A Broadening Participation in Computing Alliance - Health Impairments

What you should know about Your Students with Disabilities

FeedsImporter — Wed, 26 Feb 2025 00:55:01 +0000

What you should know about Your Students with Disabilities

Students share information about what the wish their faculty knew about students with disabilities.

Equal Access to Software and Information (EASI)

FeedsImporter — Fri, 16 Oct 2015 01:25:01 +0000

Equal Access to Software and Information (EASI Access)

Offers online training on accessible information technology for persons with disabilities.

How can a student with a health impairment maintain participation in classroom discussions when she is frequently absent?

FeedsImporter — Thu, 17 Sep 2015 19:04:54 +0000

There are several electronic options to consider. Online discussions can facilitate communication between students. Consider having students post their work on the web and allow peer review and discussion of papers, assignments, and lab results. A few ground rules and participation requirements can be set to keep the discussion relevant and active. In addition, email exchanges with professionals, students on other campuses, and community members can extend learning beyond your campus.

Where can I find resources related to health impairments?

FeedsImporter — Thu, 17 Sep 2015 19:03:57 +0000

The Internet hosts a large quantity of websites and electronic discussion lists that contain information of interest to individuals with health impairments and their family members, friends, mentors, advocates, educators, employers, and coworkers. A collection of websites and discussion lists related to health impairments can be found at Disability-Related Resources on the Internet: Health Impairments.

Elena and Computer Graphics: A Case Study on Accommodating Health Impairments

FeedsImporter — Thu, 17 Sep 2015 19:03:31 +0000

Background

My name is Elena. I am working toward my associate's degree in computer graphics at the community college. I have Lupus, a chronic autoimmune disease causing inflammation of the tissues, which can be painful. Recently I developed repetitive strain injuries (RSI) as a result of my muscle pain and weakness and extensive computer use. I take medications that partially control the Lupus symptoms. I do not have a visible disability, so sometimes people think I am faking or unnecessarily avoiding work.

Access Issue

My condition varies from day to day, but I commonly have muscle pain and inflammation. Sometimes I have severe acute episodes when I cannot leave my home, drive, or work. The variability in my condition means that I don't always know in advance when I will have to miss classes or when I will be too tired to complete assignments on time. My work in computer graphics requires sitting in one position for long periods of time, using my hands, and maintaining concentration. These work demands tend to increase my pain and aggravate the condition. My numerous medical appointments also cause me to miss some classes. In the past, I have gotten behind in some courses and have had to drop a course or take an incomplete grade.

Solutions

I met with the disabled student services counselor. She suggested that I consider part-time enrollment if at all possible, even though it would reduce my financial aid. The counselor suggested that I speak with each instructor before the beginning of classes each term to explain my condition and to seek their advice about any course work I could do from home, rather than in the computer lab where the graphics software is located. I spoke to my instructors and found that I might be able to do some work on my home computer with two graphics software programs. My vocational rehabilitation counselor approved agency funds for me to get a new computer and the two graphics software programs. The assistive technology specialist at the college also went with me to the computer labs I would be using for my courses to check about special technology that might help me. He arranged for the college to buy a new ergonomic chair with more adjustments, wrist rests to ease my pain, and trackballs to reduce the amount of hand movement. The college specialist in ergonomic design and training met with me to improve my posture and hand use; she also gave me instructions in simple back, arm, and leg stretching to minimize my repetitive strain injuries. After I used the ergonomic chair in the lab, I again talked with my vocational rehabilitation counselor, and his agency then purchased a similar chair for me to use at home. The disabled student services office also provided note-taking assistance in courses with substantial lecture time.

Conclusion

This case study illustrates the following:

Students with disabilities can work with college staff and faculty and outside agency counselors to facilitate academic work in majors that require substantial hands-on work and when the student's disability limits her/his ability to attend all class sessions.
Student management of the disability is a key factor in being able to complete course work and minimize unnecessary aggravation of the disabling condition.
Short-term compromises (e.g., part-time enrollment, reduced financial aid, extended time to complete a degree) may be an effective disability management technique.
Simple assistive devices and basic training in certain techniques can facilitate a student's persistence and success.

Hien and Medical School Rotations: A Case Study on Accommodating for a Pacemaker

FeedsImporter — Thu, 17 Sep 2015 19:03:31 +0000

Background

My name is Hien and I am a fourth-year medical student preparing for rotations. I have a heart condition that requires a pacemaker and I cannot be within 20 feet of microwaves, but my rotation sites may put me in proximity to medical microwaves.

Access Issue

Completing the rotation may expose me to unsafe levels of microwaves. I want to be safe, but I also want to be able to keep my disability confidential while maintaining the widest possible selection of rotation sites.

