The University of Texas at Arlington is well known for its leadership in program accessibility for the student with a disability. As a result, UT Arlington has one of the largest populations of such students in the region. To meet the many challenges generated by this unique population, UT Arlington has developed a support service program through the Office for Students with Disabilities.

The University of Texas at Arlington is on record as being committed to both the spirit and letter of federal equal opportunity legislation; reference Public Law 93-112 - The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. With the passage of new federal legislation entitled Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), pursuant to section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, there is renewed focus on providing this population with the same opportunities enjoyed by all citizens.

You, as a faculty or staff member, are required by law to provide "reasonable accommodations" to students with disabilities, so as not to discriminate on the basis of that disability. Student responsibility primarily rests with informing faculty of their need for accommodation and in providing authorized documentation through designated administrative channels. Each faculty member is encouraged to become familiar with relevant federal legislation regarding the rights of students with disabilities.

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In 1973, Congress passed the Rehabilitation Act (Public Law 93-112). This act guarantees civil rights for Americans with disabilities. The law is grounded in the due process clause of the Fifth Amendment and the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Section 504 is the section of the law that specifically refers to postsecondary and vocational education services.

Section 504 of Public Law 93-112 provides that " .... No otherwise qualified handicapped individual in the United States shall, solely by reason of handicap, 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." With respect to postsecondary and vocational education services, "otherwise qualified" means a person with disabilities who meets the academic and technical standards requisite to admission or participation in the program or activity.

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It does not. Nothing in the language or intent of Section 504 abridges the freedom of an institution of higher education to establish academic requirements and standards. Under 504 guidelines, colleges and universities can require some physical qualifications for certain clinical programs. For example, it would be reasonable to require students training as pilots or surgeons to have the needed level of visual acuity. However, the same vision level would not necessarily be required of students training as psychiatrists or as airline ground personnel.
A student's disabling condition may not be considered as part of any nonclinical admissions decision. Therefore, all students with disabilities will have been admitted through the same admissions process as other students.

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Essentially, 504 requires that colleges and universities make those reasonable adjustments necessary to eliminate discrimination on the basis of disability. For example, it may be necessary to remove classroom prohibitions against animals (in the case of guide dogs) for blind students. Other less obvious examples might include extending time limits on exams for a student with a learning disability or allowing lectures to be tape recorded when disabilities impair a student's ability to keep up with the lecturer. Occasionally, a substitution may have to be made for a course requirement (e.g., an art appreciation elective vs. a music appreciation elective for a deaf student). Classes enrolling students with mobility impairments may have to be relocated in accessible facilities. The college or university may need to provide special services such as registration assistance, interpreters for the hearing impaired, or specially proctored examination arrangements. Note that emphasis in each of these adjustments is on the "may." The key is accommodating the disability, not altering course content. The "may" means that with the exception of removing architectural barriers, no set formulas exist for making adjustments. For example, a computerized registration procedure may provide easy access to students with hearing impairments or mobility difficulties, but may pose problems to some students with certain types of learning disabilities or with visual impairments.

In the classroom, a student who has difficulties reading due to a learning disability or visual impairment, or a mobility impaired student who has problems in the manner in which he or she is expected to respond to an exam question, may require additional time to complete an examination. Thus, the adaptation will be specific to the needs of the individual student. In every case, the intent is to accommodate the disability without altering academic standards or course content. More recent federal legislation as stated in the Americans with Disabilities Act broadens the definition of physical and program accessibility and by regulation defines appropriate accommodations. Moreover, the ADA authorizes the right by a single individual to bring suit for discrimination based on disability against not only the University as a public entity but also the individual responsible for the act of discrimination. In the classroom, the law requires that an instructor adapt the course presentation to meet the unique needs of the student's disabling condition. The law also charges students with the responsibility to make his or her abilities and limitations known and to meet with or without accommodations the instructor's expectations in class participation, performance, and work standards. The Americans with Disabilities Act and 504 are not designed to ensure equal results but are designed to ensure equal opportunities of access.

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UT Arlington is fortunate to have an office dedicated to providing accommodations for students with disabilities. The Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD), located in University Hall room 102, is dedicated to providing an array of services for the student with a disability.

While OSD embraces the uniqueness of the faculty-student relationship as essential, you will receive notifications regarding a student with a disability and appropriate accommodations to guarantee equal access. Relying on the expertise and guidance available from the Office for Students with Disabilities will simplify your compliance with the law.

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UT Arlington's population of students with disabilities represents a variety of disability groups which fluctuates from semester to semester. A typical long semester will include students who may be blind, visually impaired, paraplegic, quadriplegic, have multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, cancer, deafness, hearing impairments, emotional disorders, closed-head injuries, amputations, arthritis or a variety of learning disabilities. There are typically over 450 students with a disability attending classes at UT Arlington during each of the fall and spring semesters.

