Vision Loss • Your own method for alerting students NOTE: ACCESSIBLE NOTE: EVENT HOSTING about a class cancellation or disruption Vision loss ranges from total blindness to When hosting a class reception or in the services used to access your ALTERNATE FORMATS partial or low vision that cannot be corrected conference, add a standard line to invitations ACCESSIBILITY classroom or lab—to save persons Using alternate formats means making fully with lenses. Persons with vision loss may such as “Please contact (name) if you require with disabilities the effort required to information available in ways other than the have reduced acuity or a restricted field of information in an alternate format, or if any get to class. original format. Some students may be able IN TEACHING vision, and experience difficulties with depth to access information through their own other arrangements can make this event perception, night vision, and seeing colours • Your own expectations, e.g. if you computer software (e.g. translate into audio accessible to you.” and contrasts. disallow laptops, exempt students who or enlarged text). STRATEGIES & require laptops for disability-related In the invitation, describe the location of • Don’t assume the person cannot see you. reasons. To protect students’ privacy, • In addition to the original format, offer ramps, automatic doors, elevators, etc. • Take the student on a tour of the classroom plain text electronic versions of lecture communicate the exemption in a Thank you for learning about and REQUIREMENTS or lab before or after the first class. notes, email attachments, presentation broad manner that encompasses more contributing to increased Accessibility in material. To do this, save files using the • Ask the student in which format she would than disability-related reasons, e.g., Teaching at Thorneloe University and the option with the .txt extension. Html, pdf, FOR SUPPORTING like to receive information. “Students must have a good reason University of Sudbury! .rtf versions are more difficult to work with. • Feel comfortable using words such as “see”, to use laptops and must request Thank you to the Disability Services Office “read” or “look”. permission from me during my office • Design web content in an accessible AN ACCESSIBLE hours or through email.” format. at Trent University who gave us permission • Describe verbally any visual aids. to use the content of a similar brochure • If you have questions related to web • In labs use plastic where possible. 3. Describe in words what is being depicted produced by them! accessibility or how to make electronic LEARNING in any visual format, moving in a logical • Allow extra time to transcribe and process information accessible, visit the Ontario spatial pattern from detail to detail, to test questions. Ministry of Community and Social Services orient students with vision loss. ENVIRONMENT • Consider allowing students to submit Make Information Accessible website: exams electronically. 4. Keep your face in the light and adjust http://www.mcss.gov.on.ca/en/ position and posture for maximum Speech or Language Disabilities visibility, e.g. to assist lip reading. • Some persons have problems expressing 5. Use the voice projection system in themselves, or understanding written or the classroom, to assist students with spoken language. hearing loss. HOW CAN I HELP A STUDENT • Don’t assume that a person who has 6. Repeat students’ questions and allow WITH A DISABILITY WHO IS difficulty speaking also has an intellectual only one person to speak at a time, HAVING DIFFICULTY? or developmental disability. to reduce auditory stimuli that can • Allow the student to complete what he is confuse students with mental health and saying without interruptions. learning disabilities, as well as vision and Ask the student how you may Connect and seek help from the • If you don’t understand, ask the student to hearing loss. best help him or her. LU Accessibility Services Office repeat the information. 7. Emphasize the main points in lectures • Use email to communicate between and the links among concepts, using (see below). classes and keep a writing pad handy repetition, various audio-visual during class. reinforcements, and a variety of learning methods, to assist students with hearing loss, learning disabilities, and other SUGGESTIONS disabilities. FOR INCREASING 8. Respect and protect a person’s privacy. RESOURCES: ACCESSIBILITY When you inquire about students’ needs, don’t ask for details about their Accessibility Services In most cases, faculty members will receive disability. Use respectful terminology, information from the LU Accessibility Office Parker Building, Room L-210 e.g., “disability,” not “handicapped” or regarding the student’s need, including any “impaired,” or, “person with a learning 935 Ramsey Lake Road recommended accommodations. disability” rather than “learning disabled.” Sudbury ON P3E 2C6 The following suggestions may help you Put the person first. Tel: 705.675.1151 ext. 3324 Fax: 705.675.4807 provide the recommended accommodation 9. Use flexibility, creativity, and a and help you make your teaching accessible [email protected] collaborative approach to find alternate in other ways for students with disabilities. http://www.thorneloe.ca/about-us/policies-and-procedures/aoda ways for students with disabilities to 1. Most importantly: Ask the student with a achieve the required course outcomes disability how you can help meet his/her when the usual mode presents a barrier. needs. 