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Resources for Instructors
Faculty Handbook
General Guidelines for Designing Accessible
Classes
Instructional Strategies
Equipment/Software
for Use at DMACC
Other Links General
Guidelines for Designing Accessible Classes
The following suggestions are instructional strategies that could
assist all students and are especially effective in assuring access
for students with disabilities:
- Provide students with a detailed
course syllabus that clearly addresses expectations at the beginning
of the semester. Include assignment dates, reading assignments,
attendance policies, and testing policies. Provide a statement
on the syllabus that directs students with disabilities to the
appropriate resources for accommodations.
- Announce reading assignments well
in advance; students may need time to receive their reading materials
in alternative formats or to complete reading assignments.
- Start each class period with an
outline of material to be covered that day and briefly summarize
key points at the end of the lecture.
- Speak directly to students, using
gestures and natural expressions to enhance understanding.
- Present new vocabulary and give
course assignments in a variety of ways: in lecture, through examples,
on the board, on handouts, at Websites, etc.
- Create a course Website and use
it to post daily notes of the lecture and assignments.
- Allow students to tape record your
lectures.
- Provide opportunities for questions
and answers and schedule review sessions.
- Discuss the format of your tests
with the class and, if possible, provide a sample test or copies
of exams you have used previously.
- Provide copies of overheads and/or
PowerPoint slides.
Instructional
Strategies for Specific Disabilities
Learning Disabilities
Students who have learning disabilities (LD) have average to superior
intelligence, but due to a processing disorder may have difficulty
with acquisition, storage, organization and use of information.
Skills in reading (dyslexia), writing (dysgraphia), and mathematical
calculation (dyscalculia) or other specific academic skills may
be compromised. The student may also experience difficulties in
perception (auditory, visual, and/or spatial). The diagnosis of
a learning disability in an adult requires documentation of at least
average intellectual functioning along with a deficit in one or
more specific areas.
Common accommodations for students with learning disabilities are
exam modifications, alternative print formats, taped lectures, and/or
note-takers.
Instructional Strategies for Students who have Learning Disabilities:
- Present course material through
a variety of modalities: visual, auditory and kinesthetic; for
example: use the board, lecture, provide handouts, show films
or videos, use and copy transparencies and provide opportunities
for hands-on learning.
- Make required book lists available
prior to the first day of class to allow students time to begin
their reading early or to have their texts put on tape.
- Make students aware of assignment
deadlines well in advance to ensure extra time for completion.
- Outline class presentations and
write new terms and key points on the chalkboard.
- Repeat and summarize segments of
each presentation and review it in its entirety.
- Illustrate abstract concepts with
concrete examples, personal experiences, hands-on models, and
such visual structures as charts and graphs.
- When interacting one-on-one with
the student, ask the student to paraphrase your comments or instructions
to ensure accurate understanding.
- Provide students with chapter outlines
or study guides that cue them to key points in their readings.
- Read aloud material that is written
on the chalkboard or that is given in handouts or transparencies.
- Keep oral instructions concise and
reinforce them with brief cue words.
- Repeat or reword complicated directions.
- Provide the opportunity for students
to demonstrate what they have learned by assuring that reasonable
test accommodations are in place.
- Permit use of a dictionary, computer
spell check, and calculators on exams, when their use does not
fundamentally alter the outcome of the exam.
Attention
Deficit Disorder (ADD/ADHD)
Students with Attention Deficit Disorders (ADHD) may display differing
degrees of inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. Observable
symptoms may include fidgeting, high levels of distractibility,
difficulty following through on instructions, frequent interrupting,
blurting out answers before being asked, lack of organization or
time management and the appearance of inattention. While medications
can help relieve symptoms in some cases, some students do not benefit
from medication, may decide not to use medication, or may experience
side effects that make medication usage impractical. ADHD arises
during childhood with symptoms that cannot be attributed to other
causes such as gross neurological, sensory, language, or motor impairments,
mental retardation or severe emotional disturbance. Students with
ADHD may also have learning disabilities.
Common accommodations for students with ADHD are exam modifications,
testing in a quiet area with decreased distractions, alternative
print formats, taped lectures and/or note-takers.
Instructional Strategies for Students who have Attention Deficit
Disorders:
- Allow front row seating that places
most of the distractions behind the student and encourages more
focus on the instructor.
- Prepare a syllabus with clear expectations,
reading assignments, and exam dates to provide needed structural
and organizational assistance.
