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Accommodations
for Students with Disabilities Becomes Instructional Resource
for Faculty
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| After the
passage of the American's with Disabilities Act in 1990, the
most visible and concrete change in the United States was the
removal of physical barriers. Curb cuts, elevators, ramps and
wide, power doors became common place. In fact, architects and
engineers found that it was easier, more effective, and more
economical to design in a way that is "universal" to everyone's
needs. At first, for example, an architect may have designed
a building for use by the masses with small doors and bathrooms
and steps--and then adding one accessible door, one accessible
ramp, and one accessible bathroom. It was soon discovered to
be more economical and advantageous to everyone to simply design
the whole structure in an accessible manner. And why not? Curb
cuts made it easier for parents with strollers, the UPS employee
and his dolly, and bike-riders and skateboarders. Furniture
movers loved the new, wider doors. Mothers with small children
appreciated larger sized bathrooms. And who hasn't appreciated
a power door when their arms are full? People soon realized
that what is good for people with disabilities is good for everybody. |
| This concept
of universal design is now carrying itself over into the educational
field. "Universal Instructional Design" is the concept of using
teaching methods and strategies to assist students with diverse
learning styles, including those with disabilities. Professors
that may previously have been skeptical about altering their
instruction, even for students with disabilities, are now embracing
the use of diverse strategies to maximize the learning of their
entire class. One such example of this change of heart can be
found in this excerpt of an Associated
Press Article by Arlene Levinson. |
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When
Terry Wallace began teaching "Geologic Disasters and Society"
at the University of Arizona, some students surprised
him by requesting extra time on tests and someone to take
their notes. Official letters said their learning was
impaired by obstacles like dyslexia and fleeting attention. |
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"Come
on," the seismologist thought, "If you'd work twice as
hard, you'd get it." That was two years ago. As Wallace
learned more about this college minority, with their bright
minds and mental hurdles, he adapted. Federal law says
disabilities must be reasonably accommodated. But he went
further. His straight lectures and abstract lingo gave
way to vividly illustrated talks. He now puts lecture
outlines on the Web. He makes a point of repeating every
crucial concept three times. Anyone who asks may get copies
of notes taken by students he rewards with extra credits. |
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Wallace
is among many faculty members around the country inspired
by the learning disabled to change the way they teach
everyone. "People learn differently," said the buoyant
Wallace, a teacher for 17 years with a fascination for
nuclear explosions. Rote memorization and parroting back
to the professor," he said, "may not be making the connection,
so that you really understand…" |
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| Professors
such as Wallace are finding that strategies usually reserved
for disabled students work well for everybody. Providing outlines
of class topics, allowing students to utilize note-takers or
purchase notes, providing instruction both visually and auditorally
and providing alternative test settings in quiet rooms are just
some of the ways to improve instruction universally. |
| "But I
don't have time to do all this for each student," is a common
complaint of professors, especially in the health sciences where
many faculty members balance class lectures with medical or
hospital administration duties. Advances in technology are making
this easier and easier. Most faculty members have access to
computer applications such as "Power Point" which make providing
visual and auditory information simultaneously almost effortless.
More classrooms come equipped with audio-visual technology where
different modes of presentation can be utilized. The World Wide
Web is becoming more popular for students and professors to
access class information and communicate with each other. |
| Beyond
lectures and note taking, health sciences curriculum is often
more hands-on and clinical. Although some accommodations used
by students with disabilities may be unnecessary for all students,
many students' clinical experience may be enhanced by utilizing
the principles of universal design. For example, a visually
impaired student in a biology lab used two accommodations to
comprehend what was under the microscope. First, she had her
microscope viewer attached to a large television set where she
could view the enlarged specimen on the screen. This was also
beneficial for the rest of the class who now had two examples
of the specimen, one being very large and easy for the instructor
to point out important elements. Second, she had her lab partner
and several other students in the class describe what they saw,
so she got a variety of versions of the same information to
act upon. The other students benefited from putting what they
saw into words and hearing each other's thoughts. |
| Another
example is a student in a dental program that uses a wheelchair.
He reorganized the tools and equipment in the operatory so that
he could more easily reach everything he needed in his clinical
setting. Other students, dentists, and dental assistants found
that this arrangement worked better for them, also. He did a
presentation to other classes on his methods for using the tools,
which was of benefit to students in learning equipment handling.
A medical student with a reading disability worked with faculty
to come up with a way to obtain chart information. He used a
system of reading the charts in a particular order, highlighting
and note-taking information that was crucial. Several other
students in the program found his method helpful for themselves,
also. |
| Universal
instructional design is based on the premise that all of us
have some obstacle to our learning and that the accommodations
typically reserved for those with disabilities are beneficial
to everyone. In the health sciences field, where faculty has
the responsibility to train students to make crucial, life-or-death
decisions, it is essential to use all of the instructional resources
at our disposal. |
| To
find out more, click here |
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