Jane Jarrow

John, I would be very careful about making generalizations, John. I have a colleague who gives a presentation called, "Of blind mechanics and hemophiliac industrial arts teachers I have known." He says he has really known only one of each, but it was enough to teach him not to make assumptions. I am not suggesting that anyone can do anything "in spite of their disability". I am just suggesting that it is always useful to examine individual goals and individual capabilities ("deaf" does not mean the same thing for everyone who bears the label!!!"). Dr. Jane Jarrow

John, I would be very careful about making generalizations, John. I have a colleague who gives a presentation called, "Of blind mechanics and hemophiliac industrial arts teachers I have known." He says he has really known only one of each, but it was enough to teach him not to make assumptions. I am not suggesting that anyone can do anything "in spite of their disability". I am just suggesting that it is always useful to examine individual goals and individual capabilities ("deaf" does not mean the same thing for everyone who bears the label!!!"). Dr. Jane Jarrow

Ouch! Either I have misinterpreted what you just said, John, or I don't agree with what you just said -- ESPECIALLY because you talked about excluding people who cannot benefit from participating in the CLASSROOM setting. There may be practical aspects (hands-on tasks) that someone with a disability cannot perform), but it is hard to think of individuals with disabilities who don't have the right to BE in the classroom. Unless, perhaps, you are talking about students with limited cognitive abilities -- and those students are not otherwise qualified students with disabilities. Dr. Jane Jarrow

Amber, I think you may have misinterpreted the prompt -- or, at least, the intent of the question. Section 504 and the ADA do NOT provide more support for those with more severe disabilities. They provide the same level of support... exactly as much as is needed for THAT person to have equal access. More will be needed by some, but they don't get more because they are more disabled. They get more because we want everyone to have the same level of access, and they need more to get there. Dr. Jane Jarrow

Amber, The key statement here is, "A person with a disability is likely to be well aware of their limitations, and it's their responsibility to know how to overcome them in order to succeed in a career." It is not only their responsibility -- it is their area of expertise. Most people with disabilities have worked out lots of great coping strategies to deal with their individual challenges -- things that we, as educators, would never have though of because we haven't been in that position. We need to acknowledge that expertise, that comes from hard-won experience. Dr. Jane Jarrow

Yep! You recognized it for what it is. In the field of disability services, we refer to such a witch hunt as "informing your own bias." It is nothing more or less than a way to justifying your right to treat and consider the student differently... and it doesn't fly! I am always more than happy to share information with faculty who want to know how they can help, while I am less than forthcoming with faculty who only want to confirm their suspicions. Dr. Jane Jarrow

Theresa, I'll bet your discipline is something from the math or science field (that is, YOUR major was in one of those fields as an undergraduate, right?). Folks who come from such a background are most comfortable in dealing with right and wrong answers. There is no "gray area" in doing a math problem. But working with students with disabilities is full of "gray areas." If you can get comfortable with the idea that it is alright to work with (and around) options to standard procedures, you'll do fine -- and so will your students! Dr. Jane Jarrow

Dennis , Just remember that SOMEONE has control over that exam, and that if the student has a documented need for extended time for disability-related reasons, there has to be a way to make sure that it happens. You may not be the problem, but you can still be part of the solution. Dr. Jane Jarrow

That's true, Ramona. But there are ways... and then there are ways... of saying things to people. The trick is to be honest without being discouraging! Dr. Jane Jarrow