Accessible Student Services: Short Presentation

Purpose

After this presentation, staff and administrators will be able to:

• summarize rights, responsibilities, and needs of students with disabilities
• describe departmental and individual rights and responsibilities to ensure equal opportunities for students with disabilities in their student service area
• list strategies for working with students who have disabilities
• describe accessible campus resources available to assist with facility and service design and the provision of accommodations for students with disabilities

Length

Approximately 20-30 minutes.

Presenter

Little experience working with students with disabilities is required to deliver this short presentation. It could be delivered by the student service director to introduce the topic and then at a later date, have a person from disability support services provide more specific information about accessibility issues and campus services.

Preparation

• Select presenter(s).
• Develop presentation outline and activities using the sample script and the ideas listed in the Presentation Tips section of this handbook.
• Create transparencies from overhead transparency templates, or use the PowerPoint™ version of the visual aids (available online at https://www.washington.edu/doit/students-disabilities-and-campus-services-building-team; follow the "PowerPoint Presentation Slides" link). Add information about resources available to your campus to the overhead transparency or PowerPoint slide entitled "Resources" and to printed publications, as appropriate.
• Choose video(s):
  • Access to the Future: Preparing Students with Disabilities for Careers,
  • Equal Access: Universal Design of Computer Labs,
  • Equal Access: Campus Libraries,
  • Equal Access: Universal Design of Instruction, or
  • Equal Access: Student Services (for other student service units or mixed audiences)
  • Real Connections: Making Distance Learning Accessible to Everyone
• Choose and photocopy relevant handout template(s):
  • Access to the Future: Preparing Students with Disabilities for Careers
  • Equal Access: Universal Design of Advising
  • Equal Access: Universal Design of Career Services
  • Equal Access: Universal Design of Computer Labs
  • Equal Access: Universal Design of Distance Learning
  • Equal Access: Universal Design of Financial Aid Offices
  • Equal Access: Universal Design of Housing and Residential Life
  • Equal Access: Universal Design of Instruction
  • Equal Access: Universal Design of Libraries
  • Equal Access: Universal Design of Recruitment and Undergraduate Admissions
  • Equal Access: Universal Design of Registration
  • Equal Access: Universal Design of Student Organizations
  • Equal Access: Universal Design of Student Services (for other student service units or mixed audiences) 
  • Equal Access: Universal Design of Tutoring and Learning Centers
  • Real Connections: Making Distance Learning Courses Accessible to Everyone
• Photocopy a presentation evaluation instrument from pages 133-136, or create and photocopy your own instrument.
• Link from your unit's web pages to The Student Services Conference Room.

Equipment and Tools

• Overhead visual and projection system; Internet connection (optional)
• Presentation evaluation instrument (pages 133-136)

Presentation Outline

1. Distribute handout(s) and evaluation instrument.
2. Facilitate introductions.
3. Introduce topic.
4. Introduce and play video.
5. Discuss accessibility considerations in Equal Access handout and next step for making your service unit more accessible to students with disabilities.
6. Collect completed evaluation instruments.

Resources

For further preparation for this presentation, consult The Student Services Conference Room.

Accessible Student Services: Short Presentation Sample Script

• Show Visual #1

Today I will deliver a short presentation about how you can effectively work with students who have disabilities and wish to use your campus service. We will discuss your rights and responsibilities as well as those of students with disabilities. You will learn strategies for working with students who have disabilities. I will also inform you of how to access resources for assistance with accommodations.

Advancements in technology and increased job specialization have resulted in career opportunities in fields that were once considered unsuitable for individuals with disabilities. Many of these careers require knowledge and skills obtained through higher education. Although the number of individuals with disabilities seeking postsecondary education has increased significantly in recent years, they are still underrepresented in many academic and career areas and are less successful than other students.

Federal legislation prohibits discrimination against students with disabilities and mandates that they have equal access to postsecondary programs and services. This includes access to student services, courses and information resources.

The handout Equal Access: Universal Design of Student Services (and/or other handout(s) provided to the audience) Services provides an overview of staff and student legal rights and responsibilities, along with examples of universal design strategies, accommodations, and resources to assist us in our efforts to ensure equal opportunities for all students in our programs and services. The video that I will now show highlights key steps in designing an accessible service.

• Show video Equal Access: Student Services, or other selected video for a specific campus service: Access to the Future: Preparing Students with Disabilities for Careers, Equal Access: Universal Design of Computer Labs, Equal Access: Campus Libraries, Equal Access: Universal Design of Instruction (for faculty or tutoring and learning center staff), or Real Connections: Making Distance Learning Accessible to Everyone (for distance learning designers and instructors).

The people featured in this video have described accessibility problems and solutions. We have seen how effective universal design solutions and accommodation strategies are often simple. They require awareness, creativity, and flexibility.

Your handout expands the concepts presented in the video into a checklist of items to consider in making your service unit accessible to everyone. (Discuss list as time permits.) Are there any questions or comments related to access issues in your campus service unit? What could be a next step toward a more accessible services?

Resources

• Show Visual #2

Here are some resources that might be useful to you as you work to create equal access to your campus services for all students. (Elaborate.)

• Show Visual #3

For comprehensive information on working with students with disabilities in postsecondary campus services, including universal design strategies, accommodations, a wide range of case studies, frequently asked questions, and general resources, visit The Student Services Conference Room.

This resource was developed by DO-IT at the University of Washington as part of a nationwide collaboration of more than twenty postsecondary institutions. It provides resources to staff and administrators so that they can make their services and programs accessible to all students. You can link to this resource from ____ (Arrange to make the link from your campus/departmental disabled student services home page before the presentation). Consider linking to this website from your departmental or office web pages.

Thank you for your time today and for your interest in finding ways to ensure that all of the students in our programs have equal opportunities to learn, explore interests, and express ideas.