Faculty and Staff Information

Protection for Faculty

If a student reveals to you at anytime that they have a disability and that they need an accommodation, you should refer them to SSS office. If an accommodation is appropriate the student will deliver a notice of accommodation prepared by the advisor to student with disabilities. The accommodation is not retroactive, but becomes only applicable from that point in time you receive the notification form.

The accommodations outlined in the letter are determined by the advisor in SSS based on the student's specific disability, documentation prepared by a professional(s) in the appropriate field, and previous education history. These accommodations have been deemed reasonable and necessary in order to promote equal access to the college for students with disabilities.

It is critical that no other accommodations be offered to the student without contacting the advisor to determine if it is deemed appropriate in light of the functional impact of the particular disability.

Contacting the Office will protect you from acting "on behalf" of the College. The Disability Office is the only approved entity to verify a disability and determine an accommodation. Any approved changes will be noted in the student file.

Faculty Factoids

Recognizing that a disability and its manifestation and impact is as individual as the individuals themselves, these link categories are for the purposes providing information in a general way.

Learning Disabled /LD

This could be wdat a learning bisadleb qerson fepuently hasto contenb with when attemqting ot nead a dook.

A person with a learning disability often displays a large discrepancy between what they are able to achieve and what they are actually accomplishing.

Click here for more information

Attention Deficit Disorder/ ADD

Those with Attention Deficit Disorder are significantly more distracted by sights, sounds and thoughts than persons without the disorder.

Click here for more information

Blind/Low Vision 

Braille is not always the choice of persons who are blind, sometimes enlarging the print is sufficient. Also computer software is available that will read aloud digitized text.

Click here for more information

Deaf and hard of hearing

Hearing loss is quantifiable, but there is no single solution or correction.

Hearing aids do not "fix" a hearing loss and at best, only 30% of a spoken message can be understood through lipreading. Those with a hearing loss may or may not choose to use sign language.

Psychological

Psychological disorders can often be linked to a biological disorder. These students can't "just snap out of it" and are frequently on stabilizing medication. Contrary to some beliefs, are not prone to violence any more than a student without this disorder.

Faculty and Staff Responsibility

 It is the responsibility of the faculty to work in conjunction with Student Accessibility and Support in providing approved accommodations and support services, in a fair and timely manner. Students should initiate a meeting to discuss the accommodations.

• Include an accommodation statement on every syllabus and read aloud to students during the first week of class. (follow this link for a copy of the current syllabus statement) 
• Review your class rosters each semester on Self Service and identify students with approved accommodations.  
• Discuss with the student the accommodations or arrangements approved by the Coordinator of Disability Services and how they will be implemented in your class.  Keep in mind not all accommodations will apply in all classes and a student may not wish to utilize some or any of their accommodations in your class.
• Contact the Coordinator of Disability Services if you have any concerns about the requested accommodations. The student's documentation is considered a medical record and therefore does not qualify to be part of the student's records and is not subject to faculty inspection.
• Provide the accommodations either personally or by making arrangements with the SSS office.
• Assuring the confidentiality of any information relating to a student and a disability. At no time should the class be informed that a student does have a disability.
• Shred all documents after the student is either no longer in your class or the session is completed.
• Ensure that the student with a disability is held accountable for the mastery of material as all students; although it may be demonstrated in a different manner.
• Ensure testing will occur in an appropriate manner. If the test will be administered in a location other than the classroom, ensure all directions are communicated to the test administrator. Coordinate test delivery and return with the test administrator.Testing Procedures
• Complete and return any accommodation follow up inquiry.
• Complete captioning instructional form on-line when needed.

Responsibility of Students and SAS

Responsibilities of Students

It is the responsibility of the faculty to work in conjunction with Student Accessibility and Support in providing approved accommodations and support services, in a fair and timely manner. Students should initiate a meeting to discuss the accommodations.

• Voluntarily self -disclose a disability to the Student Accessibility and Support.
• Present accommodation notification letters from Student Accessibility and Support to faculty. These should be presented on or before the first week of class. Should a student self-disclose a disability during the semester, present the letter as soon as the accommodation has been approved to the faculty member.
• Behave appropriately as outlined by the Student Code of Conduct.
• Demonstrate mastery of course material at the same level as other students, although it may be demonstrated in a different manner.

