DISABILITIESAND THE IMPACT ON TODAY’S COLLEGE STUDENT

COUN 7132 Contemporary College Student

Group 4Megan BeardenSarah BennettTorri McGarity

Kimberly Turner

Types of DisabilitiesAdmissions Campus ResourcesPressures/Struggles

Overview

Types of Disabilities

Types of Disabilities

In a recent study, 428,280 postsecondary undergraduate students identified themselves as having some type of disability, which accounted for 6% of the entire postsecondary student population in the nation.

The types of disabilities reported by these students were the following:

Learning disabilities…………………………..45.7%Mobility impairments….…………………….13.9%Health impairments…………………………..11.6%Mental & Emotional…………………………..7.8%Hearing impairments…………………………. 5.6%Blindness/Visual…………………………………4.4%Speech & Language……………………………0.9%Other…………………………………………………9.1%

Categories of Disabilities

•Learning Disabilities –Disabilities that may affect reading, processing information, remembering, calculating, and spatial abilities

•Mobility Impairments –May make walking, sitting, bending, carrying, or using fingers, hands or arms difficult or impossible.

•Health Impairments —Affect daily living and involve the lungs, kidneys, heart, muscles, liver, intestines, immune systems, and other body parts (eg. cancer, kidney failure, AIDS/HIV).

•Mental & Emotional —Mental health and psychiatric disorders that affect daily living

•Hearing Impairments —Make it difficult or impossible to hear or understand lectures, access multimedia materials, and participate in discussions

•Blindness/visual —refers to the disability of students who cannot read printed text, even when enlarged

•Speech & language —refers to the disability of students who cannot speak or express themselves through language.

Accommodations Based on Disability

•Flexibility and effective communication between student and instructor are key in approaching accommodations for disabilities

•Students with similar disabilities may require different accommodations

Admissions

Prior to Admissions

Access to buildings

Access to admissions information

Access to entrance/placement testing

Possible testing accommodations: Braille Large print Tape recorded tests Extended testing time Small group setting The use of a sign language interpreter

Admissions Requirements

Students must first meet university admissions requirements.

You cannot be denied admissions based on a disability.

After acceptance, a student may apply for resources. A Voluntary Declaration of Disability must be

completed along with medical documentation to be considered for resources.

Section 504 & ADA

Post-secondary institutions are subject to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990

Section 504 and ADA are about equal access and the opportunity to compete. Students must be qualified for the educational program and meet eligibility standards for disability assistance.

Know Your Rights- 504

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services states that…

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a national law that protects qualified individuals from discrimination based on their disability.

Individuals with disabilities are defined as persons with a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities, including their ability to learn.

For purposes of receiving services, including education or training, qualified individuals with disabilities are persons must meet normal and essential eligibility requirements.

Know Your Rights- ADA

The ADA governs the activities of state and local governments. The ADA states:

State and local governments are required to relocate programs or otherwise provide access in inaccessible older buildings, and communicate effectively with people who have hearing, vision, or speech disabilities.

Public entities are required to make reasonable modifications to policies, practices, and procedures where necessary to avoid discrimination, unless they can demonstrate that doing so would fundamentally alter the nature of the service, program, or activity being provided.

Remember…

College is different than high school!

In high school you do not have to request special accommodations.

In college, you must request accommodations before each term.

You do not have to disclose your disability.

Campus Resources

RCLD

The Board of Regents of Georgia has established centers for provision assessment, resources, and research at three universities: Georgia State University, Georgia Southern University, and University of Georgia. The centers are known as Regents Center for Learning Disorders (RCLD).

Accommodations: Georgia Southern University

Accommodation Letter: used for communication between the SDRC, the student and a faculty member.

Note takers: arrangements can be made for students who are not able to take notes in classrooms by assigning a note taker.

Books on Discs: textbooks can be put on a disc so students can view them on a computer.

Early Registration: students are able to register for classes early. Course Load: there are exceptions made for students if they

petition the RCLD. Test Proctoring: SDRC can provide accommodations with testing

if the professor cannot. Adaptive Equipment: enlarged print, recorded text, internet

access, etc. Housing: will work with students who need accommodations such

as one bedroom, wheelchair access, etc.

Institutions for Students with Disabilities: Beacon College

Beacon College: Serves students who have ADD/ADHD, auditory and visual processing

differences, dyslexia, expressive/receptive language deficits, Gifted LD, language-based learning disabilities, reading/writing disabilities, math disabilities

One of the only colleges who are accredited for BA or AA degrees in Liberal Studies, Human Services, and Computer Information Systems.

The college offers: small classes developmental courses to help students prepare for college level material individualized academic mentoring with learning specialists teach to student’s learning style promoting critical thinking skills incorporate advanced technology into courses

Pressures/Struggles

Obstacles of College Students with Disabilities

Many students with disabilities experience frustration with their postsecondary experiences related to:-Negative attitudes from others

-Physical barriers on campus-Lack of appropriate services and programs

-Funding to improve those services and programs.

Study of Students with Disabilities(Kruse, Elacqua & Rapaport, Midwestern University, 1998).

