EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY | INTRODUCTION | BACKGROUND
| CURRENT STATE | RECOMMENDATIONS
| CONCLUSION | APPENDIX
In
Fall Semester 2000, I charged a Disabilities Services for Students
Review Team to conduct a comprehensive assessment for delivery
of such services at Penn. The Team, composed of faculty, graduate
and undergraduate students, and staff, was to make recommendations
to improve the integration and delivery of services to the increasing
number of Penn students presenting with physical, learning, and
psychiatric disabilities. The Team benchmarked best practices
at peer institutions, assessed current services and needs at Penn,
and during a site visit in September consulted widely with students,
faculty, staff, service providers, and the Penn community. The
draft report of the Review Team was reviewed and discussed by
the Council of Deans, Academic Planning and Budget, the Council
of Undergraduate Deans, the Council of Graduate Deans, and the
Faculty Senate Tri-Chairs. The President and I have reviewed and
approve the Report. We are convinced that the implementation of
the recommendations will enable us to continue to best serve the
needs of students with disabilities.
--Robert
Barchi, Provost
A
Report to the President and Provost Concerning Services to Students
with Disabilities
Submitted
by Disabilities Services for Students Review Team
Spring
2001
Executive
Summary
The Disabilities Services for Students Review Team recommends
that Student Disability Services at the University of Pennsylvania
become a comprehensive, integrated office, committed to ensuring
that students with disabilities have equal access to all University
programs and activities. Policies and procedures should be further
developed to provide students with disabilities as much independence
as possible and equity to the same exceptional opportunities available
to all Penn students in the most integrated setting. The comprehensive
office will provide leadership in continuously improving access
for students with disabilities, develop and coordinate policies
and procedures, maintain confidential records, and provide information
on student rights and responsibilities, as well as those of the
institution. The office will coordinate or arrange auxiliary aids,
services, and the loan of equipment and assistive technologies.
Professional staff of the office will evaluate documentation,
determine program eligibility, and determine reasonable accommodations
for all qualified students with documented disabilities, including
academic accommodations, accessible campus housing, and transportation
and parking.
The
staffing of the Office of Student Disability Services should include
two full-time disability specialists. These specialists should
be experienced in all aspects of disabilities, including physical,
cognitive, and psychological disabilities. Additionally, appropriate
supporting staff should be hired. Adequate resources should be
available to provide academic support, services, and equipment
for students with disabilities. Staffing and resource enhancements
for Learning Resources should also be made.
The
Review Team recommends that an Office of Student Disability Services
be created and combined with various services for students with
disabilities in one office reporting to the Vice Provost for University
Life, to provide an integrated model of academic support services
to students with disabilities.
EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY | INTRODUCTION | BACKGROUND
| CURRENT STATE | RECOMMENDATIONS
| CONCLUSION | APPENDIX
Introduction
The recommendations contained in this Report reflect a pragmatic
philosophy--to emphasize a few key proposals that can be implemented
in a timely way, which may serve as the foundation for a strategic
vision for the future. The immediate aim of these proposals is
to reconfigure and appropriately expand existing resources to
meet the urgent and growing demand for student disability services
in a responsive, consistent, and effective manner to continue
in accordance with Federal legislation. Longer-range, the Disabilities
Services for Students Review Team members and constituents hope
the administration will seriously consider the opportunity for
Penn to capitalize on existing strengths to position itself as
a national leader in providing disabilities services for undergraduate,
graduate, and professional students to achieve academic excellence.
Clearly, the primary purpose of all the undergraduate, graduate,
and professional students at Penn is to succeed academically.
Hence, the Review Team recommends that the core of Penn's strategy
be centered on learning and cognitive strategies, in keeping both
with leading trends at peer institutions and enthusiastic constituent
input. Indeed, the current range of disability-related services--from
wheelchair accessible buildings to exam accommodations--is intended
to support Penn students with disabilities to attain this ultimate
goal.
EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY | INTRODUCTION | BACKGROUND
| CURRENT STATE | RECOMMENDATIONS
| CONCLUSION | APPENDIX
Background
The 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act extended the protection
of the civil rights of individuals with disabilities. On a national
level, in 1978 less than 3% of college freshman reported having
a disability. In just two decades this number had more than tripled
in size to 9%. The range of these disabilities is broad. While
some students require daily assistance, others may require occasional
services, such as extended time on exams, note takers, or signing
for lecturers. In the last ten years, the greatest increase has
been in the category of learning disabilities; whereas, in 1988,
15% of students reporting a disability cited a learning disability,
by 1998 this category had grown to more than 40% nationally
.
At the request of the Provost, Deputy Provost Peter Conn organized
a Disabilities Services for Students Review Team to conduct a
comprehensive assessment of the organization and administration
of student disability services at Penn, and to make recommendations
to improve the integration and delivery of disabilities services
to students with disabilities. Recommendations were to include
services, policies, communication strategies, and the roles of
the faculty and the schools across the campus. The Review Team
received information on current disabilities services; collected
additional information from faculty, staff, students, and other
stakeholders and the University community during a campus visit
in September, 2000; and prepared this report including the Team's
recommendations.
EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY | INTRODUCTION | BACKGROUND
| CURRENT STATE | RECOMMENDATIONS
| CONCLUSION | APPENDIX
Current
State of Student Disabilities Services at Penn
Currently students with disabilities are provided services through
three distinctly different programs in two separate divisions
of the University. Students who are seeking accommodations register
with one of two programs that deal with documentation and administrative
services. The Program for People with Disabilities (PPD), situated
in the Office of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Programs,
was the original program on campus and was reorganized in 1998
to provide services for students with physical, sensory and/or
chronic disabilities. The Learning Disabilities Specialist office
was instituted in 1998 and was situated in Counseling and Psychological
Services (CAPS) under the Vice Provost for University Life to
provide services for students with Learning Disabilities and Attention
Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. At this time, CAPS and, though
limited in number, the Program for People with Disabilities provide
support for students with Psychological Disabilities. However,
no clearly defined program of disability services exists for this
population. Many students have a combination of disability types
and are asked to register with the program that handles their
primary disability. Lastly, Tutoring and Learning Resources, in
the Department of Academic Support Programs under the Vice Provost
for University Life, although not charged with the responsibility
for providing services solely to students with disabilities, does
offer comprehensive and individualized support in the specific
areas of developing cognitive strategies, academic skills, and
support. All Penn students are eligible for Tutoring and Learning
Resources regardless of their disability type or whether the student
is registered for receiving accommodations, but demand often exceeds
available resources.
In
essence, all three programs offer support services to students
with disabilities. These offices communicate with each other about
their services and the student population. However, differences
in reporting structures, funding, program development, standards,
and physical location produce barriers to successful comprehensive
services for students with disabilities.
EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY | INTRODUCTION | BACKGROUND
| CURRENT STATE | RECOMMENDATIONS
| CONCLUSION | APPENDIX
Recommendations
for the Organization and Administration of Student Disabilities
Services at Penn and for Services and Assistance for Students
with Disabilities
Recommendation
#1: Combine the various services for Students
with Disabilities into one office reporting to the Vice Provost
for University Life.
Rationale:
With one Office of Student Disability Services, there will be
less confusion regarding how to obtain disability services of
any kind, and clearer communication among students, service
providers, faculty, and staff. This office should serve as the
initial point for students seeking disability services and accommodations.
This office would have sole responsibility to obtain and file
disability-related documents, certify eligibility for services,
determine reasonable accommodations, and develop plans for the
provision of such accommodations. The office would also offer
students with disabilities an array of auxiliary services, including
library and lab assistants, notetakers, assistive/adaptive technology,
academic, psycho/social support, and mentoring and assessment
referral as needed. An integrated office could help support
and monitor compliance of the rights and responsibilities of
both students with disabilities and the University. Finally,
a consolidated office will help to ensure conformity to policies
and procedures and the congruence of accommodations across schools
and among individual students.
