Diversity on Diversity on Campus Campus People with Disabilities Presented to Hofstra University Diversity Advisory Council May 2, 2011
Jan 26, 2016
Diversity on Diversity on CampusCampus
People with Disabilities
Presented to Hofstra University
Diversity Advisory Council
May 2, 2011
Hofstra UniversityHofstra University 1963 - the Board of Trustees resolved to
make Hofstra architecturally barrier-free for individuals with physical disabilities, stating that all students should have access to higher education.
Although this later became federal law, Hofstra was recognized as a pioneer.
People with DisabilitiesPeople with Disabilities
Nation’s Largest Minority
People with DisabilitiesPeople with Disabilities
If you do not currently have a disability, you have about a 20% chance of becoming disabled at some point during your work life.
People with DisabilitiesPeople with Disabilities
People with disabilities cross all
racial, gender, educational, socioeconomic, and organizational lines.
PART IPART I
OVERVIEW
◦Historical◦Legal & Legislative◦Concepts
Dr. Darra PaceDr. Darra Pace
Chairperson of the Department of Counseling, Research, Special Education, and Rehabilitation
(CRSR)
BackgroundBackground
The history of universities and colleges and students with disabilities is a rather recent one.
BackgroundBackground
Student attendance at institutions of higher education is a direct mirror of the dispositions of society in regard to individuals with disabilities.
BackgroundBackground150 years after schools for children
were established in the US, the college door opened for them.
In 1945 the University of Illinois started the first support program in the states for the individuals with disabilities.
Who are the Students with Who are the Students with Disabilities?Disabilities?
Comparison between 1990 and 2005 of postsecondary education enrollment of youth with disabilities out-of-high school up to 4 years, by disability category (Adapted from the NLTS2 Report 2005)
Disability LD SP/Lang
ID ED/BD
Hear-ing
Visual Ortho-pedic
OHI/Autism
MultipleDeaf/Blind
Cohort11990
29.7 47.0 8.4 18.0 49.5 57.9 41.0 47.5 13.4
Cohort 22005
48.2 55.5 28.1 34.7 72.6 77.6 54.2 55.8 37.2
% of Change
+18.5**
+8.5 +19.7***
+16.7**
+23.1***
+19.7 +13.2 +8.3 +23.8
Who are the Students with Who are the Students with Disabilities?Disabilities?
Importantly, unlike K-12, college students must self-identify. As a result the numbers reported for certain populations are likely lower than the actual number of students enrolled.
Disability LD SP/Lang
ID ED/BD
Hear-ing
Visual Ortho-pedic
OHI/Autism
MultipleDeaf/Blind
4 yr college
9.7 20.8 .0 41.5 17.7 5.9.9 6.5 1.0 N/A
Faculty and Administrator Faculty and Administrator InformationInformation
Legislation in the United States also supported the acceptance of students with disabilities at the post-secondary level.◦ Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973◦ Title II of the American with Disabilities Act of
1990 (ADA) ◦ Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2006
(HEOA). ◦Both the Rehab Act and ADA are civil rights
legislation, while the HEOA is the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act of 1965.
Law and ProvisionsLaw and ProvisionsThe Americans with Disabilities Act &
Amendments to the Act (ADA-AA) Prohibits discrimination against people with all
disabilities
Requires public and private institutions to make accommodations for persons with disabilities in the areas of education, employment, transportation, public accommodations, state and local governments, and telecommunications.
Law and ProvisionsLaw and ProvisionsThe Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (504) Requires postsecondary students to identify their own
disability
Requires students to verify their eligibility for accommodations and services
Requires students to provide adequate documentation (‘proof’) of their disability that may include: a diagnosis of current disability; the date of the diagnosis, how the diagnosis was reached, credentials of the professional conducting the evaluation; how the disability affects a major life activity, and how the disability affects academic performance
Law and ProvisionsLaw and ProvisionsThe Higher Education Opportunity Act
(HEOA)
Provides financial assistance to students
Encourages collaboration among colleges, businesses, and relevant organizations to improve accessibility and support in higher education, to reach out to students with disabilities, and to work to reduce attitudinal barriers that prevent participation of individuals with disabilities in their community
Allows early counseling of youth about postsecondary opportunities and what students need to do to prepare for these opportunities.
Aims to keep students in college until they graduate and encourages programs that counsel students about financial aid and support services.
Provides grants to colleges to develop support services for students
Those include providing financial aid for the students with disabilities, disseminating information to faculty about support services for students with disabilities offered on campus, and conducting seminars for college faculty and administrators about student accommodation needs, and accommodations in the classrooms and on campus.
http://www.heath.gwu.edu/modules/students-with-disabilities-in-the-college-classroom/
Access to Curriculum:Access to Curriculum: Universal Design for Learning Universal Design for Learning
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is currently seen as a means to reconceptionalize curriculum.
