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Accommodating Students With Disabilities
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Teaching Students with Non-evident Disabilities (medical, mental health, visual, hearing, Asperger’s Syndrome and learning disabilities)

Teaching Students with Mobility Disabilities

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Teaching Students with Non-evident Disabilities (medical, mental health, visual, hearing, Asperger’s Syndrome and learning disabilities)

Non-evident disabilities are the most common type of disability among university students.   For example, students with learning disabilities, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, mental health and medical disabilities may request accommodations even though they do not appear to have a disability.  There are numerous other hidden or non-evident disabilities such as heart conditions, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Crohn’s Disease and Seizure Disorders. It is also important to remember that the severity of an individual student’s needs do not depend on your ability to see the disability. 

There may be several students in your lecture room with non-evident disabilities. Of these students, only some will request accommodations.  For those students who request accommodations, it is important to express your willingness to accommodate all types of disabilities and to be supportive of each student’s accommodation requests.  If you would like verification that a student has a disability, ask the student to provide you with a Request for Academic Accommodations Form from the AccessAbility Resource Centre. The AccessAbility Resource Centre produces these forms only for students who are registered with this office and have provided medical documentation/reports.  The AccessAbility Resource Centre can also send you this form directly. 

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Learning Disabilities

Description

Learning disabilities are due to genetic, other congenital and/or acquired neuro-biological factors. They are not caused by factors such as cultural or language differences, inadequate or inappropriate instruction, socio-economic status or lack of motivation, although any one of these and other factors may compound the impact of learning disabilities. Frequently learning disabilities co-exist with other conditions, including attentional, behavioural and emotional disorders, sensory impairments or other medical conditions.  (Learning Disabilities Association of Ontario, 2000). Students with learning disabilities often learn differently than their peers.  Although they have average or above average intelligence, there is frequently a discrepancy between their ability and their achievement in specific areas. A learning disability is a permanent disorder that interferes with integrating, acquiring, and/or demonstrating verbal or nonverbal abilities and skills.  Frequently, there are some processing or memory deficits.

Each student with a learning disability may need different types of accommodations, services, and/or supports based on what area(s) of learning is affected by the disability.  Students with learning disabilities may have difficulties with some of the following:

• Reading comprehension        
• Written expression                 
• Mathematics                          
• Oral expression                     
• Auditory processing               
• Visual processing                  
• Abstract reasoning                
• Visual spatial skills
• Processing speed

Keep in mind that one individual does not have difficulty with all of the above-mentioned areas, just generally a few of those areas.  Also, it is not unusual for a person with a learning disability to be gifted in some areas.


Guidelines

Exam Accommodations

Please assist students in arranging for appropriate quiz / test / exam accommodations whether you arrange these accommodations yourself or coordinate them with the AccessAbility Resource Centre.  The AccessAbility Resource Centre can send you a verification letter delineating the appropriate accommodations for a particular student. 

Multi-modality Instruction

Please provide important information and assignments in both oral and written formats to help promote accessibility to course content. A multi-modality approach to instruction assists all students in finding a modality that is consistent with their learning strength.

Print Materials in an Accessible Format

The AccessAbility Resource Centre is always available to consult with faculty.  In order to ensure students can fully participate in their courses, it is important to coordinate with the AccessAbility Resource Centre to ensure that course materials will be available to specific students in accessible formats (e.g. electronic text, large print, Braille).  When you are contacted by the Access and Information Services Coordinator from the St. George campus, a UTM Disability Advisor or a student requiring accessible formats, please provide information about the required textbook(s) and readings you will be using as well as any other reading expectations as soon as you can.  It takes a considerable amount of time to convert print materials into accessible formats.

Study Aids

Please provide study questions, study guides, and opportunities for questions and answers to help students review essential course content.

Quiz / Test / Exam Aids

Please permit students with learning disabilities to use simple calculators, hand held spell checkers, memory aid sheets and scrap paper during quizzes / tests / exams.

