Other Disabilities
There is a large number of students on campus who are registered with The Office of Disabilities Services and have illnesses or medical conditions that do not fit into any of the major disability groups outlined in this guide. These students, however, are covered by Section 504/ADA. Their illnesses or conditions can affect their energy level, memory, mobility, speech, vision, and/or muscular control. In some cases, the degree of impairment may even vary from one day to the next because of the nature of the medical condition, medication received, or therapy. Illnesses may not follow a set course and are often progressive which can cause emotional issues for the student.
A partial list of these, often times hidden, disabilities include:
- AIDS
- Allergies
- Arthritis
- Burns
- Cancer
- Cerebral Palsy
- Chronic pain
- Diabetes Mellitus
- Epilepsy
- Fibromyalgia
- Heart Disease
- Hemophilia
- Lupus
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Muscular Dystrophy
- Renal-Kidney Disease
- Respiratory Disorders
- Sickle-cell Anemia
- Stroke
- Tourette's Syndrome
Because of medical
involvement in many of these condition, some students may be absent from
class frequently, and may need similar accommodations to those discussed
elsewhere in this guide. Other students will need no accommodations.
Common side effects of medications include fatigue, memory loss, shortened
attention span, loss of concentration, and drowsiness. Often times, the
degree of impairment varies from time to time for a variety of factors.
Suggested
Modifications for Students with Hidden Disabilities
- Extended-time for exams
- Enlarged printed materials or use of CCTV
- Tape recorded course materials
- Use of a reader
- Flexibility in attendance requirements in cases of health-related absences
- Computers or other assistive/adaptive technologies
- Scribes
- Other accommodations found elsewhere in this guide