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Faculty Handbook for Teaching Students with

Disabilities

Office of Disability Services

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2 Introduction

NOVA’s Office of Disability Services coordinates support for students with disabilities. At the same time, the ODS assists faculty and staff to ensure all students have equal access to classroom and online instruction.

This guide aims to assist faculty and staff in this endeavor by providing them with strategies for working with students who have identified themselves as having any of the following

disabilities:

• Autism/Asperger’s

• Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)

• Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) • Chronic Medical Conditions

• Deaf/Hard of Hearing • Intellectual Disabilities • Learning Disabilities • Psychological/Psychiatric Disorders • Temporary Disabilities • Vision Impairments Our Mission

NOVA is committed to insuring all students have an opportunity to pursue a college education regardless of the presence or absence of a disability. NOVA will make reasonable

accommodations in providing course, program and building modification, and/or auxiliary aids and services in compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the

Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA) of 2008. No academically qualified student with a disability shall be denied access to or participation in the services, programs, and activities of the College.

ODS Vision

The Office of Disability Services (ODS) at NOVA works to guarantee that each student with disabilities understands his/her strengths and limitations in order to develop his or her most effective and comprehensive accommodations work plan. ODS also collaborates and provides support as needed to administrators, faculty, and staff to ensure that reasonable and

appropriate accommodations for students with documented disabilities are provided. In order to provide adequate support to all campuses the ODS promotes consistency of services across the College.

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3 The Laws

There are two laws that protect students with disabilities from discrimination and mandate that they have equal access to all aspects of College life: Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990.

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a national law that protects qualified individuals from discrimination based on their disability and states: “No otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the United States shall, solely by reason of his or her disability, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” The nondiscrimination requirements of the law apply to employers and organizations that receive financial assistance from any Federal department or agency. These organizations and employers include hospitals, nursing homes, mental health centers, institutions of higher education and human service programs. Section 504 forbids organizations and employers from excluding or denying qualified individuals with disabilities an equal opportunity to receive program benefits and services. It defines the rights of individuals with disabilities to participate in, and have access to, program benefits and services.

The American with Disabilities Act (ADA) was established and brought into law in 1990 and states: “A public entity shall make reasonable modifications in policies or procedures when the modifications are necessary to avoid discrimination on the basis of disability, unless the public entity can demonstrate that making the modifications would fundamentally alter the nature of the service, program, or activity.” The ADA also establishes requirements for

telecommunications relay services. The ADA was revised in 2008 as the American with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA).

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4 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 2 Our Mission 2 ODS Vision 2 The Laws 3

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 3

The American with Disabilities Act (ADA) 3

1. Disability Services 5

2. Memorandum of Accommodation (MOA) 5

3. How can faculty help students with disabilities succeed in college? 6 3.1 Students with Autism and/or Asperger’s Syndrome 7 3.2 What can faculty do to help students with these characteristics succeed

in their class? 7

3.3 Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit

and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Learning Disabilities (LD) 8

3.4 Medical Conditions 9

3.5 Deaf/Hard of Hearing 11

3.5.1. Requesting an Interpreter or CLT 11

3.5.2. The Role of the Interpreter 12

3.5.3. Student’s Responsibility 12

3.5.4. Confidentiality 12

3.5.5. Captioning Services 12

3.5.6. Communication Access Real-time Translation (CART) 13

3.5.7. Remote CART Services 13

3.5.8. Captioned Media 13

3.5.9. Assistive Listening Devices 13

3.5.10. Note-takers 14

3.5.11. Video Telephone Communication 14

3.6 Psychological/Psychiatric Disorders 14

3.7 Temporary Disabilities 15

3.8 Vision Impairments 16

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5 1. Disability Services

NOVA serves a large population of students who receive disability-related accommodations. Students must follow a process that faculty must be familiar with and that is explained on the NOVA’s website under Current Students, Disability Services, where students can download an Intake Package. This Intake Package contains all the information they need to submit to the Counseling Office in order to have an initial interview with a disabilities counselor.

During this interview, and according to the new ADAAA regulations, the disabilities counselor requests that the student provides reasonable documentation to support the need for the accommodation or auxiliary aid service requested. According to the latest guidelines provided by AHEAD (ADAAA of 2008, AHEAD, 2012), the new sources and forms of documentation can take a variety of forms.