- Announce, post, and keep clear office
hours during which the student can meet with you for clarification
of information or assignments.
- Remind students of the availability
of tutoring services. Students with ADHD will benefit from structure
and help in organizing their work
- Assist the tutoring office in locating
a tutor from within your department if requested.
- Provide information about assignments
and due dates well in advance to allow extra time.
- Present course material through
a variety of modalities: Visual, Auditory and Kinesthetic. Examples
include the use of the board, through lecture, handouts, films
or videos, transparencies and with hands-on opportunities.
- Make required book lists available
prior to the first day of class to allow students time to begin
their reading early or to have their texts put on tape.
- Outline class presentations and
write new terms and key points on the board.
- Repeat and summarize segments of
each presentation and review it in its entirety.
- Illustrate abstract concepts with
concrete examples, personal experiences, hands-on models, and
such visual structures as charts and graphs.
- When interacting one-on-one with
the student, ask the student to paraphrase your comments or instructions
to ensure accurate understanding.
- Provide students with chapter outlines
or study guides that cue them to key points in their readings.
- Read aloud material that is written
on the board or that is given in handouts or transparencies.
- Keep oral instructions concise and
reinforce them with brief cue words.
- Repeat or reword complicated directions.
Mobility
Impairments
Mobility impairments range in severity from limitations on stamina
to paralysis. Mobility impairments may be caused by conditions present
at birth, by illness, or by physical injury. Injuries cause different
types of mobility impairments, depending the area of the spine that
is affected: Quadriplegia affects the extremities and trunk and
is caused by a neck injury; paraplegia, affects the lower extremities
and the lower trunk and is caused by an injury to the mid-back.
- Amputation is the removal of one
or more limbs, sometimes caused by trauma or another condition.
- Arthritis is the inflammation of
the body's joints, causing pain, swelling, and difficulty in body
movement.
- Back disorders can limit a student's
ability to sit, stand, walk, bend, or carry objects. They include,
but are not limited to, degenerative disk disease, scoliosis,
and herniated disks.
- Cerebral palsy is the result of
damage to the brain prior to or shortly after birth. It can prevent
or inhibit walking and cause a lack of muscle coordination, spasms,
and speech difficulty.
- Neuromuscular disorders include
a variety of disorders, such as muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis,
and ataxia that result in degeneration and atrophy of muscle or
nerve tissues.
Common accommodations for students
with mobility impairments include note-takers, accessible classrooms/location/furniture,
alternative ways of completing assignments, lab or library assistants,
assistive computer technology, exam modifications, and nearby parking.
Instructional Strategies for Students who have Mobility Impairments:
- Consider the accessibility of your
classroom and your curriculum early in the semester, and discuss
any concerns with the special needs coordinator or counselor/advisor
on each campus.
- Plan to change the classroom or
building if you are scheduled to teach in an inaccessible location.
The special needs coordinator or counselor/advisor at each campus
can assist you with any needed changes.
- Familiarize yourself with the building's
emergency evacuation plan and assure that it is manageable for
students who are physically disabled.
- Allow in-class writing assignments
to be completed out of class, if necessary.
- Allow the use of a tape recorder
or, if requested, assist the student in identifying a notetaker.
- In laboratory courses, team the
student with a laboratory partner or ask the student if a lab
assistant would be helpful.
- If you put materials on reserve,
consider providing a separate copy of the material to students.
- If your course includes field trips
or off-campus assignments, notify students in advance so they
can address any accessibility needs.
Blindness
and Visual Impairments
There are three degrees of vision loss: 1) visual acuity of 20/200,
i.e. the legally blind person who can see at 20 feet what the average-sighted
person can see at 200; 2) low vision -- limited or diminished vision
that cannot be corrected with standard lenses; and 3) partial sight
-- the field of vision is impaired because of an illness, a degenerative
syndrome, or trauma. Only two percent of people with vision impairments
are totally blind; most individuals with vision impairments have
some amount of usable vision.
Common accommodations for students with vision impairments include
alternative print formats (Braille, audio tape, large print or electronic
text), magnification devices, bright incandescent lighting, raised
lettering, tactile cues, adaptive computer equipment, readers for
exams, print scanners, syllabus in alternate format, taped lectures,
lab or library assistants, and copies of notes and overheads in
alternative format.
