Office for Students with Disabilities 800 Florida Ave, Washington DC Learning to Accommodate Deaf Students with Multiple Disabilities Dr. Patricia Tesar & Dr. Jeffrey Shaumeyer Office for Students with Disabilities Gallaudet University Washington, DC 15 July 2016

Office for Students with Disabilities 800 Florida Ave, Washington DC Gallaudet’s Mission Statement Gallaudet University, federally chartered in 1864, is a bilingual, diverse, multicultural institution of higher education that ensures the intellectual and professional advancement of deaf and hard of hearing individuals through American Sign Language and English.

Office for Students with Disabilities 800 Florida Ave, Washington DC Students with Disabilities in Postsecondary Education (all US) Approximately 10% had some kind of disability; of those, roughly half have more than one disability Most common disabilities reported: – Depression – Attention Deficit Disorder – Mobility Challenged Source: Thomas R. Wolarin and Patricia E. Steele, “Higher Education Opportunities for Students with Disabilities : A Primer for Policymakers”, The Institute for Higher Education Policy, June 2004.

Office for Students with Disabilities 800 Florida Ave, Washington DC Comparison of Students with Disabilities College Students Nationwide 8% reported a disability (in 2007—2008) Of those, 5.3% reported “hearing impairment” as a major disability Gallaudet Students OSWD serves 12% of the student body 85% are Deaf or Hard of Hearing Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, B&B: 09 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study.

Office for Students with Disabilities 800 Florida Ave, Washington DC OSWD 9-Year Study Purposes: – Go beyond opinions – Develop OSWD student profile – Explore retention and graduation rates – Does OSWD “level the playing field”? Make objective measurements of OSWD effectiveness with factual data Extends previous 7-year study (490 students) 602 OSWD students from academic years 2007/08 through 2015/16

Office for Students with Disabilities 800 Florida Ave, Washington DC OSWD numbers: 144 (Fall 2007); 177 (Fall 2015), an increase of 23% Nationwide, 8.2% of university students had a disability (2009 “Baccalaureate & Beyond Longitudinal Study”, US Dept. Ed.), about 2% served by DSS offices OSWD Students : 2007—2016 OSWD Percentage of All Gallaudet Students

Office for Students with Disabilities 800 Florida Ave, Washington DC OSWD Students : 2007—2016 Hearing-Status Distribution

Office for Students with Disabilities 800 Florida Ave, Washington DC Deaf / Hearing Students Served by OSWD, by Year

Office for Students with Disabilities 800 Florida Ave, Washington DC Gender Distribution, UGRD + GRAD

Office for Students with Disabilities 800 Florida Ave, Washington DC OSWD Students : 2007—2016 Ethnic Distribution (Ugrad & Grad)

Office for Students with Disabilities 800 Florida Ave, Washington DC OSWD Students : 2007—2016 Disability Breakdown by Type

Office for Students with Disabilities 800 Florida Ave, Washington DC OSWD Students : 2007—2016 Disability as % of Gender MaleFemale

Office for Students with Disabilities 800 Florida Ave, Washington DC Multiple Disabilities Composition over 1-year period

Office for Students with Disabilities 800 Florida Ave, Washington DC Students with 2 or more Disabilities Over a 1-Year Period:

Office for Students with Disabilities 800 Florida Ave, Washington DC Students with Two Disabilities ( ), Pairing

Office for Students with Disabilities 800 Florida Ave, Washington DC OSWD Retention, 9-Year Average

Office for Students with Disabilities 800 Florida Ave, Washington DC OSWD Retention by Year Cohorts:

Office for Students with Disabilities 800 Florida Ave, Washington DC OSWD vs. Gallaudet Retention 9-Year Average ( )

Office for Students with Disabilities 800 Florida Ave, Washington DC OSWD 6-Year Graduation Rate 2007 – 2016 (9-year study) OSWD average: 51% GU average: 42%

