Jane Jarrow

Michael, While the accommodations provided may not be as readily available on the job, the good news is that many people with disabilities gravitate to fields and to work settings that help to accentuate their strengths and minimize their weaknesses. They often "self-select" in applying for jobs that are likely to be impacted less directly by disability. Avoiding challenging situations is not something they have a choice about in the academic context, but it is something they may be able to do in the world of work. Dr. Jane Jarrow

Exactly, Michael. The issue is not about comparing one person's challenges with another. It is about making sure that, whatever the challenge, the individual has an equal chance to demonstrate their knowledge and skill. Dr. Jane Jarrow

Dave, I would say that much of the focus of the ADA and accommodations is to allow the individual with a disability to fit the job requirements of a WORKER in the field. Our goal is to make "disability" a neutral element -- that is, something that neither adds to nor detracts from the individual's performance of the required task. Obviously, that can't always happen. But that is what we hope for. Dr. Jane Jarrow

Laura, You are right -- the laws say that the individual with a disability is entitled to accommodations on the job, but there is a far greater responsibility put on that individual to identify the need for accommodation and ask for consideration. There is no "disability service provider" to be proactive on his/her behalf. That's why we generally look on the college experience as one of student DEVELOPMENT as well as accommodation. Students need to learn to manage their own disability-related needs. Dr. Jane Jarrow

Laura, Absolutely. The focus is on their status as a person with a disability, not the type or severity of disability. Dr. Jane Jarrow

Jeffery, No, you aren't mistaken. The law is about protecting equal access for "Americans with Disabilities." What is necessary in order to assure that equal access will be different, based on the type and severity of the disability. But the goal is always the same... to provide protection from discrimination... and so the obligation is the same as well -- "each according to his/her need." Dr. Jane Jarrow

Jeffery, Exactly right! If we were to discourage or prohibit folks with disabilities from entering a given field because of our own narrow views of what they can do, or whether they will be able to work IN THAT FIELD, we discount both their enthusiasm and their versatility. The ability to apply knowledge gained in one area to another place is one of the beauties of the system. I, too, am in favor of honesty -- but when we honestly portray the information and find students still enthusiastic to try, I say "let 'em!" Dr. Jane Jarrow

Carolyn, If you are suggesting that you NOTE the misspelled word (by spelling it correctly above their error) but do not penalize them for it, that sounds like a sound strategy in some courses (where spelling is emphasized but not critical). In other classes, correct spelling may be a critical element of performance (like a medical terminology class). In such a situation, encouraging students to use some form of technology to monitor and correct their own spelling may be a better solution. Dr. Jane Jarrow

Nicholas, Don't discount the possibility, though. The fact that such software is readily available these days is a tremendous boon for those who have difficulty reading. (You can find some examples of free screen readers by googling "text to speech software.") There just may be a learning curve for starters! Dr. Jane Jarrow

Nicholas, You are right. There are some good programs out there -- a lot of free reading programs that one can download from the internet. But there are two caveats... first, the information you want the system to read must be in a form that the system can decipher, and that isn't always the case. Meantime, learning to USE the systems effectively takes some time and training, too, so it may not be a solution for testing situations unless the students use them to read their books on a regular basis as well. Dr. Jane Jarrow