for university students with disabilities a guide for academic staff
Contents | Part A | Part B | Part C | Part D | Graphics Version
part B
Teaching and assessing students with disabilities: an overview
Every student is different
Identifying students with a disability
Taking a proactive approach
Confidentiality and duty of care
Assessing each students’ requirement
Flexibility and understandingPre semester
During semesterAlternative assessment strategies
Types of disability and related alternative assessment
Possible forms of assessment variation may relate to modifications to assessment
Key principles in modifying assessment
teaching and assessing students with disabilities: an overview
Students with disabilities are not a homogeneous group and each student should be recognised for his or her individuality, particular strengths and weaknesses, aspirations and needs. It is vital, therefore, that students are given the opportunity to discuss their particular needs, to identify problem areas in teaching and/or assessment andto be actively involved in generating solutions.
Collaboration between academic staff, the students with disabilities and the Disability Officer will be essential to consider possible barriers the students may face and to devise strategies to help overcome them. The aim is to ensure, as far as practicable, that students have the necessary support to complete the re-quirements of the course.
Every student is different
Students may or may not have an obvious disability. Hearing, vision and learning impairments may not be immediately evident. Medical conditions such as epilepsy, cancer, depression and mental illness, arthritis, kidney disease and diabetes may not be visible. Other conditions such as cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy and multiple sclerosis may be associated with impairments that change in severity either episodically or over time.
A disability may have few symptoms for a time and then flare up again. Acute disabling symptoms may be episodic in nature and cause students to experience constant pain, tiredness and low energy. They may have periods when they need to withdraw from study for a time, or have periodic stays in hospitals or clinics to undergo surgery or to have their condition stabilised.
Some medications can also have side effects that are severely debilitating.
It is not the disability itself, but the effect of the disability on the student's ability to access, learn and demonstrate knowledge and skills that is relevant. During the year the effect of a student's disability may change and their need for reasonable adjustments may vary. Students with the same disability may have very different needs.
Identifying students with a disability
Intending students with disabilities are encouraged to identify themselves to the university prior to enrolment so that any necessary support—such as modifications to the physical environment, the provision of course materials in a suitable format, or the booking of interpreters or notetakers— can be arranged with minimum delay. This is usually done through the Disability Officer.
Where appropriate, students will also be encouraged to discuss with academic staff the possible impact of the disability on learning and their ability to comply with the course re-quirements.
Taking a proactive approach
Course advisers who are approached by a student with a disability may wish to encourage the student to contact the Disability Officer if they haven't already done so.
Hartmann and Redden (1985) also suggest that academic staff make a statement at the first class or session of the semester to encourage students to identify their needs early.
This statement, at the beginning of the session, will encourage students to feel that the university is serious about considering their needs. It can be reinforced on the course outline at the beginning of each course and the Disability Officer may be able to assist with the appropriate wording.
For example:
I would appreciate hearing from anyone in the class who has a disability which may require some special arrangements during the semester. The university offers a range of services and supports for students with disabilities, but it is important that these be negotiated early in the semester. If students require special arrangements such as seating, testing or other provisions, please see me after class, or contact the Disability Officer.
Confidentiality and duty of care
Although support for students with disabilities is an integral part of the responsibility of academic staff, students may not wish to disclose that they have a disability; or, having disclosed to the Disability Officer or a staff member, they may not wish anyone else to know.
If this seems inappropriate, unwise or unsafe, staff may wish to ask the student to reconsider, or to discuss the matter with the Disability Officer. Staff members have a duty of care to all their students.
Where students are thought to have a disability or to be in some need of assistance it is appropriate to take them to one side and ask quietly whether they do. Both parties will feel more comfortable in such situations if privacy and confidentiality are assured.
Establishing a good rapport with the students
- Ask open questions and take the time to listen properly, without interrupting or finishing their sentences. For example, ask what interested them in taking the course.
- Don't rush. Hurrying things can be counter-productive, especially when there are commun- ication problems.
- Be sure your body language indicates that the student has your full attention.
- Focus on the student's abilities, interests and strengths rather than the disability.
Encourage the student to be open about concerns or problems
- Ask about any concerns the student may have about studying at university.
- Recognise that students may still be feeling their way at university and ask them to let you know if they encounter any problems.
- Ask them to tell you which parts of the course they may be likely to have problems with as a result of their disability.
- Ask them for suggestions for overcoming any identified obstacles.
Respect the fact that the students are in control of their lives and must make their own decisions
- When discussing aspects of the course that may present problems, ask students if they can suggest ways to get around them. For example, use of visual materials such as graphs and diagrams in a course being attended by a person with a vision impairment, or the use of audiovisual materials for a student who is deaf or hearing impaired.
- Find out whether they have met with the Disability Officer to discuss any special needs they have or support they require.
Assessing each student's requirements
While there may be students who appear to have the same disability, or do in fact have the same disability, their individual needs may be vastly different.
Students who have recently acquired a disability may still be coming to terms with the effects of the disability, which may be temporary or permanent. Either way, they may still be finding out what learning strategies are most appropriate.
A student who has returned to university before their condition has stabilised may be experiencing difficulty adjusting to their situation, either emotionally or physically.
Not all disabilities are obvious–for example, hearing impairment, some kinds of vision impairment and learning disabilities. Some medical conditions may at times be particularly disabling without being visible. These include cancer, diabetes, kidney disease, epilepsy and mental illness.
Some students have multiple disabilities. Depend-ing on the nature and progression of the illness or injury, conditions such as diabetes, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, acquired brain injury or multiple sclerosis may be accompanied by secondary impairments - in mobility, vision, speech or coordination.
Adjusting to the student's communication style
- If the communication seems awkward because you have had little experience with that student's particular disability before, acknowledge that you are on a learning curve.
- If the student communicates through an interpreter, make sure you address and make eye contact with the student directly rather than with the interpreter.
- If the person has a carer, introduce yourself to the student who then may introduce their carer or interpreter.
- Address your remarks to the student; avoid speaking to the carer or interpreter about the student in the third person.
See also Part C for specific information about communicating with students with particular disabilities.
Flexibility and understanding
Students with disabilities may have many barriers to deal with. Understanding the reasons for late or irregular attendance, or particular habits, and being flexible in applying attendance rules will be helpful to many students with disabilities.
Inaccessible building or room
If a lecture or tutorial room is not wheelchair accessible, it may be necessary to relocate the lecture so that students in wheelchairs or with other mobility impairments can attend.
Understanding lateness
Students using a wheelchair or other equipment may have difficulties getting to lectures on time. If they rely on public transport to get to and from university there may often be delays, even when taxis have been booked in advance. If they have to cross the campus it may simply take them longer, and there may be obstacles to access along the way.
Irregular attendance
This may be due to the erratic nature of the disability or problems with medication, or the need for hospitalisation. Some disabilities such as muscular dystrophy, arthritis, multiple sclerosis and some mental illnesses may have symptoms that come and go. In their acute phase the symptoms may be particularly disabling.
Understanding special needs
Some medical conditions, and some medications, can cause:
- chronic weakness and fatigue
- impairments to memory
- restlessness
- tiredness
- sleepiness
- incontinence
- chronic pain
- anxiety.
Depending on the condition, some students may require:
- special chairs and tables in lectures or tutorials
- regular drinking or eating in classes
- frequent toileting
- frequent breaks
- permission to come and go from the room
- special arrangements in order to hear or see, for example, reserved seating or access to a hearing loop.
Some medical treatments can also have severe and unpredictable side effects that absorb most or a lot of the student's energy and time for a period.