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Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Description

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is characterized by a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity that is more frequent and severe than is typically observed in individuals at a comparable level of development (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV TR, 2000).  Students with ADHD or ADD (without hyperactivity) may have difficulty with one or more of the following areas:     

Concentration	Following Directions
Distractibility	Listening
Organization	Sitting For Lengthy Periods
Completing tasks	Transitioning
Sedentary Tasks Like Reading	Planning

Some students with ADHD take medication for their condition.  This medication may be a stimulant, which actually calms and assists the student to focus on tasks.  Anti-depressants may also be used.

Guidelines

Assistance with Structure

Please provide study guides, review sheets, and frequent opportunities for feedback are helpful in providing structure and organization.

Exam Accommodations

Please assist students in arranging for appropriate quiz/test/exam accommodations provided by yourself or with the assistance of the AccessAbility Resource Centre.  Many students with ADHD use exam accommodations including extended time and a distraction-reduced exam space. 

Access to Lecture Notes

Some of students with ADD/ADHD have difficulty focusing and concentrating and for this reason may need access to lecture notes.  The Centre may request your assistance in requesting a note-taker from your lectures.

Lecture Room Distractions

If a student appears extremely distracted, it may be appropriate to encourage the student to sit near the front of the lecture room, away from doors, air conditioning units, windows, or any other possible sources of distraction.  

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Mental Health Disability

Description

A mental health disability is characterized by a disturbance in thoughts and emotions that decreases a person’s capacity to cope with the challenges of everyday life. Factors that may contribute to the development of mental health disability include chemical imbalance, substance use, traumatic life events and heredity.

Major depressive disorder is a disorder that can begin at any age.   It may be characterized by a depressed mood accompanied by symptoms such as loss of interest or pleasure in life; irritability; sadness; difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much; decreased or increased appetite; lack of concentration; sense of worthlessness; guilt; and in some cases, thoughts of suicide.

Bipolar disorder (manic depressive disorder) is a cycle of depressed mood, “normal” mood and mania. Mania is an elevated, exaggerated mood accompanied by symptoms such as: inflated self-esteem or confidence; a decreased need for sleep; increased energy; increased sexual drive; poor judgment; increased spending; agitation; non-stop talk; and increased involvement in pleasurable and possibly dangerous activities.

Anxiety disorders can disrupt a person’s ability to concentrate and cause hyperventilation, a racing heart, chest pains, dizziness, panic, and extreme fear. Examples of anxiety disorders include panic disorder, simple phobias, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). 

Schizophrenia can cause a person to experience delusions and hallucinations in addition to depressed mood and flat affect.  Schizophrenia is also associated with a deterioration of a person’s ability to function at work, school and/or socially.
 
In most situations you will not be aware that you have a student with a mental health disability in your lecture room. Because students do not show any outward signs of the disability does not mean that their disability is any less disabling than a more visible disability. Many of these students are fearful of and have faced stigmatization because of their disability. Some do not need or request any accommodations, and some require a variety of accommodations. For some the disability is temporary, while for others it is chronic. With medication and/or therapy, people with mental health disabilities may learn to manage their symptoms.

Guidelines

Exam Accommodations

Please assist students in arranging for appropriate quiz/test/exam accommodations provided by yourself or with the assistance of the AccessAbility Resource Centre.  The accommodations that students will most likely require are extra time and breaks.

Make-up Tests / Deadline Extensions on Assignments

Please collaborate with students about arrangements to make-up tests and other assignments, allowing them extra time since these students may miss lectures during serious mental health episodes. 

Access to lecture notes

Students may miss class occasionally due to issues related to their disability.  The Centre may request your assistance to obtain a volunteer note-taker.

Welcoming and Supportive Environment

Many students with mental health disabilities fear stigmatization because of their disability so if a student shares his/her disability with you, please be supportive and welcoming when a student requests assistance in arranging for accommodations.

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Asperger’s Syndrome / Autism

Individuals with Asperger’s Syndrome can exhibit a variety of characteristics. Persons with Asperger’s Syndrome show marked deficiencies in social skills, have difficulties with transitions or changes and prefer sameness. They often have obsessive routines and may be preoccupied with a particular subject of interest. Often the individual with Asperger’s Syndrome has difficulty determining proper body space. It's important to remember that the person with Asperger’s Syndrome perceives the world very differently. Therefore, many behaviors that seem odd or unusual are due to those neurological differences and not the result of intentional rudeness.