Responsibilities of Disability Office to Represent the College by:

• Accepting and maintaining confidentiality of documentation verifying a disability.
• Evaluating the documentation and determine the accommodation.
• Being available to students and faculty to answer questions to assess and reassess with student and faculty input, when necessary, accommodations that do not fundamentally alter essential academic components.

Possible Accommodations

Notetaking Services

Students approved for this accommodation will provide you with the accommodation form indicating its appropriateness and then the student will either make the request of a fellow student or ask for your assistance. If asked to assist, you should announce to the class that a notetaker is needed for this particular class and that activity would qualify the student for credit on an OCCC activity transcript. The volunteer will receive specialized paper from the Disability office. Please, Do not identify the student needing the services. The volunteer should be asked to meet with you after class. A) the student w/the disability may meet w/you and the notetaker after class or b) you can direct the volunteer to the SSS office.

(Deaf students needing notetaking services will be an exception to this procedure- arrange with the interpreter.)

Extended Time on Exams and Quizzes

Testing Procedures

The student who is eligible for extended time for testing purposes has provided documentation about the impact of the disability on this activity. Extended time is appropriate to assure equal opportunity to show content mastery by providing time that is necessary to compensate for the disability.

A study was conducted at the University of California, Berkeley* which has since been replicated a number of times with comparable results. Students with and without certain disabilities were tested on a timed test and given extended time. The study showed that for students w/disabilities, the extended time made a significant difference in performance. For the students w/out disabilities, the added time did not make a significant difference in performance. No matter how logical it seems to say "everyone would do better if they had extra time", there is documented evidence to show this is not the case.

*M. Kay Runyan (February, 1991), Journal of Learning Disabilities, Vol. 24(2), pp.104-108.
Alster, E.H. (1997), Journal of Learning Disabilities, Vol. 30, pp222-227.

If a student is approved for extended time, the extension should be given for tests and in-class work only. This does not apply to work that is done outside of class, except in rare cases that will be stated clearly in the accommodation form from Student Accessibility and Support. A structured syllabus with assignments and time-lines is highly desirable.

Interpreting Services

Students using sign language as their means of communication will be provided with an interpreter as an accommodation. The interpreter will serve as the "voice" of the student and the "voice" of the instructor. Although the instructor will need the interpreter for communication with the student, the student is not the responsibility of the interpreter.

Classroom Captioning

Primarily for hard of hearing students who do not sign, classroom captioning involves a service provider and equipment. This service provider functions similarly to an interpreter, by providing the verbal instruction in a real time electronic format in order for the student to be able to fully participate. Transcripts provide accommodations to the student only and will not be made available to any other person.

Video/Web Captioning

When using video instructional material it must be captioned.  Audio only material must have transcripts available.  

Alternative Format

This may be a request to enlarge the font on your handouts or provide that information to the Disability office in order for it to be scanned and prepared for use with Assistive Equipment, such as a screen reader. If that is the case, the office will need the print out prior to the time it will be handed out in class.

Assistive/Adaptive Technology

Specialized equipment and software can be an accommodation for students that need to read and write or do math in a different manner. Software that "speaks" or types a verbal message is available. There are several locations on campus where students can access the equipment.

Assistive Listening Device

The instructor will be requested to wear a microphone attached to a transmitter. The student will have the receiver and a device that will allow the student to "hear" the voice of the instructor.

Flexible Attendance

There may be times when a student would have a legitimate disability-related reason for missing classes above and beyond those absences allowed under any existing policies without penalty. However, this accommodation would be discussed with the faculty to ensure the academic integrity and purpose of the course is not jeopardized.

Service Animal

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defines a service animal as any guide dog, signal dog, or any animal individually trained to provide assistance to an individual with a disability. A service animal is used by a person with a disability to facilitate access. There may be some restrictions imposed, for example, service animals may be prohibited in clinical practicums of nursing and health science programs, in food service programs, or in laboratories that can pose a safety risk. These exceptions are determined on an individualized basis to determine whether the animal poses a possible danger, and if other reasonable accommodation can be provided. Overall, it is the student s responsibility to ensure the safety of the animal and abide by cleanliness procedures for the animal while on campus.