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Each student will have a unique set of abilities and disabilities requiring unique accommodation(s). These may include but are not limited to:

• Extended time on all examinations
• Note-copying
• Use of tape recorder in class
• Front row seating
• Text books on tape, Braille, or e-text format
• Alternate testing form, (i.e., oral vs. written)
• Sign Language interpreter in class
• Scribes
• Large print material
• Audio Loop (assistive listening device)
• The freedom to change position in class
• Absentee leniency
  

Faculty and Staff are not responsible for disability determination and/or the selection of accommodations; however, their input is valued and we often consult with them before prescribing an accommodation.

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If a student mentions any physical or mental concern to you as a faculty or staff member, please immediately refer them to us. You do not have to collect their documentation, letters from doctors, psychological testing or the like. That is our job. We know instructors often only want to help students, and sometimes the students do not wish to come to our office, but before you assume the responsibility of looking at a student's medical documentation to determine if her or she is eligible for accommodations under section 504 of the ADA or the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, simply make the referral to our office. Again, the student must come to our office for any accommodation. Once the student registers with us, you will receive a letter of disability verification and a listing of required accommodations from one of the counselors in OSD. The individual student will hand deliver the letter so that you may put a face with a name. This also provides an avenue for discussion between faculty and student.

It is important to note that not all physical or mental conditions rise to the level of being a disability as defined by the ADA. For instance, a broken limb can be a major inconvenience; but provided it is healing in the usual amount of time, without complications, it would not be considered a disability.

It is likely that we will determine some of the students you refer to us as not actually having a true disability. Unless you receive an official accommodation letter from our office, you are not required to make any adjustments in your teaching methods, test delivery etc. based upon Section 504 or the ADA.

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The disclosure of a disability and the need for accommodations is an extremely sensitive subject requiring utmost confidentiality. Discussion between the student and faculty member should be protected. Further, your ability to work with the student to ensure equal opportunity in your class to consume knowledge and be fairly tested on course material will largely depend on a positive "work with me" attitude from both parties. Keep in mind that students do not necessarily have to reveal a specific diagnosis to you, but they must do so in our office and provide substantial documentation of the condition. It is very important, unless the student decides otherwise, that he or she not be identified as a person with a disability to other faculty, staff or classmates. For students with obvious disabilities, like wheelchair users, disclosure of the disability cannot be avoided; but students with learning disabilities and/or emotional impairments are often very sensitive about being identified as a student with a disability. Therefore it is very important that instructors avoid "singling out" such students in the classroom. For instance, instructors often help students find a volunteer notetaker. Unless the student says otherwise, the instructor should request a notetaker but not disclose whom the notetaker will be assisting. He or she should collect the copies of the notes and allow the student to pick them up at his or her office, or some other manner which would enable the student to maintain his or her anonymity.

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The term "learning disabled" describes a person with normal or above average intelligence who does not achieve at the expected level in academic areas. This gap in performance is assumed to arise from neurological origin and is not the result of mental retardation, physical disabilities, emotional disturbance, cultural differences, or educational deprivation. Persons with learning disabilities often acquire, integrate and express information in ways which differ from the norm.

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Students with learning disabilities often need explicit structure. They may need help distinguishing between main and supporting ideas or seeing the relationship of parts to the whole. Students who have difficulty writing may need to take extra time for exams or make alternate arrangements in which they can respond orally, use word-processing, or tape test answers. The Office for Students with Disabilities makes such arrangements for examinations and can provide information concerning the appropriateness of such alternatives. If a requirement poses a difficulty for the student due to a learning disability, provide an alternate format which will maintain the content of the course. For example, provide extended time limits if needed for completion of assignments, or give shortened assignments. Give students frequent feedback about their performance so that they can modify their activities in time to help their grades. Provide as much information as possible about course requirements as far in advance as possible. This lets students organize and secure support services where needed. Explain carefully all class expectations, grading requirements, etc.

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Try to provide a list of new vocabulary words at the beginning of each class. When possible, provide copies of lecture notes to assist the student in following the lecture. Permit the student with a learning disability to obtain notes from a classmate or notetaker. An instructor soliciting a volunteer notetaker has the advantage of obtaining a "skilled" notetaker and anonymity for the student. The Office for Students with Disabilities will copy and/or enlarge notes, overheads, and other written lecture materials at no charge. The use of visual aids such as chalkboards, overhead projectors, films, diagrams, and charts greatly assists these students. When showing a film or video, it is helpful to provide written transcripts or have it captioned, if available. Allow use of dictionaries to correct spelling errors, hand held "spellcheckers" (which look like calculators), or spellcheck software programs for those students who can use a word-processing program on a computer.

