Challenges Faced by Students with Disabilities in College - Research Paper Example

with Disabilities in College Introduction Entering college can be a daunting challenge for most The challenge of facing new experiences and fears of being unable to cope with these experiences can strain the student emotionally and physically. Finding accommodations and being accommodated well in college is just one among the multitude of challenges that students entering college face. This part of the experience is important to get right because it can affect the student’s concentration and coping mechanisms in school. Bad accommodations can make the college experience traumatic and straining for the student. Eventually, it can affect his performance in school. Good accommodations can transform the college experience into a joyous and enlightening experience. College students who have disabilities are especially vulnerable in finding good accommodations because campuses mostly exert efforts to cater to the needs of the general population. As a result, the needs of students with physical disabilities are sometimes not well accommodated. This paper shall discuss what disabled students have to do when entering college to receive accommodations. It shall also discuss the types of accommodations students receive in the college setting as opposed to the high school setting. Americans with Disabilities Act; Section 504 Section 504 of the Americans with Disabilities Act specifically states that, “[n]o otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the United States…shall solely by reason of her or his disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance”. The section emphasizes that no student should be denied participation in activities and programs which enjoy federal assistance by reason of their disability. In other words, students’ disabilities should not be an impediment in their availing of services offered to non-disabled students. Anti-discrimination is the basic tenet that governs this provision; and this right ensures that opportunities in life and in law are available to all Americans regardless of race, religion, gender, physical disabilities and such other individual characteristics. In order to further specify the provisions of the above section, the Americans Disabilities Act defines individuals with disabilities as those who have (a) a physical or mental impairment that limits their activities; (b) a record of such impairment; (c) being regarded as having such an impairment (American Disabilities Act, as quoted by Kemerer, et.al., 2005). Disabilities of individuals may vary and may be accommodated on a case-to-case basis. More extensive disabilities may require greater accommodations and adjustments in the work or school setting. Some disabled individuals have learned to function as well as other people with disabilities. Nevertheless, accommodations still have to be made no matter how extensive the disability of the individual is and no matter how well-adapted the disabled individual is. The disabled individual has to know that such accommodations can reasonably be made in his favor. Some studies peg that 51% of students with disabilities have learning disabilities; 9% are hearing impaired; 8% are visually impaired; 3% have orthopedic disabilities; and other disabilities may include speech, emotional, and psychological disabilities (Stoneham, n.d). And before accommodations can be made for these disabled students, they have first to take the effort to arrange these accommodations with the college of their choice. Students with Learning Disabilities Students with learning disabilities have first to present current assessment data in order to receive accommodations in college (Taymans & West, 2002). The college experience for the student who has learning disabilities can be a totally different experience from high school. Students with learning difficulties in high school may still find the college experience more enjoyable and less of a struggle. Some academic experts recommend that students with disabilities may explore pre-college courses after completing their junior years in high school. Through pre-college courses, they can catch a glimpse of more realistic choices they can opt for in their future college course. They can also attend college courses during the summer after their high school graduation in order for them to get a feel of the campus, to be familiar with the use of the library, and to learn to manage their time and their intellectual abilities (Taymans & West, 2002). Students with learning disabilities must also learn to understand their strengths and weaknesses in order to clearly and specifically identity the accommodations in college that they would need. Some students with disabilities may need academic support services in the form of math laboratories, reading courses, computer labs, and tutoring. Courses on social skills, study skills, communication skills, and assertiveness are also possible courses that they can take in order to ensure and improve their accommodations for college. Students with learning disabilities can also improve or avail of computer skills, especially those which offer instructional media and assistive technology. The student must take great and discriminating care in choosing appropriate assistive technology that can enhance his strengths and minimize his areas of need. “Selecting appropriate technology for an individual should take into account the individual’s learning profile, the tasks and functions to be performed, the specific technology, and the contexts of use” (Raskin, 1998 as quoted by Taymans & West, 2002). Various technological applications are available for students depending on his individual needs. The student with a learning disability must learn to find this technology and use it to his advantage. Students with disabilities who graduate from high school and later want to enter college will have access to an Individual Written Rehabilitation Plan in order to be eligible for postsecondary education, counseling, and vocational evaluation assessment. Once they are admitted to college, the Americans with Disabilities Act now ensures that they are allowed to participate in courses, exams, and other school activities (Taymans & West, 2002). After the student identifies his strengths and weaknesses, he can now look at the different characteristics of prospective colleges and universities that would fit his needs. Characteristics may involve the size of the school, whether an urban or rural setting is more appropriate for his needs, whether a college that does not impose rigid prerequisites is appropriate to his needs, whether he will be better suited for a full-time or a part-time course load, and what his co-curricular and extra-curricular activities include. The student with learning disability must also decide if he needs to inform the Office of Disability Support Services about his disability. The Office