Faculty
cannot ask if a student has a disability.
What can they do?
- Students can be referred to the Office of Disability
Services, but it takes care and tact.
- It is always a good idea for a faculty member
to call the office and speak with the Coordinator about the needs
of a student. Even if the student does not have a disability,
experiences working with hundreds of students and referring them
for other services may be help enough for the faculty member to
be supportive.
- Include a statement in the course syllabus as
a way for students to disclose the need for support.
- Include the disability services office as part
of a list of resources open to all students on campus, such as
tutoring centers, workshops in the counseling center, and departmental
assistance.
- There are new library services and computer
assistance in E.H. Butler Library, as well as the assistive technology
that is a duplicate of that in the Disability Services Office.
Hilary Sternberg, the Head Reference Librarian, is also the librarian
for support of those who need additional access.
- If students have a disability, they may not
be aware of how helpful it can be to receive support. Sharing
information is not threatening; it may be the chance they need
to have help for the first time in their lives. Often there may
be significant financial support available for them.
- Many students are not diagnosed with a disability
until they are adults. In their previous educational experiences,
they may never have realized their real potential.
- Having a learning disability, attention deficit
disorder, or a speech/language processing disorder does not mean
the student cannot learn or that intellectually they are below
average in IQ. Many students with these diagnoses are above average
in intelligence; all are at least average, by definition.
Exam Accommodations
Why do some students with
disabilities need more time on an exam? Is that fair?
Students with disabilities may require more time on some exams.
This is determined periodically after review of the student’s
documentation and the recommendation by the person qualified to
evaluate the impact of the disability on his/her educational performance.
What about
other accommodations on exams?
Again, they are determined each semester and on a course-by-course
basis. These can include, but are not limited to, the use of a reader,
scribe, computer with spellchecker, calculator, room alone, or separate,
quiet location.
Do students need a scribe just to record
their answers?
Some students may need to have a scribe because of poor manual dexterity
or because they cannot always mark the answer sheet with the response
they have selected. If the student can mark the response on the
exam (question) sheet, then it can either be hand-scored or the
questions marked on an opscan sheet for computer grading later.
The student could stay in the classroom with his peers for the exam.
What about other accommodations on exams?
Other students may need to have the questions
read aloud to readily comprehend what is being asked. That just
is not practical in class – it would violate test security
and distract other students who need a quiet test site. There are
some who cannot mark the answers on the computer opscan sheets but
who can read the exam and mark down an answer on a separate answer
sheet or mark the exam paper. Conversations about these situations
can lead to much better understanding and student confidence as
well as valuable support.
When should I call for help?
If a student seems wary or there is any type
of discomfort on the part of the faculty member about how to proceed
in discussing disabilities with students, please call the Disabilities
Services Coordinator. Often all that is needed is a neutral meeting
site and a chance to air needs and concerns. No one loses when the
communication is fair and respectful. Past experiences with referrals
and student/professor/disability services meetings have been very
helpful.
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