By definition, those with Asperger’s Syndrome have a normal IQ and many individuals (although not all), exhibit exceptional skill or talent in a specific area. Because of their high degree of functionality and their naiveté, they are often viewed as eccentric or odd.  Their vocabularies may be extraordinarily rich however; persons with Asperger’s Syndrome can be extremely literal and have difficulty using language in a social context.

Guidelines

Assistance with Structure

Please provide study guides, review sheets, and frequent opportunities for feedback as these are helpful in providing structure and organization.  If possible, provide the student with advanced notice in changes of routine (e.g. change in location of lecture room).

Exam Accommodations

Please assist students in arranging for quiz / test / exam accommodations when requested.

Make-up Tests / Deadline Extensions on Assignments

Please collaborate with students about arrangements to make-up tests and other assignments. 

Access to lecture notes: 

Please assist the student in obtaining a volunteer note-taker to supplement their own notes.

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Teaching Students With Mobility Disabilities

Mobility disabilities are often due to conditions such as cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, carpel tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, spinal cord injury, or back and neck injuries. Students may use a mobility aid (e.g. crutches, cane, walker, a wheelchair or scooter). However, many students will not use a mobility aid or only when needed.  They may also use orthopedic supports including splints and braces.  The student may have limited energy; difficulty walking, standing, or sitting for a long time; or other disabling characteristics, such as an inability to write.

Even with the same disability, students with mobility or medical impairments may have a wide variety of characteristics. For example, persons who have experienced a spinal cord injury are likely to show differing degrees of limitation. They may require different types of class accommodations or may need no accommodations, depending upon functional limitations.

Guidelines

Exam Accommodations

Students who have upper body limitations who are unable to use their hands will likely need exam accommodations.  These accommodations may include extended time, a scribe, or voice recognition software.  Please assist the student in coordinating these accommodations with the AccessAbility Resource Centre.

Access to Lecture Notes

Students who are unable to use their hands or have upper body limitations may need assistance in finding a note taker, or they may elect to tape record lectures. The Centre may request your assistance to obtain a volunteer note-taker.

Late for Lectures

Some students are unable to quickly get from one location to another due to architectural barriers or traveling between buildings especially in inclement weather. Please be patient when this happens.

Seating Arrangements

In a few situations, a student may be unable to use the type of chair provided in a particular classroom. The Centre will assist the student in making appropriate seating arrangements (e.g. OBUS chair brought to classroom).

Laboratory Courses

Some students may need assistance for laboratory courses. These students may need to be paired with a non-disabled student or a teaching assistant. Please consult the Centre  if you need assistance in making these arrangements. A student using a wheelchair may need a lower lab table to accommodate the wheelchair.

Missed Exams or Classes

Some students experience recurrence of a chronic condition requiring bed rest and/or hospitalization. These students need extra time to complete incomplete work and the opportunity to make up tests. Other arrangements may be necessary if a student misses a class excessively due to a disability and is unable to make up the essential requirements of the class. In either situation, it is essential not to penalize a student for his/her disability and at the same time maintain the integrity of the requirements of the class.

Field Trips

Make arrangements for field trips or other out of classroom experiences as soon as possible so that all students are able to experience all class teaming opportunities. Please consult with the Centre about arrangements if you need assistance.

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Resources

• The University of Toronto at Mississauga, AccessAbility Resource Centre (AARC) Website: http://www.utm.utoronto.ca/access
• U of T Accessibility Website: http://www.accessibility.utoronto.ca
  Statement of Commitment Regarding Persons with Disabilities Website:
  http://www.accessibility.utoronto.ca/oda10_appendixA.html
• Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Website:
  http://www.gov.on.ca/citizenship/accessibility/index.html

NOTE: This fact sheet is available in alternate format upon request.  Please call the AccessAbility Resource Centre at 905-828-3847. This information is also available at www.utm.utoronto.ca

Adapted from The Ohio State University Partnership Grant funded by the US Department of Education under grant #P333A990046

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AccessAbility Resource Centre
Room 2047, South Building
Tel: (905) 569-4699 | Fax: (905) 569-4366
Email: access@utm.utoronto.ca | Website: www.utm.utoronto.ca/access