Recommendation
#2:
Maintain responsibility for disability services for faculty
and staff in Office of Affirmative Action & Equal Opportunity
Programs, and centralize disability services for students.
Rationale: Only a small portion (approximately 20%) of
the responsibility of the Associate Director, People with Disabilities
Program is concerned with faculty/staff disability issues. While
communication and collaboration between Student Disability Services
and the Office of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Programs
is encouraged, the concerns of these two offices are essentially
different.
Recommendation
#3: Hire
two full-time professionals (Director and Assistant Director)
to provide services to students with disabilities.
Rationale: Effective disability services providers:
-
have
a clear understanding of federal and state equal access laws
for students with disabilities, and how they apply in a post
secondary setting
-
evaluate
medical and psychological documentation and make informed
decisions on the appropriateness of the documentation with
respect to (1) how or whether the condition affects a major
life activity and meets the federal and state definition of
a disability, and (2) whether there is enough information
about the functional limitations caused by the impairment
to make appropriate decisions concerning reasonable accommodations
-
understand
which individualized accommodations are effective for different
types of disabilities in order to reduce the impact of the
disability on the educational process, while protecting the
academic integrity of the course
-
understand
how to use assistive technologies that can help students independently
access their learning environment
-
work
effectively with students to help them become more independent
and successful self-advocates
-
work
effectively with faculty and University personnel so that
they understand the reasons why an accommodation provides
equal access
-
increase dialogue and provide technical assistance and consultation
with faculty in determining and defining essential course
requirements and standards
-
manage a very complex and often hectic work environment with
a clear vision concerning their role in the learning community.
The
University must look to experienced disability professionals
who have the ability to perform the tasks listed above, rather
than specialists who have a limited view of the process. An
integration of skills enables disability service providers to
handle the unique daily challenges of providing comprehensive
options to students with a variety of disabling conditions or
multiple disability-related issues.
We
recommend that one of these service providers have extensive
experience in working with students with cognitive and psychological
disabilities, and the other, expertise in working with students
with sensory/mobility limitations.
Recommendation
#4:
Expand the responsibilities of the Student Disabilities Service
to include the following:
-
Draft and publish policies and practices to ensure that students
with disabilities are treated equitably.
-
Conduct educational trainings and workshops for the campus
community, including faculty, students, and advising staff,
library services, CAPS, and campus life staff on disability
issues.
-
Facilitate
campus resources and service programs to promote and provide
an integrated setting in which students with disabilities
can participate in campus life to the fullest extent possible.
-
Balance the needs of students and the institution, by ensuring
that all policies and procedures are in compliance with the
law and well documented, as well as conducting policy development,
interpretation, and monitoring.
-
Serve as the Section 504, Americans with Disabilities Act
Compliance Officer for the University.
Rationale:
This is based on the assumption that the director will be the
campus expert on issues pertaining to 504/ADA, and thus would
be the most qualified person to ensure compliance with Title
II and III of the ADA. The Director will be responsible for
the campus-wide plan for eliminating architectural barriers
and reviewing construction plans.
Recommendation
#5: Hire appropriate staff to provide logistical/scheduling
services to students with disabilities and faculty and to provide
office support.
Rationale: The staff would have responsibility for making
many of the arrangements to support disability accommodations,
such as scheduling alternative examinations and proctors, coordinating
note-takers or interpreters, or managing adaptive technologies,
as well as for such activities as processing office correspondence
(especially for communicating with faculty regarding student
accommodations), website maintenance, keeping records, and providing
reception activities.
Recommendation
#6: Assure that adequate resources are
available to provide ad hoc services and equipment for accommodation
of disabilities.
Rationale: Accommodations require proctors, rooms, interpreters,
and basic equipment such as tape recorders and Braille technologies.
Significant developments in adaptive technologies have emerged
over the past few years. Penn should invest in acquisition of
and maintenance of appropriate technologies including software
and specialized equipment. Procedures should be further developed
for having proctors available and testing rooms available.
