Treatment of disabilities in higher ed

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houder

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I am an online professor at a very popular non-profit, private college that offers many online programs (you have probably seen the commercials, they are all over the tv). They also have a ground school, but focus a lot on their online program. I am a hearing professor, maybe this doesn't surprise the board, but it really perplexes me. I use lots of interactivity in my class like videos. I always include a written transcript because I think its the right thing to do. I don't ask if anybody needs it or wants it, I just do it. Sometimes youtube doesn't cooperate with closed captioning so I have a written transcript when I don't have cc. The administration frankly had an attitude about it. I suspect because no other faculty is doing it. They sent an email around that we should refer the students to the disability office if they need accommodations if we use any videos in our class (after pushing us for years now to use more videos). Is it just me or this at the minimum being lazy, perhaps disrespectful or maybe even pushing the boundaries of what's legal?
 
Doesn't matter what you do if all the classes aren't accessible. To put together a degree, we would need them all to work for deaf.
 
I'm a retired interpreter for Deaf college students in traditional college.

I don't see anything wrong with providing all students with transcripts.

In addition, students should be able to take advantage of whatever accommodations they need for equal access. However, most colleges require students check in with the disabilities office prior to the start of classes, as part of the registration process. At that time, the disabilities counselor determines with the student what accommodations will be needed, and a document is sent to each relevant instructor informing them of what they need to do. The idea is that this process gives the instructor time to make adjustments to the curriculum, if necessary, and avoids burdening the student with having to "work things out" with each instructor.

In the real world of education, I realize that administrators sometimes want to cut corners but there are laws covering accommodations that I'm sure your school wants to comply with.
 
Thanks Reba. So far I have only received one or two accommodation letters for students that needed extra time on a test. The courses have since been updatd so assignments are not even timed anymore. Our courses are all pre-designed. Most content I have no control over. Extra content that I add, I can adjust so I try to do my best. To Bottesini's point though, I would not classify the courses as accessible to everyone. Not sure what the administration or designers would do if we had someone that could not easily access the videos or other resources already pre-populated in the course as they should be able to. I even sent the article around about Harvard and MIT being sued about a year ago (to my dean). They were sued for not complying with ADA rules some of their public online courses. If the fear of being sued is not enough to update the classes, don't know what is. I think they have just not had someone that really needs help yet. It's a shame.
 
At least you have an awareness that there is a problem. Many educators and administrators don't even have that.
 
I'm an undergrad student and a part of the issue that I have seen is lack of student advocacy. Its easy to fall silent and feel like you have to tough through your issues, not understanding directions, missing important reminders, not being able to work in groups well etc. But ive seen so many student just not ask for help. Admin might see it as a bigger issue if more students came forward and expressed their need for aid. Disability services sometimes suck! But if more students stepped up and said that ebooks and transcripts helped them hearing, hoh, deaf, etc, maybe people would start to see how important it actually is.

Personally I hate interpreters my sign tends to be less textbook and they are sometimes too slow and I would be better off figuring it out. Ebooks work for me and constant email communication with my professors.

I'm not saying school services are perfect but its teachers like you that keep us going. Maybe your transcripts show a hearing impaired student that they don't have to tough it out. They can ask for help.

Keep up the good fight!
 
are you in contact with any other Deafie in your university?
 
Kayla Mc said:
I'm an undergrad student and a part of the issue that I have seen is lack of student advocacy. Its easy to fall silent and feel like you have to tough through your issues, not understanding directions, missing important reminders, not being able to work in groups well etc. But ive seen so many student just not ask for help. Admin might see it as a bigger issue if more students came forward and expressed their need for aid. Disability services sometimes suck! But if more students stepped up and said that ebooks and transcripts helped them hearing, hoh, deaf, etc, maybe people would start to see how important it actually is.

Personally I hate interpreters my sign tends to be less textbook and they are sometimes too slow and I would be better off figuring it out. Ebooks work for me and constant email communication with my professors.

I'm not saying school services are perfect but its teachers like you that keep us going. Maybe your transcripts show a hearing impaired student that they don't have to tough it out. They can ask for help.

Keep up the good fight!
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hmm do you know why there's a lack of advocacy? its because of the trend/mindset which admins LIKES to use , that is, "equality" to mean we are all equal , so they think no adjustments to be made...its just a re-newed ignorance with a economic rationale.......its bloody awful. i been through it. more interesting is that, some of the best social science books are thrown out (as freebies to any student, left overs are burnt) because admins have deemed it as 'outdated' while it it not, it is just simply outmoded...it doesn't fit to the preference of the neoliberalists....i hate that, anywayi can't be bothered......i have a new hobby/interest now...
 
its like this, i can't speak (write) off such in a sentence or paragraph..it would take me to do a whole 2,500 words or a chapter to express a stance, a phenomenon of such a matter of the 'new right' ideology which affects people.....so im largely misunderstood, as I dont write to ordinary people i write to PhD supervisors...the only reason why people like Obama or such seems to be 'understood' is they paraphrase speeches which are written for them, in to convey short manipulative statements, handled by PR's public relations officers.....(so this should give you clues that they're aren't saying things as they mean it), they are merely actors to act as 'officials'..........blah i give up
 
whatdidyousay! said:
https://www.theguardian.com/educati...nding-disabled-university-students-jo-johnson
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not scoffing at you, but this is really old news now, has been going on for the last ten years, 30 years ago, it was vogue to increase social mobility across a wide range of life choices, now it stripped back right down and the only 'mobility to climb social ladders' are only available to those with 'greed mindsets' that is, those interested in glossing lifestyles in wanking-off managerial-levels in corporate, and long as they're happy to make all those around them poor, other words, success at expense of others is in vogue.
I cant see a reversal anytime soon....media have immerse impacts and incredible influences...
but I don't care about it now, I have a different mindset, that is , to enjoy, only Hoichi would know lol
 
Grummer said:
not scoffing at you, but this is really old news now, has been going on for the last ten years, 30 years ago, it was vogue to increase social mobility across a wide range of life choices, now it stripped back right down and the only 'mobility to climb social ladders' are only available to those with 'greed mindsets' that is, those interested in glossing lifestyles in wanking-off managerial-levels in corporate, and long as they're happy to make all those around them poor, other words, success at expense of others is in vogue.
I cant see a reversal anytime soon....media have immerse impacts and incredible influences...
but I don't care about it now, I have a different mindset, that is , to enjoy, only Hoichi would know lol
Click to expand...
This is still happen today and if people don't want to try do something about it they shouldn't complain about it ! When I called my state reps they told me if more people voice their concerns about issues something is more likely to be done about it ! It does no god complaining about it on line .
 
yes, i realise that, (UK spelling with a z not s btw),see the problem is lack of honest information with impartiality is the result of combination of both media and cultural 'influences' from internal politics, from within the deaf community, and external politics, medical institutions, education institutions' slants or programmes. Also there is poor understanding of how 'individualism policies operates' using 'choice' as a way of downplaying impacts of assimilation, or mainstream practices.
 
all this creates complacency, and thus this lack of motivation to voice out concerns regarding struggles in higher education, oh not forgetting ways how schools are 'allowed' to create their own stances on these matters, taking away powers from d/Deaf people. its not the 1990s anymore....people are now to concerned with 'fiscal costs' rather than 'social costs', infact many people can't tell the difference thanks to media news process of using suggestive political tones that is towards marketisation of people....blah forget it if you dont grasp me
 
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