A patron must show that the animal is certified as a service animal, is licensed and the animal must have a health statement , including vaccinations from a licensed veterinarian dated within the past year. The animal should wear some type of commonly recognized identification symbol at all times. A service animal may be excluded from campus when that animal s behavior poses a direct threat to the health and safety of others. When an assistance animal is determined out of control as reported by students, staff or administration, the infraction will be treated on an individualized basis.

Testing Procedures

Click here to view the testing procedures

 

Web Accessibility

The College has adopted procedure 3063 for web accessibility. These guidelines were obtained from the U.S. Department of Education's Procedure to Meet Accessibility Standards.

All web pages and corresponding software must adhere to the accessibility standards in conjunction with section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act and with Oklahoma H.B.2197.

Procedure for Emergency Evacuation of Persons with Disabilities

During an evacuation process, faculty members have a primary responsibility to assist students under their care, including students with disabilities.

1. College faculty/staff members, who have individuals in their class, activity, event, or work/office area with mobility disabilities who need assistance to safely evacuate the building from the first floor of any college facility, should provide assistance to the individuals(s) by escorting them to the nearest exit.

2. The faculty and/or staff members(s), having a person(s) with mobility disabilities needing to safely evacuate from the upper floors of the library or the upper floors of the Main or Arts & Humanities buildings, shall place the person(s) needing assistance on the landing, inside the nearest fire stairwell, in such a manner as to permit other persons using the fire stairwell to exit unimpeded from the building. The fire stairwells have been designated by the Fire Marshall as an area of safer refuge. Emergency phones are located outside the door of these designated emergency stairwells to notify emergency personnel. Each stairwell will be marked by appropriate signage.

3. Fire stairwell locations are listed below:Main

• Building: (located in the corners of the building) per the following areas:

Second Floor Areas	Third Floor Areas
2-R-1	3-M-8
2-R-6	3-P-1
2-L-8	3-K-0

 

• Arts and Humanities (at the end of each hallway) per the following areas:

Second Floor Areas	Third Floor Areas
2-E-0	3-E-0
2-E-5	3-E-5

 

• Library stairwell exits

Located at each of the above fire stairwells, there is a College Emergency telephone that may be utilized to communicate with the office of Campus Police (7747).

4. The faculty and/or staff member(s) are asked to use the College Emergency call boxes at each stairwell to communicate w/the Office of Campus Police the location of the person needing their assistance. After a verbal call box response from the Campus Police, the faculty/staff member(s) may leave the building.
5. College Security personnel and personnel from responding emergency agencies will provide safe departure, for persons needing assistance from the fire stairwell landing (and from other areas of the buildings) to the exterior of the College facility.
6. Ensure a student with a visual impairment is escorted to the exit or safe refuge.
7. Direct a student with a hearing loss with gestures to an exit if no interpreter is present.

Seizure Disorders

What to Do

Should a person have a seizure, the faculty person should notify campus emergency responders at 7747 or at any call box near stairwells and entries.

Keep calm and reassure other people. This is an important step.

Remove any close objects or furniture that is easily moveable.

Stay with the person until the seizure ends naturally or emergency responders arrive.

When the seizure is over the student may be very tired and need to leave the class.

Your Influence

Text Books / Curriculum

Text Books

Oklahoma Legislature passed a law that states when purchasing text books we should purchase from publishers that make an electronic format (e-text) available as well as print. Other states have more stringent requirements.

E-text enables the student to use assistive/adaptive equipment to "read" the book.

Please recommend the purchase of textbooks from publishers who can assure e-text for students to purchase as well as the print version.

Curriculum Review

Use the curriculum review process to identify essential elements of a course. If determined "essential" then a student with or without an accommodation must be able to perform that element or the student be "otherwise qualified."

By proactively defining what is essential to a course of program of study, in content and procedure, and accommodating nonessential elements, the principles of academic freedom are preserved without impinging on the basic civil rights of students with disabilities.

If you can imagine a situation where the College would waive a course requirement, as for an athlete on some campuses, then it is probably NOT an essential element. Speediness seldom stands up when examined under Section 504 and the ADA, as an essential course or exam element.