2. Memorandum of Accommodation (MOA)

One of the most important documents faculty and instructors must be familiar with is the Memorandum of Accommodations (MOA). This is the document disability counselors prepare after interviewing students and determining what accommodations could help them succeed in college. Each accommodation is prepared based on the individual needs of the student. It is important to highlight that students are responsible for providing their MOA to each instructor as well as to testing centers if they requested accommodations for using such facilities. All information obtained in diagnostic and medical reports will be maintained and used in accordance with applicable confidentiality requirements.

Accommodations must be reasonable and must not change the structure of the course or its forms of evaluation. Students with disabilities may obtain, based on their specific needs, alternative media format for accessing information provided in class, such as text books, notes and presentations used by instructors and any other printed material that can be converted into an alternate format. Other accommodations include, but are not limited to, extended time for submitting in-class assignments, or taking quizzes and evaluations, not exceeding double the time allowed for students without disabilities.

Assistive technology devices to help students with their reading and writing skills include word processors, smart pens, graphic organizers, text-to-speech programs, etc. Faculty and

instructors are welcome to request ODS support and training in the use of software programs that can help them adapt instructional strategies and materials used in their classroom. There are also accommodations available for students that require sign language interpreters as well as transcribing and note-taking assistance.

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6 During testing time, students with disabilities may require extra time to complete their test. This time can never exceed double the normal time allocated for taking any test. There are also accommodations that can provide a reader/scribe or even a quiet and isolated space where a student can concentrate better during testing.

When students with disabilities require texts in alternate format, faculty must keep in mind that transferring printed materials into any other format takes time. Therefore, faculty and

instructors can help by identifying the printed materials they will use in class. In order to have enough time for the labor intensive and time consuming task of producing alternate format texts, ODS and campus disability counselors require at least 6-8 weeks advance notice.

If textbooks are not identified, students may have a delay in having their books available. Some alternate forms include audio input, which is accomplished by scanning the book and have it ready for a screen reader to read out loud if the book is not already available in a digital version. Using the audio input conversion also permits the creation of a book that can be listened to using a portable CD player.

Students with visual impairments may require character enlargement software and/or enlarged printed materials. Students who are blind may benefit from audio/digital books or Braille transcriptions of the printed materials. For more information on the diverse solutions each campus offers, please visit the Faculty and Staff Disability Resources webpage at

https://www.nvcc.edu/faculty-and-staff/disability-resources/index.html. 3. How can faculty help students with disabilities succeed in college?

One of the many questions asked by faculty is how they can help students with disabilities succeed in their class. Faculty can spend some time learning about the specific characteristics of students with disabilities that may interfere with their learning process. This guide will briefly explain some of the most common characteristics that are present in many types of disabilities that can be supported with the adequate accommodations.

Even though disability counselors come up with the best set of accommodations based on the specific needs of each student they see, it is the common effort of students, instructors, faculty and the ODS working together that will provide the most suitable environment to help all students fulfill their goals. Meeting with students with disabilities and discussing their concerns in complete confidentiality will help them gain confidence in their performance. Working with the ODS to provide timely alternate format materials, if needed, will help students receive their learning tools on time. Communicating with the disability counselors if you find disruptive classroom behaviors will help you provide a more suitable learning environment for those who need more support.

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7 Faculty should not provide accommodations if a student with a disability has not requested them and provided an MOA. Students have the right not to disclose their disability and therefore, not to request accommodations. It is important to know that accommodations are NOT retroactive, so, if a student receives a lower grade and comes to the disability counselor asking for help to retake a test with accommodations, a disability counselor will explain to the student that he will have to follow the process of filing the Intake Package and interviewing in order to determine the type of accommodations he/she requires for the future. Remember: “accommodations are not retroactive.”

If at any time, you as a faculty member has a disagreement about requested accommodations in your class, please contact the disability counselor at your campus or the ODS at 703-764-5032 or send an email to disabilityservices@nvcc.edu to discuss your concerns. There are cases in which students may request unreasonable accommodations. Such accommodations are not authorized by the ODS. If they are not stated in the MOA, they have not been authorized. When in doubt, contact your disability counselor or call the ODS for clarification.