will later inform professors about possible accommodations that can be made in his favor. “Students are not required to give faculty information about a disability, but to obtain the best course work accommodation, they must be able to explain their needs to instructors” (Taymans & West, 2002). The student with a learning disability must take the time to participate in orientation programs in order to familiarize himself with students, classes, and with professors; he also avoid procrastination in order to allow sufficient time to gather information about classes and about professors. Talking to other students will also help in gathering information about classes and professors. The disabled student can also audit classes in order to allow sufficient time to gather information. Checking the internet and meeting the professor are also important steps that the student can take when entering college to receive accommodations. By following these steps, his college experience can be an enjoyable one and it can be ensured that his rights as a student with disability would be protected. Students who are deaf or hard of hearing There are various things that a student who is deaf or hard of hearing can do when entering college to receive accommodations. Initially, he can first gain a general knowledge of society (Howlett, 2000, as quoted by Kochhar-Bryant, et.al., 2009). This general knowledge and grasp of society can later help him with the necessary adjustments he needs to make in order to function well as a student and as a member of society. Accommodations for deaf students vary depending on needs and the method of instruction the student prefers. For a deaf student, accommodations that he would need may include: interpreters, note-takers, captioning services, assisted listening, or alternate tests or exams. The student must also inform his chosen school about his disability and his preferred method of instruction in order to give the college time to make the possible accommodations for him. The student must also take the time to investigate colleges and universities which primarily cater to deaf students; to communicate with the disability support office in the campus; to investigate counseling services available on campus; to learn about the levels of interpreter certificate in the college choices; to attend camps for the hearing impaired; to evaluate assistive technology in order to assess what he can use during his college years; to identify and practice using the accommodations given to him in order to enhance his learning; to make requests for interpreters for the classes and lectures; to identify and practice the use of assistive devices that can help facilitate his learning (lighting alarm clocks, message relay systems, timers, and such other devices; to visit the campus early in order to familiarize himself with the environment; and to communicate equipment needs to the college housing where he is to be housed (Kochhar-Bryant, et.al., 2009). These strategies are preparatory activities that the deaf student can do when entering college to receive accommodations. And these activities and preparations can ultimately help ease him into a harmonious college experience. Students with visual disabilities Students with visual disabilities have to take necessary strides in order to have their special needs be accommodated when they enter college or university. These accommodations are also specific to their needs and may be availed of on a case-to-case basis. Students with visual disabilities often have a range of problems from a total lack of sight to a relatively bearable vision. The student with visual problems may not easily identity solutions to his problems because he cannot see the efforts being undertaken in order to improve his accommodations in college. Some experts advocate that teachers, friends, and families of visually-impaired students must discuss solutions with the student. This process can help the student develop critical thinking skills that will enhance independence (Kochhar-Bryant, et.al., 2009) In entering college, the student may prefer to use the Braille, enlarged prints, electronic books, or books on CDs. Regardless of his preferred method of instruction, necessary planning and preparation must be made in order to accommodate his needs in college. The student can research possible accommodations that can be made and are available in the different colleges and universities he wants to apply to. Many of these colleges and universities give transition classes and seminars for visually impaired students, and it is highly recommended for these students to attend these classes. Summer transition camps are also available for visually-impaired students. These transition camps can teach and assist the student in gaining independence in his activities. Living skills, personal management, campus safety, and use of public transportation are just some of the skills that the visually-impaired student can learn in these camps in order to make possible an easier transition to college life (Kochhar-Bryant, et.al., 2009). The visually-impaired student can also participate in vocational skills evaluation that will include preferences and potential skills; he can also evaluate colleges and assess which ones can cater to his needs; he can work with state agencies and other concerned government officials in order to decide and assess which assistive technology devices he will be using; he can also independently order electronic books he will need for his classes; he must also communicate his housing needs to the college in order to accommodate a seeing-eye dog that he may be taking with him; appointments with school specialists who can assist him in the transition are also important. More importantly, the visually impaired student must practice doing his daily activities independently. These activities include: doing laundry, grooming, managing money and using the ATM machine, cleaning his room, and buying his food (Kochhar-Bryant, et.al, 2009). By ensuring that he can function independently, he can now easily transition into the more important task of learning and of enjoying his years in college. The school can only do so much in accommodating his needs, but the rest of his daily activities have to be learned and mastered by the student. Students with orthopedic disabilities Students with orthopedic disabilities also exhibit a variety of physical disabilities and impairments. Some may be in wheel chairs with half-paralyzed bodies, some may come in crutches suffering from the ravages of poliomyelitis, and others may have birth defects which may manifest in the lack of arms or legs. Again, preparations have to be made before the student can be accommodated in college. The student can again evaluate the different colleges and universities and assess which ones would best suit his needs. After being admitted in the college, he has now to inform the concerned school authorities