Solution

I called each rotation site to ask if microwaves were included at the site. If a potential danger was identified, I worked with appropriate staff to make arrangements to accomplish the rotation while assuring my safety. Every person I worked with was enthusiastic and creative in helping me identify reasonable accommodations. I worked with the career services and disabled student services offices to develop a procedure for alerting coworkers about what to do if I experience symptoms.

Conclusion

This case study illustrates the following:

With collaboration, compromise, and planning ahead, every student's needs can be met.
Sometimes the student can be very involved in identifying and solving access problems.

Debra's Conference Experience: A Case Study on Challenges Faced by Conference Participants Who Are Deaf

FeedsImporter — Thu, 17 Sep 2015 19:00:01 +0000

Background

My name is Debra. I am a college student who is deaf. Over the summer, I participated in a Research Experience for Undergraduates summer program where I helped develop an open-source 3D-printed wrist orthosis for individuals who have had a spinal cord injury. I attended and presented the results of this research at a national conference focused on prosthetics and orthotics.

Access Issue

A conference can present challenges to attendees and presenters who are deaf. For example, a poster session may be particularly challenging because of excessive background noise.

Solution

I am oral and use hearing aids and lip-reading extensively, so I sat toward the front of all the sessions I attended so that I could more easily read the speaker’s lips. I disclosed my deafness as needed and suggested ways to facilitate communication – speaking louder or clearer (depending on the speaker), making sure to face me so I could read lips, etc. I made sure to do this during the poster session in particular. I also presented at the conference and disclosed my deafness to the moderator before my presentation. I asked the moderator to repeat audience questions during the Q&A session.

Conclusion

This case study illustrates that:

Attending or presenting at a conference may be challenging for a person who is deaf, it is not impossible.
Disclosure of deafness and providing others with directions on how to help may allow for a more inclusive experience.

Conference Engagement via Robot: A Case Study in an Option for a Student Unable to Travel

FeedsImporter — Thu, 17 Sep 2015 18:59:16 +0000

Background

Kavita is a graduate student in computer science. Because of her disability she cannot travel to professional conferences in her field.

Access Issue

Kavita has been able to attend some sessions at conferences via video calls, but this mode of access limits the ways she is able to engage in conference activities. For example, when she calls into a conference session, she is unable to network with other attendees in sessions and in exhibit areas through informal conversation.

Solution

Attending a conference via a telepresence robot allowed Kavita to take part in practically all aspects of the meeting. Kavita independently moved the robot through the conference space to attend presentations and to interact with other attendees in other activities.

Conclusion

This case study illustrates that:

technology can provide access to educational opportunities for students with disabilities.
new technology may replace older technologies that are being used to provide access.

For more information read about Kavita’s experience in Attending Conferences via Robots.

Equal Access to Software and Information (EASI Access)

FeedsImporter — Thu, 17 Sep 2015 18:32:44 +0000

Equal Access to Software and Information (EASI Access)

Offers online training on accessible information technology for persons with disabilities.

Work-Based Learning

kcl — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 19:02:57 +0000

Work-based learning experiences can help students make career decisions, select courses of study, develop job skills, and network with potential employers. For students with disabilities, work-based learning experiences provide a unique opportunity to explore different, job-related accommodations, and to practice disclosing their disabilities and requesting accommodations from employers.

Educational institutions must make reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities in any work-based learning opportunities they offer, including internships, cooperative education, job shadowing, service learning, and independent studies. Specific accommodations will vary according to a student's needs, the job site, and the job requirements.

Some students with disabilities use the same accommodations at work that they use in school (e.g., a student in a wheelchair will need an accessible workstation). For other students, new responsibilities and environments will create new challenges that require new accommodations. For example, students with learning disabilities may need to replace the note takers and outlines they use in school with requests for written memos or recorded instructions at work.

Steps to Facilitate Work-Based Learning Experiences for Students with Disabilities

Students with disabilities interested in work-based learning experiences need to

register with work-based learning programs;
participate in available orientations, seminars, workshops, and individual counseling sessions to enhance job search skills;
work with staff and disabled student services counselors to determine necessary accommodations.

Employers need to

update position announcements and notify work-based learning coordinators of new positions;
work in partnership with work-based learning centers to proactively develop strategies to encourage students with disabilities to participate;
educate their staff about disability-related issues.

Instructors need to

encourage students with disabilities to gain work experiences;
encourage employers to recruit students with disabilities for work opportunities.

Disabled student services or special education staff need to

encourage students to register and participate in work-based learning programs;
let students know how accommodations are provided in the workplace;
help work-based learning programs recruit and accommodate students with disabilities.