3.1 Students with Autism and/or Asperger’s Syndrome

Autism Spectrum Disorder is considered a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impaired social interaction and communication skills. Asperger’s Syndrome falls under the spectrum and it is considered a “high functional level” of autism. When students with ASD or AS are in your classroom you may observe the following behaviors:

• May be easily distracted, particularly in longer classes or assignments. • Difficulty with sudden changes in the classroom (seating, schedule, syllabus). • May exhibit awkward postures, gestures, eye contact

• May become argumentative, monopolizing, or rude during conversations or teamwork.

• May exhibit self-stimulating behaviors (rocking, tapping, bouncing, etc.) • Present excessive sensitivity to sounds, alarms, smells, touch, and/or music.

• Easily misunderstands facial expressions, body gestures, jokes, and subtle messages • May appear overwhelmed by pending activities (assignments, quizzes, class

participation)

3.2 What can faculty do to help students with these characteristics succeed in their class? Faculty must become familiar with their strengths and weaknesses in order to apply adequate strategies that help them succeed in their class. Bedrossian (2007) mentioned that in order to provide adequate instructional strategies when teaching students with AS and/or ASD, it is necessary to become familiar with their strengths and weaknesses. Some are described in the table below:

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Strengths Weaknesses Suggested Strategies

Above average intellect. Difficulty in

initiating/maintaining a task.

Offer direct feedback, define clear expectations.

Specific ways of problem solving.

Difficulty working in groups. Significant problems with long-term assignments.

Include often in specific group roles particularly as a researcher. Offer opportunity to submit chunks of same assignment. Visual learners. Difficulty interpreting vague

oral instructions.

Provide visual learning tools and add written explanations to oral instructions.

Love routine. Hate sudden changes. Explain syllabus and changes as soon as possible.

Offer a detailed set of rules and expectations.

Specific exceptional talents in one area.

Difficulty initiating, planning, organizing.

Suggest use of graphic organizers. Memorization of specific

facts or situations.

Difficulty accepting others’ points of view.

Difficulty moving past a problem.

Offer research roles.

Create comparison charts of points of view.

3.3 Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Learning Disabilities (LD).

ADHD and ADD are the medical terms used to describe individuals with problems with attention, organization, and impulse control. These terms are not synonymous with learning disabilities (LD) and students with ADD or ADHD may or may not present learning disabilities in some academic areas. Although these manifestations may be part of students diagnosed with LD, by themselves they do not interfere with academic success. It is when they are part of a learning disability that faculty must consider what strategies may be helpful to support students that present an impairment in the areas of reading (dyslexia), writing (dysgraphia), and/or mathematical calculations (dyscalculia).

Below are some of the characteristics present in students with LD. Nature of the learning disability Potential strategies

Auditory processing Provide students with syllabus early.

Provide specific instructions and offer examples, visual structures such as charts or graphs.

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9 Memory Present concise instructions both written and oral.

Provide cues when directions are complicated. Reading Provide alternate format of textbooks.

Facilitate use of word processors with text-to-speech options, word prediction, and dictionary.

Writing Facilitate use of note-takers, and/or smart pens for note taking and class recording.

Facilitate class exercises where students share their notes with classmates.

Promote use of graphic organizers (printed or computer based)

Stress, fear, and anxiety Provide quite space for test or quiz taking, and allow extra time for completion per MOA.

In math, allow use of calculators, extra time for assignment completion. Accommodations may include a reader or scribe to read instructions out loud and to write responses dictated by the student.

3.4 Medical Conditions

Students with health-related disabilities differ from those with other disabilities because their conditions are not static and accommodations needs may change as their conditions change. Chronic medical conditions such as cancer, diabetes, asthma, autoimmune diseases,

depression, chronic fatigue disorder, cardiovascular conditions, traumatic brain injury, arthritis, and Lyme disease, among others, are increasing within the college campus population. College students suffering from any of these conditions, who may need constant medication, recurrent illness episodes, or frequent hospitalizations, are in a high risk of long periods of absenteeism and in some cases drop out of school.

Disability Services Offices are constantly challenged in order to provide the appropriate accommodations to chronically ill college students to help them achieve an adequate

participation in their educational process. Accommodations will vary with the specific condition and may change over time.

The list below shows some examples of typical accommodations used to help not only

chronically ill students succeed in their class but also aid every student regardless of a disability. Accommodations mentioned below are based on a universally designed learning environment.

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10 Typical accommodations based on Universal Design Principals

Courses designed under the UDL environment include a complete syllabus, clearly defined students expectations and due dates, daily class notes and presentations, and stream video of lectures.