Be sure handouts and copied readings are clear and easily read. Students with learning disabilities may have special difficulty filling in missing pieces of words or reading through smudges or streaks on a poor copy.

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It is best to speak naturally; however, it may be necessary to rephrase particularly complex ideas or ideas introducing new terms. Colloquial expressions and idioms are often difficult to process; try to limit their usage. Allow tape-recording of lectures; where copyrighted video or audio materials are used, permission may need to be obtained from the distributor. Use multiple modes to deliver information. Both speaking and the use of chalkboard, overhead projector, printed outlines or diagrams are very useful to the student who has difficulty in processing information due to his or her learning disability. Orally and visually (on the board or overhead), outline the lecture at the beginning of class and review it at the end.

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The basic categories of visual impairments are total and partial blindness. Only ten percent of the visually impaired population may be able to discern light, colors, or shapes to one degree or another. Some may be able to see a whole area but have difficulty with precise visual functions. Some students have diseases which cause their visual acuity to fluctuate. Visually impaired persons are sometimes also mobility impaired because of their visual disabilities.

The major challenge facing visually impaired and partially sighted students in colleges and universities is the volume of printed materials with which they are confronted. These include textbooks, syllabi, outlines, class schedules, and tests. Unless recently disabled, students with visual impairments have probably developed their own personal method of dealing with the volume of visual materials by the time they reach college. Students may use readers, Braille books, tape-recorders and computer equipment which gives them access to required course material. In addition, some students may be able to use large print books, electronic visual aids or other magnifying devices for readings, and/or a large print typewriter for writing papers. They may also be able to take their own notes in class by printing with a felt pen. Students may use a slab and stylus which enables them to record notes in Braille. Often students may need the assistance of a fellow student's notes to be copied and enlarged. Many students may prefer to record class lectures to alleviate additional time needed to transcribe written notes shared by a fellow student. This is all a matter of preference.

Other common difficulties visually impaired students experience differ only in degree. Faculty are sometimes confused about the legitimacy of a visual impairment when the student does not use a cane or guide dog for mobility assistance. Actually, the large majority of the visually impaired don't require these types of support. For the majority, other signs are more apparent. The use of adaptive methods when scrutinizing printed materials and larger-than-normal hand writing may give the impression of childlike or immature responses or that the student is attempting to "stretch" the quality of the printed assignment. In actuality, the visually impaired student is only trying to see what he or she has written. These students are usually unable to adequately utilize standard printed material like textbooks, classroom handouts, references, and tests. This is also true for information written on the chalkboard, seen on the overhead projector, or on other audiovisual formats.

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1. Most visually impaired students secure their text in audio form from an agency called Recordings for the Blind and Dyslexic (RFB&D). In order for the agency to provide taped text, a minimum of eight weeks is required for each text. It is very important that the faculty select their required texts early in the previous academic semester and make that information available. The Office for Students with Disabilities has application forms for visually impaired students and will assist all qualified students with the ordering process.
2. Visual aids used during lectures should be clearly described. This would include verbalizing what is written on the board.
3. Copies of overhead materials should be made available to the student to be viewed at a later time via a reader or alternate material transfer.
4. Due to the time needed to schedule an appropriate testing arrangement, "pop-quizzes" in class create tremendous difficulty and more often than not preclude involvement by the visually impaired student. These students should be tested in a private setting, or the proctoring service available in the Office for Students of Disabilities should be utilized. For those students able to benefit from enlarged print, there is a copy machine available in the Office for Students with Disabilities for enlarging class work.
5. If any room changes occur, be certain the arrangement is made in verbal form. Visually impaired students might well miss a notice written on a chalkboard.
6. Preferential seating is important for the visually impaired student. When visual cues are not available, the student must receive all auditory cues possible. Please arrange seating the first day of class.
7. Give the student plenty of advance notice in the event that research papers are to be assigned as someone may have to aid in the literature search, both in finding and in reading materials.
8. Early in the semester, it is a good idea to orient the student to the room by explaining where things are located and guiding the person around the room.
9. Inform the student when classroom furniture has been rearranged.
10. Keep doors fully open or fully closed.
11. If a visually impaired person seems to need assistance, identify yourself and offer your services.
12. If you are walking with a visually impaired person, let him or her take your arm just above the elbow and walk in a relaxed manner. The person can usually follow the motions of your body. Warn the person when you are approaching a step or other obstacle.
13. When giving directions, use descriptive words such as "straight ahead" or "forward." Be specific in directions and avoid vague terms such as "over there."
14. When interacting with the visually impaired, use verbal identification when you arrive or leave an area.
15. Guide dogs are working animals; it can be hazardous if the guide dog is distracted. Never pet the dog without the owner's knowledge and permission. Normally, the dog is "working" when wearing the harness.
16. Do not hesitate to use words like "see" or "look" when speaking with a visually impaired person. Also make sure you identify yourself by name, maintain a normal voice volume, speak directly to the person, and maintain eye contact.
    