Most problematic issues:

A lack of diagnosis for many students with learning disabilities that would alert them to their own particular learning needs

A general lack of awareness of strategies and services that could be used by students with special learning needs

A reluctance on the part of students with special learning challenges to communicate their needs to others; this is especially true for students with invisible disabilities (e.g., ADD, ADHD, brain injury, dyslexia, mental illness)

A tendency of parents to attempt to intervene for their students, even though the most effective intervention is student self-advocacy

Study Results Continued

A lack of classmate acceptance of students with special learning needs

A lack of campus staff, equipment, and services to adequately serve this growing campus need

A faculty perceived by students with disabilities as having a general lack of awareness or even skepticism about the realities of learning challenges for college students and a reluctance by faculty to provide classroom accommodations

A general suspicion that students with a mental disability are being deceptive about their needs in order to secure accommodations related to classroom work

Financial Barriers

High expense of attending college (especially for low-income families); those with disabilities may face higher financial obligations and the need for further financial assistance

Costs of services, treatments, and other expenses related to disabilities may be required

Having a disability may be time consuming; taking longer to complete a degree means more money toward college

How Students Can OvercomeObstacles

Take responsibility for their own success.

Advocate for their own academic needs.

Provide documentation from a qualified professional about their disability to the designated office on campus.

Educate themselves.

Identify themselves to campus career centers and counseling centers and be ready to discuss their needs based on the disability and follow the advice given.

Inform faculty immediately about their special accommodation needs. A useful strategy may be to give skeptical faculty the names of staff and other faculty who are knowledgeable and accommodating.

Overcoming Obstacles (Cont.)

Counselors play a critical role in helping students identify their needs and developing appropriate coping skills, assertiveness skills, and self-advocacy skills to help them deal effectively with the realistic outcomes of labels, discrimination, and stigmatization that threaten their developing identity as college students and young professionals.

By understanding the unique needs of this population, HE professionals and college counselors may be better prepared to facilitate the academic, social, and emotional development of this population through referral services, political support and advocacy, and related educational and counseling services.

Professional Insight

What do you think the biggest pressures or struggles students with disabilities face entering or as a college student?-“One big challenge has nothing to do with their disability but is typical of all students; inability to mange time. The problem in regards to time with my students is they can't catch up as quickly as the typical student. When they get behind, it's almost impossible to catch up.”

-“Next challenge - many students fail to understand that accommodations are ESSENTIAL here. In high school they could get by without much support - here, they need everything they can get. It usually takes them awhile to figure that out....lots of bad grades happen in the process.”

(Wayne Akins, Director of SDRC at Georgia Southern University)

Quote from Prospective Parent of a Student with a Disability

“We struggle in dealing with prejudice and judgmental issues in school and the community. People often just classify him as “incompetent” and aren’t helpful in encouraging his success. As a parent, you hate to see your child struggle so it’s a fine line of how much I should help him and how much he should handle on his own so he can learn to become an independent adult.”

Sources

Georgia Southern University. (n.d.). [Picture]. Retrieved April 20, 2011, from Student Disability Resource Center's Website: http://students.georgiasouthern.edu/disability/index.htm

Goodwin College. (n.d.). [Picture]. Retrieved April 20, 2011, from Disability Resources General Information: http://www.goodwin.edu/disability_resources_general_information.asp

http://counselingoutfitters.com/Johnson.htm. (2006). Retrieved April 2011, from Students with Disabilities in Postsecondary Education: Barriers to Success and Implications for Professionals.

http://students.georgiasouthern.edu/disability/policy.htm. (1998, April 12). Retrieved April 15, 2011, from Policy Manual, Student Disability Resource Center, Georgia Southern University.

http://www.ada.gov/cguide.htm#anchor62335. (2005, September). Retrieved April 10, 2011, from A Guide to Disabilities Rights Laws.

http://www.beaconcollege.edu/index.asp. (2011). Retrieved April 15, 2011, from The Beacon College Difference.

http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/civilrights/resources/factsheets/504.pdf . (2006, June). Retrieved April 12, 2011, from Your Rights Under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.

Sources Continued http://www.ldanatl.org/aboutld/adults/index.asp. (2005-2011). Retrieved April 2011, from Learning

Diabilities Association of America.

http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/transition.html. (2007, September). Retrieved April 11, 2011, from Students with Disabilities Preparing for Postsecondary Education: Know Your Rights and Responsibilities.

Lehigh Carbon Community College. (2008). [Picture]. Retrieved April 20, 2011, from Disability Services: http://klunkap1.inetu.net/current-students/disability-services/

Martel, J. (2011, February 22). [Picture]. eHow Family. Retrieved April 20, 2011, from College Disability Resources: http://www.ehow.com/info_7953583_college-disability-resources.html

Stage, F. K., & Teja, M. D. (2011). http://www.answers.com/topic/college-students-with-disabilities-special-learning-needs#ixzz1JtjVJKZW. Retrieved April 10, 2011, from College Students with Disabilities: Special Learning Needs.

University of Southern Mississippi Institute for Disability Students. (2009). [Picture]. Retrieved April 21, 2011, from Providing Educational Opportunities for Students with Intellectual Disabilities: http://www.usm.edu/ids/highered4all/

Wolanin, T. R. (2005). www.nasfaa.org/WorkArea/linkit.aspx?LinkIdentifier=id&ItemID=384 . Retrieved April 11, 2011, from Students with Disabilities:: 2011

WordPress. (2010, September 10). [Picture]. Retrieved April 20, 2011, from College Pressures: http://felicityt.wordpress.com/2010/09/26/college-pressures/