Recommendation
#7: A coordinated communications strategy for
disabilities information should be developed.
Rationale: A comprehensive website should be developed which
will provide students with service and strategic information
continuously and reliably, and will also provide faculty with
information regarding their responsibilities and options for
accommodating students with disabilities. Information should
be disseminated on a regular basis to faculty, as well as workshops
offered. A "roadmap" should be developed for students as a guide
to navigating the accommodations process.
Recommendation
#8: Increase resources for academic support for
students with disabilities.
Rationale: There is a clear commitment on the part of the
Penn administration to provide comprehensive support services
that go beyond what is required by law. The Tutoring and Learning
Resources office provides a wide range of support for students
with learning disabilities, from individual consultations to
small group support services. We recommend that a Learning Instructor
be hired on a full time appointment to work with students with
disabilities. This will include instruction on learning and
study strategies that can increase independence and self-sufficiency.
This should become a permanent position within Learning Resources.
A process for accessing tutors should be instituted through
the Disabilities Learning Instructor, and sufficient resources
should be available to hire and retain quality tutors and Learning
Instructors.
Recommendation
#9: Create a Provost's Advisory Committee to 1)
issue a new Provost's Statement (Guidelines for Addressing Academic
Issues of Students with Disabilities), 2) advise on the implementation
of these Recommendations, and 3) advise on ongoing operation
of an Office for Student Disabilities Services.
Recommendation
#10: Appoint Disability Liaisons for each School.
Rationale: Each School should designate a disability liaison
who can refer students to the Student Disabilities Service office
and help address faculty questions. The disability liaison will
have knowledge of the unique academic challenges of that School
and how to integrate accommodations into a complex learning
environment.
Recommendation
#11: Revise the protocol for faculty letters
Rationale: It is recommended that Student Disability Services
modify its current procedure of sending out accommodation letters
to faculty. The Student Disability Services office will be designated
to prepare letters to faculty on behalf of the Provost. At the
student's choice, accommodation letters should either be mailed
to the involved faculty and copied to the student or be personally
delivered to the involved faculty by the student. The letter
will indicate that the student will initiate (or is initiating)
an appointment with the involved faculty member to discuss the
accommodations that will be necessary in each course. If the
professor has additional questions, s/he may contact the Student
Disability Services office for clarification or assistance.
Details concerning a student's disabling condition will not
be discussed without the student's permission.
Recommendation
#12: Faculty Initiative
The faculty member can help normalize the accommodation process
by making an announcement at the first class meeting or by voluntarily
including a statement on the syllabus inviting students with
disabilities to meet with the faculty member during office hours
to discuss accommodation needs. The wording of the statement
can vary to meet the needs of the individual class but should
include the following three pieces of information:
-
An invitation to students with documented disabilities to
meet, in a confidential environment, to discuss their need
for academic adjustments with the faculty member and to work
out the logistic of the accommodations. This discussion should
lead to an understanding about how the academic adjustments
will fit into the curriculum and a plan should be developed
to provide the accommodations.
-
Notification
that students must present requests for accommodations in
a timely manner. Faculty members can require students to make
accommodation requests at the beginning of the semester but
need to be flexible in certain cases. Some students may be
diagnosed with a disabling condition in the middle of a semester
or administrative delays may impede the processing of necessary
paperwork.
-
A statement encouraging students to register with the University
of Pennsylvania Student Disability Services office, if they
haven't done so previously, for disability verification and
to determine reasonable accommodations.
Student Disability Services should work with each student to
determine appropriate services and accommodations based on that
individual student's functional limitations in an academic environment
and the activities in which s/he will be participating. A major
goal of Student Disabilities Service should be the development
of self-advocacy skills for students with disabilities. Self-advocacy
consists of three essential steps:
- A clear
understanding of one's disability.
- An understanding
of the demands of the environment and how one's disability
affects functioning within the University community.
- The
ability to communicate this information to another person
so that individual needs may be met.