Yes I agree the college owes the student an honest answer regarding employment. If the field is not a wise choice then the student must be aware. I have worked with a nurse coworker who was born with his right limb missing at the elbow. He was a bedside nurse and performed all functions of his job. He proved with his disability that he could do the job, although he was told that employment would mostly likely be unsuccessful.
We owe it to all students, disability or not, to let them know what employers expect of them going into the field. Let's face it. So many students go into a field, especailly the medical field, becasue there is the potential to make really good money. However, if you can't stomach cleaning your child's skinned knee, is nursing the right field for you? If a foul smell makes you sick to your stomach, is working in a microbiology lab right for you? Reality checks in regards to a student's potential success in a field are necessary regardless of the student's disability or lack there of.
I believe that honesty should be given to every student especially student's with a disability because the last thing we want to do is build a bad reputation for not being honest. We are the cheerleader for the student and we want to see them while they are in the program and after completion of the program as well. We also don't want to them to put in time and money for a program that it may hard for the student to find employment in due to their disability. Being honest upfront will allow the student to make the best decision based off of the information that we have provided and again continue to build value.
I think that the school should make the student aware of obstacles they may face due to their disability. However, I don't think they should stereotyped for that disablilty. Each person has their own indiviual challenges and ablilities to overcome those challenges. Each student should be assesed indiviually and handled on a case by case basis.
Absolutely. I agree that we need to be realistic and honest with all of our students and ensure that the career field they choose will be the best suited for them. I believe anyone can do anything they put their mind to, I believe in the power of mankind, with that being said there are things that some people will just not be successful at or enjoy in certain conditions and us being coaches of their success should guide them to something suited for them and that will give them preparation for success.
Times change rapidly. 50 Years ago, one would never have expected a blind MD or a deaf nurse, yet accommodations and new technology have advanced to the point that it's possible to work in those fields with a disability.
I think that a school absolutely should inform the student with a disability about their chances of employment within the field. As an instructor in the criminal justice field, there are few jobs a blind or deaf individual would be likely to have simply because their disability would be a safety and security issue for themselves or others.
For example, many students in the criminal justice field want to be police officers. A police department would not be able to hire a blind or deaf individual based on the simple fact that they would be a safety and security risk for themselves or other officers. This information should be passed on to the student so they can make their own informed decision from that point.
Being open about future employment certainly should be an expectation and students deserve an honest discussion about their options.
We do owe it to the student to be honest about their chances of employment. But this should not prevent us from enrolling the student into the program after we have disclosed to them the realities of the real world. Some of the greatest success stories have come from those who have faced the greatest adversities.
I feel it is an important part of the educational process to be "real" about the individuals chances of employment in the field. However, I have witnessed firsthand students that have overcome significant obstacles and become gainfully employed in their chosen field, against the odds.
I think that even if a student had a disability or not, its appropriate to acknowledge that they may not be suitable for the major they are considering. So, I think that as a team effort , the student needs direction and help to become the most successful person that they can be... What if there was a student that could not grasp certain information in one course- would we let them just continue on and possibly fail or would we have a discussion with them to help them succeed?
As a trades instructor on both the high school and college level I feel it is important to give the student a complete understanding of the on-the-job physical requirements as well as any environmental or safety issues that may impact their health. Someone with a disability may be more likely prone to exposure to hazardous materials or environments through no fault or their own, but they must be made aware of the consequences of their choice to pursue such a career. I've never denied any student the ability to prove themselves capable, even if it meant that I had to modify my approach to imparting their desire to succeed.
Elizabeth,
I agree. I think that we are seeing more and more traditional colleges and universities (not just proprietary institutions) that don't realistically set expectations for student both during their coursework or as they prepare for post-graduate employment.
Sarah Smoger
Noreen ,
I'm so glad to hear that your institution has a process for this. It will serve both the institution and the student well.
Sarah Smoger
I agree with you Ms. Sarah. The college as well as admissions, career services and such needs to be upfront with regard to a students ability to obtain gainful employment after a certificate or degree program has been successfully completed. It seems to be that most colleges are just looking to push students into any direction a placement test will best suit rather than preparing the student for any career field he or she wishes to enter.
As an instructor I believe it is very important to be honest, yes we still need to have some compassion with students and their chances of employment / entrepreneurship out there in the real world. Being honest far outweighs any sugar coating that we put out there.
Yes, I think that you are doing the student a disservice if you set them up to have the struggle of finding employment after completion. At our institution we have a planning session that goes over any and all obstacles that they will face during and after the program. This gives them all the information they need to make an informed decision.
Darien,
Hard to say Darien without knowing exactly what the student's functional limitations are. I'm also not familiar with what the technical requirements are for the Network Administration program. Without knowing that information, I would (as the ADA administrator of the campus) request a meeting with the program chair, the student and invite anyone who may wish to join as the student's advocate (maybe a parent, spouse, voc rehab counselor, etc.) to go through the curriculum assignment by assignment. Discuss reading requirements, provide examples of tests, quizzes, projects, group work, computer programs and other technology used/required, etc. I would initiate a discussion about what things the student may need accommodations for. Determine if they are reasonable, if the student with accommodation can still meet the technical requirements and program competencies. From there, we make some decisions about accommodations and if the program seems to be a fit for the student. We let them know what we can provide and what we can't (or are not legally required to do. In conclusion, if the student met all of the admissions requirements, let the student decide if they wish to continue with enrollment.
Sarah Smoger
Sarah, I've been a witness to how our institution determines "reasonable accommodations". The notion of providing "full transparency" regarding program expectations is a moving target in ADA cases as the words, "Full", "Transparency" and "program expectations" are subject to institutional compliance interpretation and processes.
How would you handle a wheelchair bound, speach challeged, and spasm oriented disabled person who wants to study Network Administration?
Latasha,
I agree there is a fine line, however, usually, we can only work with what we have at that moment. We want to set appropriate expectations. I've seen so many changes and advancements with technology over the last 15 years, that nothing surprises me! Great story and thanks for sharing.
Sarah Smoger
Shannon,
I couldn't agree more! Great assessment.
Sarah Smoger