Presenting class in multiple formats falls into the UDL principle of “Providing multiple means of representation.” To reduce barriers to learning, it is important to ensure that key information is equally perceptible to all learners by:

Providing the same information through different modalities (e.g., through vision, hearing, or touch).

Providing information in a format that will allow for adjustability by the user. Some examples are: text that can be enlarged, or sounds that can be amplified

(http://www.udlcenter.org/aboutudl/udlguidelines/principle1)

Provide options for language, mathematical expressions and symbols. An important

instructional strategy is to ensure that alternative representations are provided not only for accessibility, but also for clarity and comprehensibility across all learners

(http://www.udlcenter.org/aboutudl/udlguidelines/principle2)

Providing multiple ways of demonstrating learning falls into the UDL principle of “Providing multiple means of action and expression.” This would include take home exams, group

presentations, media presentations and not only written assignments. Learners have different ways of navigating in a learning environment regardless of their disability. There are also differences in the way they express what they learned. Chronically ill students may struggle with organizational skills as well as expressive language. Instructors must carefully provide alternative modalities of expression in a way that all learners have the same opportunities to express knowledge, ideas and concepts learned.

Although applying UDL principles for students with or without disabilities assures a more appropriate learning environment, engaging students who are chronically ill in every step of their learning process is sometimes a challenge.

The UDL principle of “Providing multiple means of engagement” gives instructors excellent guidelines to gain interest in the topic they are teaching. Presenting information that does not motivate or engage a student is not accessible. Because there are topics that require sustained attention and effort, it is important to know the levels of self-regulated attention students have. To learn more about this UDL principle and how can you as an instructor modify your learning environment to promote interest, please visit:

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11 Other typical accommodations for chronically ill students that will be included in a

Memorandum of Accommodations (MOA):

• Flexibility of dates for quiz and exam taking

• Flexibility with attendance requirement and make up

• Flexibility to work around medical treatments or medical intake side effects • Instructor assistant aside of the classroom

• Extended time for taking tests and complete assignments

3.5 Deaf/Hard of Hearing

Due to the different causes and types of hearing loss and degree of deafness or hard of hearing impairment, students with a hearing disability use varied methods of communication. As a result, the accommodations they use vary as well. The most common accommodations are assistive listening devices, hearing aids, FM systems, American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters, Cued Language transliterators, real-time captioning, captioned media (television, videos) and note takers.

American Sign Language (ASL) is a visual language using hand shapes, finger spelling, body language, and facial expression. Sign Language interpreters translate English into ASL, which is a different language with its own vocabulary, grammar, and syntax. English idioms and other colloquialisms do not always have a direct translation into ASL, and vice versa. Students who use ASL vary in their communication preferences. For example, some may speak for

themselves, relying on their interpreter for receptive communication only, while others may use no speech at all, relying on their interpreters for both their expressive and receptive communication.

Cued Language (CLT) uses a set of hand shapes that represent the phonemes of a spoken language, making it visible to a deaf or hard-of-hearing person. The student using a CLT is communicating in English. As with ASL, some students who use a CLT speak for themselves, while others rely on cueing for both expressive and receptive communication.

3.5.1 Requesting an Interpreter or CLT

Students who are deaf or hard of hearing complete an intake with the Interpreter Services Office (ISO) to develop a Memorandum of Accommodations (MOA), which will indicate their need for an interpreter. More often than not, these same students will request note-takers and captioned media (videos, DVDs, YouTube, etc.). Next, students submit their schedules to the ISO to request interpreters. The ISO notifies professors about a week prior to the beginning of the semester to inform them that they will have an interpreter(s) in their classes. Typically, one interpreter can cover a class that lasts for under two hours. Most classes that last for 2

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12 hours or more will have a team of two interpreters. Interpreters will be provided for classes: lectures and labs; tutoring sessions (with professors and in the tutoring centers); placement tests; meetings with counselors and academic advisors; field trips; group projects; and performances.

3.5.2. The Role of the Interpreter

The interpreter’s role is to convey all communication, spoken and signed, between the hearing and deaf clients.

The interpreter will not conduct a separate conversation with either the deaf or hearing client during class or participate in a conversation between deaf and hearing clients.

The hearing and deaf clients communicate directly with one another. Use the pronouns “I” and “you.” There is no need to say to the interpreter, “tell him …” or “tell her…”

It is not the interpreter’s role to explain or clarify what the speaker or signer means. The

instructor and student should ask each other directly for repetition, explanation, or clarification of what was said.

