Bruce,
You are exactly right... the opening prompt was rhetorica1! The law promises protection from discrimination for people with disabilities. It does not discriminate across disability categories. Everyone with a disability is equally protected. While the general public tends to believe that "visible" disabilities (blindness, deafness, physical disability) are more debilitating, the law (rightly) recognizes that is not necessarily the case.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
What is meant by a more severe disability. Under the law a disability is a disability. The law levels the playing field so all have equal opportunity to reach their goals.
I am not sure what you mean by "heal people" in that sentence, Michael. Can you clarify, please?
Dr. Jane Jarrow
I have a member in my family who I work on and helps me practice in this line of work. There is so mucha potentional in this field and what we can do to heal people.
John,
I can't argue with you there, John. But experience suggests that sometimes students -- all students -- are only willing to consider making better and different choices when they come to the conclusion ON THEIR OWN that the other avenue is not viable. Saying, "you will never be successful here, so we aren't going to let you try" only gives the student an excuse to keep pushing for the unreasonable. "I could have done it if they would have let me try!" The phrase, "experience is the best teacher" is (unfortunately?) true for bad experience, as well as good experience!
Dr. Jane Jarrow
I'm glad that you see the dilemma we in proprietary education are in with regards to this situation. While I understand the basis of this decision, it may actually turn out to be crueler to the individual that is bull headed and decides to still attend.
John,
You aren't going to like this answer, but, YES. The federal government says that no school (including a proprietary school) can turn away someone because you don't think they can get a job in the field **if the reason you believe that is simply because they have a disability.** The Feds have put proprietary schools in a difficult position, because part of your accreditation is based on career placement numbers. But the fact remains that there are other students who enter your program who are not ultimately successful (either in completing the program or in getting employment). To exclude someone ON THE BASIS OF DISABILITY ALONE is considered discrimination. The answer to this dilemma does not lie in your admissions decisions. It lies in developing clear and concise technical standards that you can lay before a prospective student and have a frank conversation about how the student intends to meet those technical standards for the program -- because if he/she cannot make it through the program of study, they certainly aren't likely to find employment in the field. THAT is when you have the conversation with the student about available options... after they have come to their own conclusion about the viability of their pursuit.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
First of all, I never said that those students didn't have the RIGHT to be in the classroom. What I meant was that there is a line where a school like mine, proprietary, must look at the benefit to the student. Would you have us take a disabled person's educational funding to prepare them for a career field that they could not possibly find employment? ie, a deaf sound engineer?
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
The level of protection afforded all individuals with any types of disability by Section 504 and the ADA are intended to enable all individuals to have equal access. Some severe disabilities would prohibit some individuals from participating in a classroom setting. While unfortunate, it would not be reasonable to expect an institution to make accommodations for an individual that wouldn"t be able to benefit due to the nature of their disability,
In the language of Sec. 504 and ADA, there is room for more support for more severe disabilities. It provides equal access. This could mean that more severe disabilities require more accomodations.
Kevin,
That is exactly why the law doesn't provide any lesser level of protection to one person with a disability than another. Not only is disability not always obvious -- impact of the disability is not always obvious, either. You are right on target here.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
Disabilities are not always obvious. I could be a severely Type 1 diabetic who needs a "snack break" over the course of a 5 hour lab class in order to help control my blood sugar level. And I would still call this at least a potentially "severe" disability. (As blood sugar dropping too low can cause diabetic coma or even death.)
Serious disability issues are the same whether they are seen or unseen. All should be given the same "opportunity" to succeed, not necessarily given an advantage at succeeding.
Elizabeth,
You would think that was true, wouldn't you? But (ironically), students with learning disabilities and attention deficit disorders often need MORE academic accommodations than do students with more "traditional" disabilities. The issues for students with traditional disabilities tend to be about logistics, and can be supported by the disability service provider. The students with LD and ADHD are the ones who need support and attention from the faculty member. And... just for the record... students with LD and ADHD often need (and ask for) notetakers, as well!
Dr. Jane Jarrow
Regardless of the disability, the individual is entitled to equal access under Section 504 and ADA. The law doesn't require additional support or protection for one type of disability over another...otherwise qualified individuals must be given equal access. However, the person with blindness or a spinal cord injury would probably need more support(note taker, interpreter, etc.) then an individual with a learning disability who may only need extended testing time.
Lizzie,
I am glad your daughter had such a positive outcome, and I am in full agreement that people with invisible disabilities are often discounted because they don't LOOK disabled and thus folks believe they are not severely impacted by their disability. But I wouldn't want anyone reading your post to get the wrong impression and think that because of the excellent schooling your daughter got, she is no longer dyslexic. She has, apparently, mastered some wonderful coping strategies that make all the difference for her. Not all students who are dyslexic are able to manage their difficulties so efficiently. The purpose of the law, and of accommodations, is to assure that these students are provided with necessary support so that the DISability doesn't mask their ABILITY.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
I feel that children and adult with the learning disabilities are overlooked, simply because they do not appear as if they have a disability. Just because these people aren't in wheel chairs doesn't mean they do not have a problem. Others choose to look down upon these people as if they are "stupid " or less than equal to others. My daughter was diagnosed with Dyslexia after I started noticing her not being able to comprehend things on her own. I was eager to know what her school coud do to help. They offered me nothing to help my daughter, so I turned to the Board of Education. They recommeded a school and my daughter started attending. This school has faculty that specializes in Dyslexia,I started to noticing a difference right way. It's like they taught my daughters brain to look at things differently. Before I knew it she was seeing the correct numbers and letters. To this day my daughter loves reading, I can hardly get her to put books down! A lot of children and adults are affected by disabilities that go unnoticed and affect themtheir entire life. Some people struggle daily just to write their name and event state their address. They feel ashamed because they know this isn't normal but are too embarrassedto tell anyone or seek help. Disabilities should be confronted not ignored or overlooked.
Michele,
You are exactly right. In fact, there is even wording to that effect within the law. The ADA prohibits discrimination against "people with disabilities or a class of people with disabilities". In other words, you may not favor people with one disability over another.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
The law assures equal access for people with disabilities. Each person with a disability is an individual case. There may be some generalities for example, that are true for persons with spinal cord injuries, but still each person is treated as an individual with how that health challenge translates in their body, life, circumstances, choices, etc.
The request for an accommodation needs to be looked at in the same way. Although there might be two students with spinal cord injuries, their request to have equal access will possibly present in a different way.
I would think that creating categories according to disability and labeling one severe and the other not, is a form of discrimination.
The law is about equal access not about one person needing more support than another.
