Pełnosprawny Student IVKraków, 25 października 2010 r.

The Role of

Disability Services in

Higher Education

Build Leaders not Empires

John BennettDirector

Disability Resources & Services

Temple University

Overview

• Temple University.

• Disability Resources & Services.

• Services we provide.

• Our philosophy.

• Components of service development.

• Examples of our work.

• Questions

Temple University

• 27th largest university in the United States.

• Temple student population – 35,500.

• 9 Temple University campuses worldwide.

• 5th largest provider of professional education in the nation

• One of the 25 most high-tech campuses in the U.S.

• 260,000 Temple alumni live in all 50 states and 145 countries.

Disability Resources & Services

• A Department within the Division of Student Affairs that provides

support services to students with various types of documented

disabilities.

• Work with the University community in developing more inclusive

experience for all, including students with a disability.

• Collaborate with Community partners on promoting higher education

as a real opportunity for students with a disability.

• Liaise with community partners to cultivate a range of resources for

students.

Staff

• Director

• Associate Director

• Assistant Director

• 4 * Student Services Coordinators

• Secretary

• 14 student employees – 10 hours/week.

• Contract ASL Interpreters and CART

What is the Difference Between High School and Higher Ed?

ELEMENTARY/SECONDARY (IDEA)

• ENTITLEMENT: Free Appropriate Public Education must be provided in the Least Restrictive Environment to all children, ages 3 – 21 (or until diploma is earned)

• School is responsible for identifying/diagnosing disabilities

• Individualized Education Plan (I.E.P.)

• Most services are provided (i.e., tutoring, classroom aid, etc.)

• Parents involvement is required

POST SECONDARY (Section 504)

• Students who are “otherwise qualified” must be afforded the opportunity to access the educational program as it exists (i.e., student must meet admissions standards)

• Student must self-identify, presenting documentation that meets University guidelines.

• “Essential Elements” of the program cannot be altered

• University provides academic accommodations; student responsible for services

• Students assume responsibility

How many?

• Temple student population – 35,500

• Total registered with DRS – Approximately 1,100

• 3-4% of eligible students choose to/know to register with disability services in higher education

• 11% of all undergraduates nationwide report having a disability *

*Source: Report to the Chairman, Committee on Education and Labor,

House of Representatives, October 2009www.gao.gov/new.items/d1033.pdf

Distribution by Disability?• 44% Learning disability - LD, ADD, ADHD

• 23% Significant medical disability» Chrohn’s disease Juvenile Diabetes» Cancer MS» Heart disease Epilepsy

• 21% Psychological/psychiatric disability» Bi-polar OCD» Depression Anxiety/panic disorders

• 6% Physical disability» Spinal Cord Injury Limb Loss» Spinal Bifida Cerebral Palsy

• 3% Visual disability - Blind and visually impaired

• 3% Hearing disability - Deaf and hard-of-hearing

How are they are doing?

• Within +/- 0.2 GPA of general population (4pt GPA scale)

• Finalists in many national and international academic awards and scholarships – Marshall, Rhodes, etc.

• YES, they are academically successful!

• Employment - 65% unemploymenthttp://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/disabl.pdf

Reasonable Accommodations

• Accessible Housing Options

• Sign Language and CART Services

• Note taking

• Alternate Format Materials

• Assistive Technology

• Testing taking Accommodations

Student support

DRS professional staff spend much time offering students;

• Advocacy skills

• Information and Advice

• Strategy exploration

• Referral to other student services

• Funding resources

• Internships opportunities

Personal Aids & Services

It is the students responsibility to provide for the following;

• Personal Care Assistant

• Transport to University

• Mobility guide

• Home study aid/reader

• Technology at home

• Extra 1/1 tuition

• Medical equipment

Where are Services today?

Broadly speaking across the profession, services;

• Have highly skilled staff.

• Are seen as the purveyors of all Disability related knowledge.

• Are centralized.

• Are accommodation focused.