Office for Students with Disabilities 800 Florida Ave, Washington DC OSWD Services Areas Intake Process and Eligibility Review : students submit info & medical documentation Adaptive Technology : equipment, furniture, or software that can improve access Auxiliary Aids : note takers, readers, scribes, and laboratory and library assistants Counseling Support : counselors assist OSWD students & faculty with disability support service planning Interpreting Services : OSWD coordinates with Gallaudet Interpreting Services to provide tactile and close-vision interpreting Alternative Print Materials: academic materials converted to e-book, large print, and Braille formats Testing Accommodations : students study, work with faculty, and/or take tests in a distraction-reduced environment Faculty Support : providing faculty development and support in accommodating students with disabilities

Office for Students with Disabilities 800 Florida Ave, Washington DC – 2014 Student Survey : Services Most Used Services Special Testing (35%) Note Taking (27%) Disability Counseling (18%) Extended Time (9%) Interpreting (9%) Alternative Print (7%) Most Requested Services Testing Center (15%) OSWD Study Area (15%) Mentoring Program (13%) ADHD Coaching (10%) Academic Support Group (10%)

Office for Students with Disabilities 800 Florida Ave, Washington DC Accommodating Multiple Disabilities means Multiple Tactics (I) Video as a classroom adjunct, and in distant learning – Not immediately available to Deaf-Blind or Low Vision students – Captioning sometimes of questionable quality – Captioning for Deaf / hard of hearing an active issue at Gallaudet – What strategy for Deaf-Blind students?

Office for Students with Disabilities 800 Florida Ave, Washington DC Accommodating Multiple Disabilities means Multiple Tactics (II) Alternative Print conflicts – Low Vision/Blind variously needs Braille, large print, low-contrast print, high- contrast print, computer-based readers – Deaf/Hard of Hearing precludes recorded books, computer-based readers

Office for Students with Disabilities 800 Florida Ave, Washington DC Accommodating Multiple Disabilities means Multiple Tactics (III) Testing Accommodations must address – Mobility challenges – Low Vision / Blind – Deaf / Hard of Hearing – Attention-deficit disorders – Multiple disabilities

Office for Students with Disabilities 800 Florida Ave, Washington DC Accommodating Multiple Disabilities means Multiple Tactics (IV) Gallaudet education is officially bilingual, ASL and English, nevertheless – Deaf-Blind students will require tactile interpretation – At other institutions, ASL interpretation for Deaf/hard of hearing, spoken interpretation for Low Vision, and tactile interpretation for Deaf-Blind may all be called upon at times

Office for Students with Disabilities 800 Florida Ave, Washington DC A Multiple-Disability Case Study

Office for Students with Disabilities 800 Florida Ave, Washington DC Amy A 28-year old graduate student in rehabilitation counseling Uses a powered chair Lives in a dorm with a PCA Uses tactile sign language

Office for Students with Disabilities 800 Florida Ave, Washington DC Amy’s Disabilities Deaf/Blind Athetoid cerebral palsy Depression & anxiety Diabetes

Office for Students with Disabilities 800 Florida Ave, Washington DC Amy’s Accommodations Academic Accommodations Note taker Tactile interpretation Testing scribe or computer Additional testing time Tests in parts Extra time to complete course requirements Reduced course load Priority registration Alternative print Adaptive technology Breaks in class and testing as needed to deal with hypoglycemia Flexibility in attendance Other Accommodations Single dormitory room Referral to Personal Care Attendant (PCA) agency and contracts Use of dorm kitchen to prepare own food with help from PCA Collaboration with Food Services (dietary restrictions) Referral to wheelchair repair agency Architectural Access issues due to wheelchair use Referrals to Mental Health Center Medication management Survival-skills training

Office for Students with Disabilities 800 Florida Ave, Washington DC Accommodating Multiple Disabilities Creativity to find workable solutions Flexibility in putting together a workable plan of accommodations Collaboration with faculty and on- and off- campus departments and agencies Communication with the student to determine actual needs Sharing best practices—don’t go it alone

Office for Students with Disabilities 800 Florida Ave, Washington DC The End Questions and Answers Thanks for your attention.