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To communicate effectively with a deaf person, employ the following guidelines:

1. Obtain the hearing impaired person's attention before speaking. A tap on the shoulder, a wave or another visual signal usually is effective.
2. Clue the hearing impaired person into the topic of discussion. Deaf students need to know what subject matter will be discussed in order to pick up words that help them follow the conversation. This is especially important for deaf people who depend on oral communication.
3. Speak slowly and clearly; but do not yell, exaggerate, or over pronounce. Exaggeration and overemphasis of words distorts lip movements, making speech reading more difficult. Try to enunciate each word without force or tension. Short sentences are easier to understand than long ones.
4. Look directly at the deaf student when speaking. Even a slight turn of your head can obscure their speech reading view.
5. Do not place anything in your mouth when speaking. Mustaches that obscure the lips, smoking, pencil chewing, and putting your hands in front of your face all make it difficult for deaf students to follow what is being said.
6. Maintain eye contact with the hearing impaired person. Eye contact conveys the feeling of direct communication. Even if an interpreter is present, continue to speak directly to the deaf person. He/she will turn to the interpreter as needed.
7. Avoid standing in front of a light source such as a window or bright light. The bright background and shadows created on the face make it almost impossible to speech read.
8. If the student indicates that they did not understand you, first repeat and then try to rephrase a thought rather than repeating the same words. If the person only missed one or two words the first time, one repetition will usually help. Particular combinations of lip movements sometimes are difficult for hearing impaired to speech read. Do not be embarrassed to communicate by paper and pencil, if necessary. Getting the message across is more important than the method used.
9. Use pantomime, body language and facial expression to help communicate. A lively speaker is always more interesting to watch.
10. Be courteous to the deaf student during conversation. If the telephone rings or some one knocks at the door, excuse yourself and tell the hearing impaired individual that you are answering the phone or responding to the knock.
11. Use open-ended questions that must be answered by more than "yes" or "no." Do not assume that a hearing impaired student has understood your message if the student's response is a nod of acknowledgement. Open-ended questions ensure that your information has been communicated.
12. Seat the deaf student to his/her best advantage. This usually means a seat opposite the speaker so the deaf person can see the speaker's lips. The speaker should be illuminated clearly, so be aware of the room's lighting.
13. Provide new vocabulary in advance. It is difficult, if not impossible, to speech read or read finger spelling of unfamiliar vocabulary. If new vocabulary cannot be presented in advance, write the terms on paper or a chalkboard, or use an overhead projector. If a lecture or film is to be presented, a brief outline or script given to the deaf person and interpreter in advance helps them in following the presentation.
14. Avoid unnecessary pacing and speaking when writing on a chalkboard. It is difficult to speech read a person in motion and impossible to speech read one whose back is turned. Write or draw on the board, then face the group and explain the work. If you use an overhead projector, do not look down while speaking.
15. Make sure the deaf student does not miss vital information. Write out any changes in meeting times, special assignments, additional readings or additional information. Allow extra time when referring to manuals or texts since the deaf person must look at what has been written and then return his or her attention to the speaker.
16. Slow down the pace of communication slightly to facilitate understanding. Many lecturers talk too fast. Allow extra time for the hearing impaired person to ask or answer questions.
17. Repeat questions or statements made from the back of the room. Remember that deaf persons are cut off from whatever happens outside their visual area.

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It may be helpful for you to become familiar with the following guidelines if a student uses an interpreter for your class.