• Rely on student to disclose and seek accommodation.

Disability Services, what do we do differently at Temple?

• Moving towards a focus on inclusion and less on accommodations.

• Focus more on common challenges and less on disability labels.

• Active role in defining and implementing a University wide inclusion

strategies for all students including students with a disability.

• Retain high-end specialist services/roles.

• Build partnerships beyond the University.

• Go beyond legal compliance.

Inclusion V Accommodation

INCLUSION• No requirement for disclosure.

• Disability as a component of diversity.

• Reducing/eliminating deficit in the environment, system or process.

• Proactive.

• Independent Learner.

• Contributes to retention of all students.

• Beyond compliance.

• Often more cost effective

ACCOMODATION

• Requirement for disclosure.

• Disability/deficit in individual.

• Deficit in the environment,

system or process go unfixed

• Reactive.

• Reliant on individual support

• Non disclosure = no

accommodations = greater risk

of academic failure.

• Meets minimal compliance.

• Can be expensive

Key Components of Service Development

• Leadership » Unified Vision » Connect to University Mission» Involve all levels of University management

• Research » Research partnerships» Gather data/evidence» Research informed service development

• Strategic Planning» Plan to integrate where appropriate the needs of

students with a disability in to the greater fabric of the University.

» Strategic partnerships.

Key Components of Service Development

• Innovation» See past the traditional - Think innovatively» National and International best practice» Technology

• Partnership » Across University» Inter University» Community » Internationally» Lead to increased Funding opportunities

Key Components of Service Development

• Knowledge» Invest in your partners• Disability Services staff • University Faculty and Staff• The Students we seek to include

• Environmental/Systemic Change» More inclusive environment leads to less individual

accommodations for students. » Universal Design

Key Components of Service Development

• Program Standards» We know we are good…But how do we really know?» Define professional standards under which we

operate within.

• Students» Invest in student leaders.» Allow them to be part of your team.

Often Disability Professionals say;

– Planning! I have not enough time to see all these students and you want me to be on another Committee!

– I spend all my day seeing students, I have no time for delivering training.

– Student Development? Independent learners?

– I can’t do it, I have no funding.

Planning• A camel is a horse designed by a committee (Sir Alec Issigonis)

• Choose your planning partnerships/opportunities carefully.

• Get on the important committees/taskforces.

• Often it is not the purpose of the committee that is important, it is the

people you have access to while on that committee that is. • University Strategic Planning Committee.• CHART – Campus Health Assessment & Response Taskforce.• TECH Advisory Group.• Academic Advisers Directors Group.• CARE - Crisis Assessment, Response, and Education Team Emergency Planning

Taskforce.• Division of Student Affairs Leadership Team.

Training

• Invest in your University partners

• Build your team

• Faculty are your partner

• Project EDIT

Student Development

• Project Access TU

• Adapted Recreation

• Charlotte W. Newcombe Foundation financial support

• Federal Workforce Development Program

• Project RETAIN

• Student organization

• Independent learners

I have no funding

Academic year 2009/10

Project EDIT $50,000

Project ACCESS TU $ 8,000

Project ERGO $28,000

Project RETAIN $ 5,000

Project REMOTE $10,000

Project Browse Aloud $15,000

Project Read and Write $25,000

I have no funding $141,000

Links of interest

• www.temple.edu

• www.temple.edu/disability

• www.ahead.org

• www.cped.uconn.edu/

• www.cas.edu

• www.heath.gwu.edu

• www.gao.gov/new.items/d1033.pdf

• www.accesscollege.ie/dare/index.php

Build Leaders not Empires

Thank you!

Contact:

John Bennett

Director Disability Resources & Services

Temple University

www.temple.edu/disability

John.Bennett@temple.edu

Partner Konferencji: Urząd Miasta Krakowa

Konferencja pod patronatem:Minister Nauki i Szkolnictwa Wyższego, prof. dr hab. Barbary Kudryckiej,