Instructional Strategies for Students who have Visual Impairments
- Provide reading lists or syllabi
in advance to allow time for the student to secure the printed
material in alternate format: tape, Braille, large print, electronic
text or tactile materials (for diagrams or illustrations).
- Face the class when speaking.
- Be flexible with deadlines if the
document conversion process holds up the completion of an assignment.
- Convey in spoken words all material
that you put on the chalkboard.
- It is important to provide alternative
formats to students with vision impairments at the same time materials
are given to the rest of the class.
- Plan field trips and special projects
such as internships well in advance to assure that needed accommodations
are in place.
Deafness
and Hearing Loss
The causes and degrees of hearing loss vary, as do methods of communication.
In general, there are three types of hearing loss: 1) Conductive
loss which affects the sound-conducting paths of the outer and middle
ear; 2) Sensorineural loss that affects the inner ear and the auditory
nerve and can distort sounds even if they are heard; 3) Mixed loss
that results from both a conductive and sensorineural loss. The
student's age at the onset of deafness and the degree of the hearing
loss may affect English language skills, speech development, and
cultural identification. Deafness cuts off many traditional avenues
to general information (radio, television, overheard conversations,
etc.)
Common accommodations for students who are deaf or with other levels
of hearing loss include sign language interpreters, assistive listening
devices, note-takers, preferential seating, and closed captioned
films and videos.
Instructional Strategies for Students who are Deaf or with Other
Degrees of Hearing Loss:
- An unobstructed line of vision is
necessary for students who use interpreters and for those who
rely on lip reading. If an interpreter is used, the student's
view should include the interpreter and professor.
- When working with a deaf or hard
of hearing student, keep your face within view of the student
and speak in a natural tone.
- Recognize that many deaf students
are second language users of English. American Sign Language,
which has a very different grammatical structure, may be the student's
first language. Therefore, you may see grammatical and sentence
structure errors in their written assignments. Encourage students
to use the Writing Lab and tutors as needed.
- Use visual aids and the board to
reinforce spoken presentations when possible.
- Repeat the comments and questions
of other students, especially those from the back rows and acknowledge
who has made the comment so the student and/or interpreter can
follow the conversation.
- Do not hesitate to communicate with
the student in writing when conveying important information such
as assignments, scheduling, deadlines, etc. Write assignments
on the board.
- Use e-mail communication with the
student as an effective, easy means of communicating.
Traumatic
Brain Injuries
When teaching a student with a traumatic brain injury, you might
keep in mind that individual strengths differ and are directly related
to the nature and scope of insult to the central nervous system.
Individuals with a TBI may have any combination of physical (e.g.,
blurred vision, fatigue, etc.), cognitive (e.g., memory, speech,
or executive function deficits, etc.), or behavioral (e.g., irritability,
disinhibition, etc.) symptoms.
Accommodations for students with a TBI vary with the specific manifestations
of their disability. Review the information on "Mobility Impairments",
"Blindness and Visual Impairments", Deafness and Hearing Loss",
and "Learning Disabilities" to learn about accommodating students
with TBI who experience difficulty in these areas.
Instructional Strategies for Students who have Traumatic Brain Injuries:
- Prepare a syllabus with clear expectations,
reading assignments, and exam dates to provide needed structural
and organizational assistance.
- In dealing with abstract concepts,
paraphrase them in specific terms and illustrate them with concrete
examples, personal experiences, hands-on models, and visual structures
such as charts and graphs.
- Make required books available prior
to the first day of class to allow students time to begin their
reading early or to access printed material in alternative media
(tape or electronic text).
- Permit lectures to be taped.
- Post assignment dates on the syllabus,
so students have ample time to plan and complete assignments.
- If their use does not compromise
the outcome of the exam, permit the use of a dictionary, computer
spell check, and calculator on exams.
Psychiatric
Disabilities
Psychiatric disabilities affect people of all ages, gender, income
group, and intellectual level. With appropriate treatments (medications,
psychotherapy, support), the symptoms of psychiatric disorders are
diminished. Common psychiatric disabilities include:
Major depression may be characterized by a depressed or sad mood,
a lack of pleasure in previously enjoyed activities, thoughts of
suicide, significant changes in eating and sleeping patterns, and
impairments in cognition including memory and concentration.
Bipolar disorder may be characterized by wide vacillations in mood
from periods of mania to depression. In the manic phase, a person
might experience increased energy levels, an inflated sense of ability,
and a decreased need to sleep.
