students extra time to complete exams, if supported by documentation.
  9. Be supportive, but not overly solicitous.
  10. Do not accept work of a lower quality from students with disabilities.
  11. Support students interested in taking your course. If you foresee problems, discuss these but let students make up their own mind.

Information on specific disabilities and suggested modifications to assist students with those disabilities

ADD/ADHD

Head Injury

Deafness and Hearing Impaired

Learning Disabilities

Orthopedic/Mobility Disabilities

Psychological Disabilities

Visual Disabilities

Other Disabilities

Resources

ADHD - A Complete Evaluation and Treatment Program, pamphlet, Michaleson Adolescent Clinic, Holyoke, MA.

Americans with Disabilities - Gaining Rights and Respect, pamphlet, Channing Bete Co., 1997.

CH.A.D.D. Facts, Handout 1, "The Disability Named ADD: An Overview of Attention Deficits Disorders," 1993.

_______, Handout 5, "Attention Deficit Disorders: An Educator's Guide," 1993.

_______, Handout 9, "Attention Deficit Disorder, Predominantly Inattentive Type," 1995.

College Students with Disabilities Resource Guide for Faculty and Staff, Calhoun Community College, April 1995.

College Students with Learning Disabilities, pamphlet, Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin, 1991.

Desk Reference Guide for Faculty and Staff, Mississippi State University, 1995.

Faculty Guidebook, University of North Carolina.

Guide to Etiquette and Terminology for Working with Individuals with Disabilities, Springfield Technical Community College, 1995.

Hales, D., and Hales, R., "Pay Attention: Hyperactivity Isn't Just for Children Anymore," American Health, Sept. 1995, pp. 62-65.

Job Seeking Skills for People with Disabilities, California State University, 1994.

Murphy, K., "Coping Strategies for ADHD Adults," CH.A.D.D. Special Edition, Fall/Winter, 1992.

Richard, M., "Pathways to Success for the College Student with ADD: Accommodations and Preferred Practices," Journal of Post-secondary Education and Disability, 11, (2/3), Spring /Fall 1995.

Richardson, D., "A Scientific Explanation for a Crazy-Quilt Career," National Business Employment Weekly, 8/93, pp. 5-7.

Working Together: Supervising People with Disabilities, California State University, Northridge, 1994.

Acknowledgments

Finally, the respect and appreciation of the Office of Disability Services is extended to all the faculty and staff of Springfield Technical Community College who teach, assist and empower students with disabilities.