A major concern of practitioners of UDL is equity and inclusion at the core of the learning environment (Pliner & Johnson, 2004).
Access to Curriculum:Access to Curriculum: Universal Design for Learning Universal Design for Learning
The Center for Applied Special Technology, CAST (2001) states the goal of UDL is to develop teaching methods that enable all students with diverse learning needs, including those with disabilities and cultural differences, to have equal access to curriculum
Principles of UDLPrinciples of UDL Principle 1: To support recognition learning,
provide multiple, flexible methods of presentation.
Principle 2: To support strategic learning, provide multiple, flexible methods of expression and apprenticeship.
Principle 3: To support affective learning, provide multiple, flexible options for engagement.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDvKnY0g6e4
AbleismAbleism
ABLEISM is a pervasive system of discrimination and exclusion that oppresses people who have mental, emotional, and physical disabilities… Deeply rooted beliefs about health, productivity, beauty, and the value of human life, perpetuated by the public and private media, combine to create an environment that is often hostile to those whose physical, mental, cognitive, and sensory abilities… fall out of the scope of what is currently defined as socially acceptable. L. Rauscher & M. McClintock (1996)
Ableism in EducationAbleism in Education It is preferable for children with
disabilities to do things the same way as their nondisabled peers.
Reflects the resistance to universal design
Dominant cultural response to disabilities People with disabilities are childlike,
dependent, in need of charity and pity
Response to Ableism in Response to Ableism in EducationEducation Recognize the existence of ableism in
schools Disabilities must be included in the
discussion of diversity Need for supportive environments for
students with disabilities Question ingrained assumptions Perhaps things must be done differently
PART IIPART II
Hofstra University and
People with Disabilities
Julie YindraJulie Yindra
Director for Services for Students with Disabilities
(SSD) Hofstra University
SSD at HofstraSSD at Hofstra
The current status of
Disability Services Operations
Whom Do We Serve?Whom Do We Serve?
Definition of Disability SSD Registrants Student, Faculty, Staff & Parent Outreach
Our StudentsOur Students
Disability TypesDisability Types
Largest Categories: LD 241
ADHD 140 Psychiatric
75
Disability TypesDisability Types
Fastest Growing:Autism SpectrumChronic IllnessPsychiatric
What’s Working??What’s Working??
The registration process Process for typical accommodations
Architectural Accessibility Customer Service Model One-to-One Service
Current Current Initiatives/ImprovementsInitiatives/ImprovementsExpansion of Assistive Technology Use
WebpageCampus Collaborations
Current Current Initiatives/ImprovementsInitiatives/ImprovementsNew Programs
◦Academic Coaching◦Delta Alpha Pi)◦Bender Consulting/Employment Initiatives
◦COSD (Career Opportunities for Students with Disabilities)
SSD Time & ResourcesSSD Time & ResourcesFall 2010 snapshot
◦1,300 accommodation letters◦Proctored 481 exams◦200 note-takers (129 volunteer, 71 paid)
◦90% of SSD operational budget spent on accommodations for 1% of registrants
What’s NOT Working??What’s NOT Working??Office Locations and adequacy of facilities
Non-apparent disabilities◦Fears associated w/ disclosure◦General campus awareness◦SSD as a resource for Faculty◦Accessibility Upgrades/Emergency Response
Creating a Welcoming Creating a Welcoming EnvironmentEnvironmentIncrease and encourage campus collaborations
Implementation of UDL principles
Training and Awareness Opportunities
More accessible SSD space
SSD Satisfaction SurveySSD Satisfaction SurveyWhat our students told us
84% satisfied with registration process
91% believe SSD will maintain their confidentiality
96% believe SSD staff treats them with respect & fairness
SSD Satisfaction SurveySSD Satisfaction Survey
◦ Suggested improvements – Testing facilities Office location Add disability related clubs Support groups
Final ThoughtsFinal ThoughtsACCESSIBILITY is an asset to a
college for many reasonsACCESSIBILTY allows students with
disabilities to become part of the student body and encourages diversity amongst the students.
INCREASING DIVERSITY not only allows students with disability a fair chance at a higher education but also allows other students to gain from the perspective of someone with disability.
Final ThoughtsFinal Thoughts
People with disabilities – students, faculty, administrators,
staff – provide new perspectives, different experiences, and diversity to a college campus.
Thank you…Thank you… Nancy F. Kaplan, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Radio, Television, Film
School of Communication
Darra Pace, Ed.D.
Chairperson and Associate Professor
Department of Counseling, Research, Special Education & Rehabilitation
School of Education and Allied Human Services
Julie Yindra
Director
Services for Students with Disabilities