of his condition and inform their disability office of available accommodations that are already present in the college and what his preferred accommodations and assistive technology choices are. The student can then familiarize himself with the available assistive technology devices and the structure of the school itself. The school can now help accommodate his needs through wheelchair ramps, adjustable tables or chairs, handrails, and such other structural adjustments in the classrooms and hallways (Gordon & Keiser, 1998). Other accommodations that the student can arrange with the school may include having classrooms that are accessible for the student; arranging extra time to get from one class to another; arranging note takers, laptop computers, and word processors in the classroom; having adjustable lab or drafting tables in the classrooms; gaining accessible parking; having customized physical education classes; and planning for field trips in order to accommodate the student’s needs (College of Saint Elizabeth, n.d). These arrangements have to be made with the college as early as possible in order to allow the school time to prepare accommodations to meet the student’s needs. The student also has to present a clear diagnosis of his condition to the school. He must present clear documentation of his orthopedic diagnosis to the school authorities in order to verify his medical condition and his appurtenant medical needs. General Accommodations for students with disabilities There are various arrangements that students with disabilities can seek when entering college to receive accommodations. These accommodations should fit their needs and their disabilities in order to allow them equal opportunities in the educational setting. Regardless of the kind of disability the student has, he must primarily seek accommodations with the college’s Office for Disability Services. This office will inform the student of existing accommodations in the college and what other possible accommodations the student would now need based on his specific condition. The student should also present proper and complete documentation on his condition in order to medically verify his disability. “All other disabilities assessment includes a medical diagnosis report explaining the functional limitation, medical diagnosis, medical history of the condition, and current medication regimen” (Jaeger & Bowman, 2002). This assessment shall then be the basis of the college in the accommodations it will offer and make for the student. Difference – High School and College Accommodations The transition from high school to college relies heavily on the student’s ability to independently carry out his daily activities. In high school, the support system for the students with disability is strong. He is on his home front; many of his activities are done for him, and are eased for him by his parents and caregivers. In college, he has now to function independently and to conduct his daily activities without his family easing things for him. “For the first time in their lives, students have to plan their own time and complete paper and projects without prompting and without automatic academic support” (Peterson’s, 2007). High schools are mandated by law to provide accommodations to students with disabilities; and government sanctions may be imposed on those who do not comply. These high schools are also required to provide all possible conveniences and accommodations for students with disabilities in their classrooms and their school campus. However, for colleges and universities, the law only requires for them to provide reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities. The Individual with Disabilities Education Act specifically requires elementary and secondary schools to seek out students with disabilities and then serve their needs in the best environment possible. Colleges and universities, on the other hand, are not required to do so. They are also not required to offer every accommodation and convenience that the disabled student needs. The best deal that colleges can give to students would involve reasonable accommodations and academic support. Some of these colleges do not have specialists to cater to the needs of these students on campus. Hence, the student with disability would now be the one to seek out which school offers and can offer the best possible accommodations that would fit his needs. From Kindergarten to the 12th grade, the student with disability has advocates behind him in order to ensure that he keeps up with his school activities; however, in college, the academic pressure now falls squarely on his shoulders. The college also has academic standards that the student has to comply with in order to pass each subject and each school year. The college is not obliged to do him any favors when he cannot perform based on their academic standards (Peterson’s, 2007). At best, the college can offer him accommodations, and the rest is up to him. The student with disability who is about to enter college has a daunting challenge ahead of him. The most important task before him is his ability to function and cope up with his academic work independent of his family and the school personnel. There are various things he can arrange with his college of choice in order to eventually ease his transition into college. These preparations are crucial because they will eventually impact on his academic performance. Works Cited Gordon, M. & Keiser, S. (1998) Accommodations in higher education under the Americans with Disabilities Act. New York: Guilford Press Hodge, B. & Preston-Sabin, J. (1997) Accommodations--or just good teaching?. Connecticut: Greenwood Publishing Group. Jaeger, P. & Bowman, C. (2002) Disability matters. Connecticut: Greenwood Publishing Group Kemerer, F., et.al., (2005) California school law. California: Stanford University Press Kochhar-Bryant, C, et.al., (2009) Transition to Postsecondary Education for Students With Disabilities. California: Corwin Press Orthopedic Mobility Disorders (n.d) College of Saint Elizabeth Office of Disability Services. Retrieved 06 July 2009 from www.cse.edu/fileadmin/user_upload/pdf/Orthopedic.pdf Peterson’s (2007) Colleges for Students with Learning Disabilities Or ADD 8th Edition. New Jersey: Peterson’s. Special Education Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (2000) Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Retrieved 06 July 2009 from http://www.doe.mass.edu/sped/links/sec504.html Stoneham, J. (n.d) The accessibility of the community college classroom to students with disabilities. Southeast ADA Center. Retrieved 06 July 2009 from http://www.sedbtac.org/ed/edaction/jstonehamITJ.do Taymans, J. & West, L. (2002) Selecting a College for Students with Learning Disabilities or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). ERIC Digest. Retrieved 06 July 2009 from http://www.ericdigests.org/2002-4/adhd.html Read More