3.5.3. Student’s Responsibilities

The ISO asks students to request interpreters four weeks prior to the beginning of a semester to ensure enough time to obtain an interpreter for the start of the semester.

Students should introduce themselves on the first day of class, and let the professor know that they will be using an interpreter.

Students should arrive for class early enough to secure a seat that will allow for a good view of the interpreter.

3.5.4. Confidentiality

Interpreters and CLTs strictly adhere to the Code of Professional Conduct and are obligated to keep all information and discussions confidential. The Interpreter Services Office will never ask an interpreter to divulge information that comes about during an interpreting assignment. The only exception to this is when there may be a risk to any individual’s health or safety.

3.5.5. Captioning Services

There are two major types of captioning services: real-time (or speech-to-text transcriptions) and captioned media. Real-time captioning provides a written transcription of a live lecture, lab, or class discussion. These include CART, C-Print®, Typewell, and speech-recognition. Captioned media include television, videos, DVDs, and lecture-capture.

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13 3.5.6. Communication Access Real-time Translation (CART)

With CART, everything that is said is "captioned" live. The captions may appear on a small screen (laptop or iPad) that is read only by one student or the captions may be broadcast on a large screen at the front of a room.

CART provider types into a stenotype machine using machine shorthand, and the computer software translates that shorthand into real-time captions, matching the shorthand against what is in a specialized shorthand dictionary stored in the computer. The process is so fast that there is hardly any lag time between what is said and what the deaf person is able to read. 3.5.7. Remote CART Services

A CART provider (captionist) may be present in the classroom, or may provide the service from a remote (off-site location). Remote CART is the more common approach in a classroom setting. In this case, the instructor wears a small, wireless lapel microphone. The instructor’s speech is transmitted to the captionist and relayed back via the Internet. The captions can be displayed on a single laptop for individual viewers or a television screen or large projection screen for multiple viewers. The captionist sends the student a transcript, by email, the following day. This is appropriate, as students who must look at the captions during a lecture, cannot avert their eyes to take notes at the same time.

3.5.8. Captioned Media

Like subtitles on movies, captions are transcriptions of the spoken word into a written form that permit deaf and hard of hearing people to see what they cannot hear. Unlike subtitles, captions also provide descriptions of sounds, such as a bell ringing or a door slamming. There are two kinds of captioning-open and closed. Closed captioning allows the viewer to choose whether or not to display the captions that are transmitted within the broadcast signal in encoded (or closed) form. A decoder built into or attached to a television set is used to "open" the captions and display the words on the TV screen.

NCI’s trademark means a program or video has been captioned by the National Captioning Institute. Or you can look for the generic (CC) symbol that also indicates a program is captioned. 3.5.9. Assistive Listening Devices

An assistive listening device (ALD) helps overcome the negative effects of distance, background noise, or poor room acoustics. Individuals with or without hearing aids can use an ALD.

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14 Personal frequency modulation (FM) systems are like miniature radio stations operating on special frequencies assigned by the Federal Communications Commission. The personal FM system consists of a transmitter microphone used by the speaker and a receiver used by the listener. The receiver transmits the sound to the hearing aid either through direct audio input or through a looped cord worn around the neck.

3.5.10. Note-takers

Any individual with a hearing loss, regardless of the degree of hearing or the manner in which he or she chooses to communicate, must rely on vision to aid in communication. That

individual must stay visually focused on the interpreter/transliterator, the captions or the speaker’s lips. Consequently, these individuals should not be expected to take their own notes. When possible, NOVA will provide a trained and paid note-taker for a student with a hearing loss. Otherwise, the student will receive, as an accommodation, a volunteer in-class note taker. In these situations, the student may ask a fellow student to take notes or may ask the professor to help recruit a student for that purpose. Students may also ask their instructors to provide their notes, PowerPoint handouts, or other written sources of information.

3.5.11. Video Telephone Communication

The video phones allow people who are deaf and hard of hearing to communicate with others using American Sign Language over a videophone connection. They can contact other deaf people who also have videophones directly, or they can contact hearing people through the Video Relay Service. The videophone produces a video image on screen that allows participants in the call to sign to each other. Deaf and hard of hearing people, their friends and families can communicate with each other more efficiently and more naturally than ever before. As well, deaf and hard of hearing people can conduct business, and contact service providers of all kinds directly and easily through VRS. The system does require a high-speed Internet connection.