1. Speak directly to the deaf person, not the interpreter. The interpreter is not part of the conversation and is not permitted by professional ethics to voice personal opinions or enter the conversation. Face the hearing impaired student and speak to him/her in a normal manner. Do not make comments to the interpreter, that you do not mean to be interpreted to the deaf student, even if the deaf student's back is turned. The interpreter is there to provide a service, not to chat with individuals.
2. Remember that the interpreter is a few words behind the speaker. Give the interpreter time to finish before you ask questions so that the deaf student can ask questions or join in the discussion.
3. Treat the interpreter as a professional. It is courteous to introduce the interpreter to the class at your first opportunity and to explain why he or she is attending. Do not ask the interpreter to introduce himself or herself.
4. Provide good lighting for the interpreter. Any time a presentation requires darkening the room to view slides, videotapes or films, auxiliary lighting is necessary so that the deaf person can see the interpreter. If a small lamp or spotlight cannot be obtained, check to see if room lights can be dimmed, still providing enough light to see the interpreter.
5. Allow only one person to speak at a time during group discussions. It is difficult for an interpreter to follow several people speaking at once. Ask for a brief pause between speakers to permit the interpreter to finish before the next speaker starts.
6. Speak clearly and in a normal tone when using an interpreter. Do not rush through a lecture. The interpreter or the deaf person may ask the speaker to slow down or repeat a word or sentence for clarification.
7. Allow time for students to study handouts, charts or transparencies. A deaf person cannot watch the interpreter and study written information at the same time.
8. When facilitating discussions, call on individual speakers rather than waiting for people to speak up. Because the interpreter needs to be a few words behind, deaf students do not always have an opportunity to become involved in discussions. Also, hearing impaired individuals sometimes do not realize that other people are starting to speak; often their contributions are passed over.

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Many people see deafness as just a loss of hearing. However, it is more complicated and creates unique problems at the university level. Most people who were born deaf or lost their hearing before age two have never heard English. The communication language used by most hearing impaired students is called American Sign Language (ASL). This language has it own syntax and grammar. Having never heard it, English is very difficult for most hearing-impaired students to master. Most deaf individuals have some hearing capabilities called residual hearing. Listening and understanding speech vary with each individual's residual hearing capability. It is important to understand that students may need to use speech reading (lip reading), utilize hearing aids and require interpreter services to make it through their curriculum. Since only 25% of all speech is visible on the lips and English has never been heard, speech reading alone will not meet the student's needs. Moreover, a hearing aid amplifies all sounds, so unless there is an ability to differentiate between speech and background noise, the hearing aid will not meet the student's "hearing" needs. Having never heard English creates difficulty with speech. It takes practice to understand the speech of a totally deaf person since there appears to be no discernible consonants. The most important point is that there is no correlation between a deaf person's speech abilities and intelligence.

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1. Never come up behind an individual and push a wheelchair without his or her knowledge and consent. Most wheelchairs are delicately balanced (tipsy) to allow the individual to keep the majority of his or her weight on the rear wheels. The front wheels then "float" over sidewalk cracks, rocks and doorjambs to avoid tumbles. A sudden push from behind will cause the wheelchair to flip over.
2. The only suitable manner of gaining multi-floor accessibility is elevators. UT Arlington has elevators in every classroom building and use is not restricted. Given a full elevator, consider stepping off when a mobility impaired student needs access. This will allow the student who uses a chair to be on time for class.
3. Most students with physical limitations will ask for assistance if they need it. Never hesitate to ask if a student needs assistance, but keep in mind that students often try to do as much as they can on their own. Assistance is not always required or welcomed. Ask. Do not insist.
4. When talking to a student in a wheelchair for more than a few minutes, it is a good idea to sit down, kneel or squat if convenient. Communication will be enhanced and neck strain alleviated.
5. Words such as "walking, running or standing" are acceptable in conversation. People using wheelchairs use the same words.
6. If accompanying a student who uses a wheelchair from one location to another, walk beside, not in back of, the individual.
   

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No one can reasonably expect faculty and staff members to be experts on the myriad of possible disabilities. We have simply tried to provide a guide for some of the most common. Many other conditions, especially mental and emotional impairments, will be found in your classrooms and on campus. Often poor performance in the classroom can suggest depression; erratic behavior may signal other emotional conditions. The most important thing you as a faculty or staff member can do is recognize that there may be a problem and that there is help on this campus. Please, don't take it upon yourself to be counselor and instructor; on the other hand, certainly do not ignore the problem. Please inform the student that there is a group of caring individuals on this campus who want to help. If he or she will not come to our office, recommend the Counseling Department in Davis Hall (817) 272-3671, or the professional psychologists who are part of UT Arlington Health Center Services (817) 272-2771. Suggesting that someone seek professional help can be a difficult thing to do; but for the student, the alternative can be much worse.

As I'm sure you've learned, accommodating students with disabilities is a multi-faceted service which requires educators, psychologists, medical professionals, and legal experts to all come together in order to create fair and equal access for all UT Arlington students. This holistic approach is an endeavor to which we are extremely dedicated, but we also greatly value the input of the faculty and staff at UT Arlington. Feel free to contact us for any reason, we are always happy to answer questions or work toward solutions. Thank you for taking time to learn about our office and the process of disability accommodation at UT Arlington.

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