Anxiety disorders can disrupt a person's ability to concentrate
and cause hyper-ventilation, a racing heart, chest pains, dizziness,
panic, and fear.
Schizophrenia can cause a person to experience, at some point in
the illness, delusions and hallucinations.
Common accommodations for students with psychiatric disabilities
are exam modifications, alternative ways of completing assignments,
time extensions, taped lectures, early syllabus, and study skills
and strategies training.
Instructional Strategies for Students who have Psychiatric Disabilities:
- Allow the student to tape-record
lectures.
- Clearly define course requirements,
the dates of exams, and when assignments are due; provide advance
notice in writing of any changes.
- Clearly post your attendance policy,
testing policies and office hours on your syllabus.
- Consider how you structure in-class
discussions, small work groups, and group assignments. Inform
students in advance of planned group activities in the classroom.
Some students with anxiety disorder will need time to plan for
these classroom changes.
Equipment/Software
for Use at DMACC
The special needs office provides technology for use by DMACC students
with disabilities. Currently, the following items are available
for use on campus or to be loaned to students.
CCTV--A CCTV uses a small, embedded camera to view a document or
item and transfer the image onto a television screen. The image
may then be enlarged to meet the needs of the student who has a
vision impairment. Students use the CCTV to read textbooks or other
documents and to take tests. The CCTV is located on the Ankeny campus
in 6-30f.
Scanner with OmniPage 10 software--This software has the capacity
to scan and then convert paper documents into Word files, which
can then be read by a screen reader (JAWS) or enlarger (ZOOMTEXT).
The scanner is used to scan textbooks onto disc for students. Ankeny
and Urban campuses have a scanner.
Max--Max is a portable version of the CCTV. The devise, which looks
very similar to a computer mouse, is plugged into the back of a
television. The devise is equipped with a small, embedded camera
that views the document and transfers the image onto the television
screen for purposes of enlarging the text. The MAX may be loaned
to students for use at home to read textbooks.
Franklin spellers--Two spellers are available for use by students
with learning disabilities, generally in the areas of spelling or
writing. Both spellers correct initial incorrect spelling, and one
speller has voice output. The spellers are available for loan to
students and may be viewed on the Ankeny campus.
Kurzweil Reading Edge--The device scans texts or documents and reads
the text out loud.
Kurzweil 3000-- The device scans texts or documents and converts
the information to a text and voice file and reads out loud. The
devise also highlights the text being read on the computer screen.
The student also has ready access to a dictionary and thesaurus.
The device is available for use on the Ankeny campus in the Academic
Achievement Center.
Dragon Naturally Speaking software--This voice recognition software
enables a student to access a computer without using the keyboard
or a mouse. The student speaks into a microphone, and the information
is displayed onto the computer screen. The student must first develop
voice files, so that the computer recognizes his/her voice. Dragon
is available for all campuses.
ZoomText software--This software enlarges documents located on the
computer to enable a student with a vision impairment to read print.
ZoomText is located on a computer in the Job Placement Office on
the Ankeny campus, at the Urban campus Computer Lab, and at the
West and Newton campuses.
JAWS--This screen reader reads everything on the computer and is
generally used by students who are blind. DMACC owns several copies
of JAWS and loads the software where needed by the student. JAWS
is also located on a computer in the Job Placement Office on the
Ankeny campus, and at the West, Newton, and Urban campuses.
William Sound System--This system consists of two receivers and
a Loop, which is used with hearing aids. The receivers, which are
worn by both the instructor and student, receive the instructor’s
lecture and send the sound through the Loop to the hearing aids.
The effect is to limit other sounds while amplifying the instructor’s
voice. The system may be used by students on any campus.
Scientific Notebook--Math software that uses Dragon Naturally Speaking
to enable voice recognition for math equations from basic math through
the highest levels of math. The software is available through the
special needs office, in 6-30e.
If you would like to learn more about these items contact Sharon
Bittner at 964-6857 or Hollie Coon at 964-6850.
Links
With funding made possible through a grant from the Department of
Education, the University of Washington DoIt program leads the nation
in providing information about strategies for ensuring accessibility
and equal access for students with disabilities. The Faculty Room
provides specific information about most disabilities. Check them
out at:
http://www.washington.edu/doit/Faculty/
For information specific to the health care field and disability
services, check out:
http://www.healthsciencefaculty.org/resource_center/resource_index.html
http://exceptionalnurse.com
http://www.amphl.org/
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