3.6 Psychological/Psychiatric Disorders

A psychiatric disorder causes mild to severe disturbances in thought and/or behavior, resulting is an inability to cope with daily life and college-related learning activities. According to the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) individuals suffering from psychological disorders experience all or some of the following elements: personal harm and suffering, abnormality (statistical, social, individual), limitations or disabilities in what the person can perform, and danger for others or the individual him/herself. Students with psychological/psychiatric disorders may experience symptoms that interfere with their educational goals. Some symptoms include and are not limited to:

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15 • Anxiety, fear, suspicions, or blaming others

• Extreme mood changes • Difficulty concentrating • Difficulty making decisions

• Confusion and disorganized thinking • Denial

• Suicidal thoughts

• Resistance to accept help from others

Some limitations that may affect their learning include difficulty with medication and side effects; sustaining concentration; maintaining stamina; social interaction; handling high pressures; severe test anxiety.

Faculty and instructors can employ strategies that will help students achieve success in class by addressing a variety of learning styles (auditory, visual, kinesthetic, etc.). Incorporating

experiential learning activities as well as setting behavioral expectations for all in your class as well as embracing diversity will help all students feel welcome and part of your class.

Some accommodations students with psychological/psychiatric disorders may require to help them succeed are:

• Preferential seating, particularly near the door in case they need to leave class for a break.

• Assigned a class mate as volunteer peer • Use of a note-taker or recorder

• Provide feedback in private

• Course materials and notes available ahead of time • Use of text-to-speech software

• Extended time tor testing 3.7 Temporary Disabilities

The Office of Disabilities Services understands that there may be cases in which a student requires accommodations due to a disabling condition caused by an injury, short-term medical condition, or surgery. Students who require a temporary accommodation must follow the same process of seeking an MOA from their disabilities counselor by presenting a medical document stating their disability and the length of recovery suggested by their doctor.

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16 Some examples of temporary disabilities may include, but are not limited to, short-term

impairment due to surgery or medical treatment, broken limbs, and hand injuries. Based on the type of temporary disability, counselors may suggest all or some of the following

accommodations:

• Extended testing time

• Note taking and/or audio recording for lectures • Voice recognition software

• Use of testing center for quizzes and tests using computer 3.8 Vision Impairments

Students who are blind or have visual impairments face a large amount of

sometimes-inaccessible visual materials such as videos, websites, printed materials not offered in alternate format, PowerPoint presentations, and closed circuit television information among others. It is important that students who are blind or visually impaired plan their schedule ahead of time in order for disabilities counselors to request the proper alternate format materials they will need during class. Instructors should inform them in advance about books and articles that may be used in class so they can make the necessary arrangements to convert those materials into a digital format, large print, or audio book, depending on their needs and preferences. When instructors note that there is a blind student in their class, they must be aware of the way they present their visual materials, how they describe them to the rest of the class, and avoid using vague terms to describe what they are presenting. The use of recording devices is one of the accommodations students who are blind or visually impaired prefer. Instructors should contact the disabilities counselor at their campus if they are concerned about having their lectures recorded. Every student with a disability who records a class as an

accommodation may be asked to sign an agreement with the Office of Disabilities Services agreeing not to release the recordings or use them for purposes other than for individual support.

Test formatting may also be an accommodation provided to students who are blind or visually impaired. Large format, read out loud using a software program or a reader/scribe, and character enlargement using software magnification, could be some of the accommodations these students require.

For any questions regarding accommodations or training in the use of any of the tools, software and/or hardware used to help students with disabilities, please contact the Office of Disability Services at 703-764-5032 or send an email to disabilityservices@nvcc.edu.

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17 References

AHEAD (2012) ADAAA of 2008. Retrieved from

http://www.ahead.org/resources/documentation_guidance

DSM (2006) American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III)

Bedrossian, L. (2007). Working with Asperger students takes team approach. Psychiatric Disabilities, November 2007.

CAST (2008) Universal Design for Learning by the Center for Applied Special Technology. Retrieved from www.cast.org

DuPaul, G., Weyandt, L., O’Dell, S., & Varejao, M. (2009) College Students with ADHD, Current status and future directions. Journal of Attention Disorders, V13 (3), 234-250

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