Accessibility is an Attitude USF Students with Disabilities Services

Mission Statement Students with Disabilities Services promotes effective self-advocacy and accessible academic learning for students with disabilities. By utilizing best practices in the field and education and outreach to the USF community, SDS fosters access for students, and attitudes that reflect both an awareness of disability issues and universal design principles.

Disability Statistics at USF  More than 800 students are registered with SDS  75% of those report hidden disabilities –Learning or psychological conditions –Chronic health issues

Common Disability Categories at USF  Physical (16%) Cerebral Palsy, MS, Arthritis, brain injury, joint replacements, temporary, neurological  Medical (10%) Lupus, Cancer, Crohn’s, Asthma, heart conditions  Deaf and Hard of Hearing (4%) Born deaf and use sign language, born deaf and do not sign, acquired deafness, implants, loss of hearing  Visual (5%) Blindness, loss of vision, visual tracking issues  Learning (44%) Dyslexia, language disorders, math disorders, processing speed issues, Dysgraphia, ADD/ADHD  Communication (1-2%) Asperger's, Autism  Psychological Disabilities (15%) Depression, anxiety, PTSD, brain injuries

Commonly Recommended Accommodations  Note takers  Lab assistants  Readers and scribes  Access technologies  Priority registration  Alternate format texts  Extended time for exams  Reduced distraction testing  Audio recording of lectures  Interpreters/transcription services  Negotiating assistance (attendance, deadlines)  Course substitutions (for non-essential components)

The SDS Top Five 1.Hold students with disabilities to the same academic standards as other students 2.Accommodations are not retroactive 3.Testing accommodations pertain to the length of time allowed for an exam and the environment where the exam is administered – not the location where an exam is taken. Faculty are allowed to administer accommodated exams outside of SDS 4.All on-line course materials must be accessible to students (Including captions, accessible PDFs, equitable assignments) 5.SDS is here to assist you. The greatest difficulty for SDS pertains to faculty who do not respond to inquiries about exams/student accommodations

How SDS Assists Faculty  Faculty/Staff Guide and other resources: (See “Faculty” tab)  Verifies student’s accommodations  Inform/consult regarding reasonable and appropriate accommodations  Provide auxiliary aids and services (microphones, hearing systems, accessible texts etc.)  Assist with technology needs of students, making use of access technologies

How SDS Assists Faculty  Contracts and schedules professional interpreters or real-time transcriptionists  Provides space and proctors for students needing examination accommodations  Assist faculty with the implementation and logistics associated with student accommodations  Provides faculty with consultation for student issues, universal design, access to course materials, confidentiality or other disability ideas and concerns  Promotes information on USF access policies (service animals, ADA, technology on campus, on-line access)

How Students Access Accommodations Student Registration 1.Student submits documentation or history of a disability to SDS 2.Documentation is reviewed 3.Student meets with SDS staff member to discuss services 4.Student requests accommodation memo for faculty member(s) 5.Student delivers accommodation memo to faculty –Students are encouraged to discuss their accommodation memo with faculty in a confidential environment It is the responsibility of the student to work with SDS and course faculty to make the necessary arrangements for accommodated testing, interpreters, text conversions, note taking and other accommodations.

SDS may contact faculty…  With questions about the scheduling of an accommodated exam  With questions about text or course materials that SDS is converting to an accessible format  When a student needs an interpreter, transcriptionist or lab assistant  When there are access concerns regarding a specific classroom (need for specific furniture, space for a student using a wheelchair, etc.)

SDS may contact faculty…  When a student requests assistance notifying faculty of an accommodation need or negotiating appropriate accommodations (most often attendance-related concerns)  When a student shares confidentiality concerns Based on a relationship with a student or faculty member, SDS is able to offer appropriate consultation to faculty members

Suggested strategies for encouraging accessibility  Include a statement about SDS & accommodations in your syllabus: –Students in need of academic accommodations for a disability may consult Students with Disabilities Services to arrange appropriate accommodations. Students are required to give reasonable notice (typically 5 working days) prior to requesting an accommodation  Maintain confidentiality of students and their needs  Allow SDS to manage medical documentation associated with student accommodations

Suggested strategies for encouraging accessibility  If a student requests assistance finding a note taker, make the following confidential announcement or post this message to a blackboard site: –For reasons of a disability, a fellow student has requested assistance with note taking. If you are willing to provide a copy of your notes to me so that these notes may be used by a student with a disability, please contact me directly.  Make use of multiple formats for materials and graded assignments

 AccessSDS is the SDS on-line exam scheduling website  Students must deliver Memo of Accommodations to faculty and discuss accommodations for examinations prior to scheduling exams with SDS  Students may deliver memos via: –Printed hardcopy –PDF documents via  Students are responsible for scheduling accommodated exams with SDS

Faculty will receive an message from SDS five (5) business days prior to a scheduled accommodated examination. The purpose of this is to: 1.Request faculty confirmation of student(s) taking an accommodated exam at SDS 2.Request faculty confirmation of exam date(s) and time(s) 3.Confirm any additional authorized exam materials (notes, calculators, scantron, etc.) 4.Determine method of delivery to SDS and retrieval by faculty or designee

Remember: The SDS Top Five 1.Hold students with disabilities to the same academic standards as other students 2.Accommodations are not retroactive 3.Testing accommodations pertain to the length of time allowed for an exam and the environment where the exam is administered – not the location where an exam is taken. Faculty are allowed to administer accommodated exams outside of SDS 4.All on-line course materials must be accessible to students (Including captions, accessible PDFs, equitable assignments) 5.SDS is here to assist you