10. Consider using Course Management 2. Consider including on the course Syllabus Products, e.g. D2L, to post handouts, in a note about: both formatted and plain text versions. Electronic posting enables students with • LU’s Accessibility Services Office vision loss and students with learning (http://www.laurentian.ca/content/ or physical disabilities to convert the accessibility-services). material into accessible alternate formats. THORNELOE UNIVERSITY/THE UNIVERSITY OF AODA REQUIREMENTS AND member unavailable); 2) the expected duration; 3) a description of alternate SUDBURY COMMITMENT TO ACCESSIBILITY WAYS TO IMPLEMENT THEM facilities or services, if available. Thorneloe University and the University of Sudbury welcome and celebrate diversity and are Requirement: Assistive Devices committed to increasing accessibility for those who come to learn, work, or visit. By using Note: post broad public disruptions in relevant teaching strategies, some of which are described in this document, faculty and teaching Assistive devices include wheelchairs, physical facilities (e.g. elevators, buildings). By assistants can help increase the accessibility of the teaching/learning experience for students walkers, canes, hearing aids, listening devices request, disruptions for a department can be with disabilities. By law, each person who interacts with students, alumni, visitors, retirees or (FM systems), laptops with screen-reading posted on the university websites, Facebook other members of the public is required to know and follow Ontario’s accessibility legislation. software, etc. Allow students to use their pages, or Twitter if the disruption will affect a assistive devices unless this use compromises large number of people. The strategies presented in this document support the principles and requirements named academic integrity. in the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service under the Accessibility for Ontarians with • The assistive device is an extension of Requirement: Accessibility Feedback Disabilities Act (AODA) (2005). In interacting with students, for example, we are to make the person’s personal space – touch only Continue to receive direct feedback as you reasonable efforts to ensure we respect four principles: • Do not make assumptions about the limits devices. Others may have conditions such if asked to, and don’t move it out of the would for any aspect of your teaching. of what the student is able to do. as arthritis, or heart or lung conditions and person’s reach. 1. Dignity (students are able to maintain their self-respect and the respect of others) • Communicate with the student and the LU may have difficulty with moving, standing, or • If your department provides special Requirements: Learning sitting for long periods. 2. Independence (students are able to do things on their own without unnecessary help) Accessibility Office to better understand assistive devices for classes, labs or field Learning about Accessibility is required for how various assistive technologies work • Offer assistance if requested or if the need 3. Integration (students are able to benefit from the same services, in the same place, and in work, know how the devices work and (a) all faculty, staff members, contractors, and to ensure solutions meet academic is urgent. the same or similar ways as others) communicate their availability. volunteers and others who interact with requirements. • Arrange information and handouts so they members of the public and (b) every person 4. Equal Opportunity (qualified students are able to have the same opportunity as others to • Provide seating at front of room to reduce can be picked up without undue bending Requirement: Service Animals involved in the development of policies, benefit from the way we conduct the learning experience) distractions. and turning. Service animals include guide dogs, hearing practices, and procedures regarding goods Requirements Include: Welcoming assistive devices, service animals, and support persons; giving alert animals, and animals who help calm and services (including education). Our • Ensure periodic breaks. • In a lab, locate equipment within reach; notice of temporary service disruptions (e.g., class cancellations); inviting feedback on accessibility; anxiety or alert their owner to oncoming public includes students, alumni, visitors, • Provide visual and tactile demonstrations. replace glass with plastic where possible. documenting special accessibility measures in your area; learning about the AODA; keeping seizures. The owner is responsible for the care retirees and others. • Provide a class or lab partner. • Arrange for a lab partner if assistance with training records; and, most importantly, taking disabilities into account when communicating with and control of the animal. fine motor manipulations is required. persons with disabilities. Learning is to take place for each person as • Demonstrate procedures and provide time • Allow the service animal in your teaching soon as practicable after duties have been for hands-on practice. • Ensure that you are familiar with the building’s emergency exit and safety venues, except where prohibited by law assigned and must occur on an ongoing • Allow extra time for the student to set up procedures for persons who cannot use (e.g. health and safety reasons). basis in connection with changes to policies, and complete lab or field work. practices, and procedures. stairs. • If, by law, the animal is not allowed, work • Allow time for the students to express their with the student to find an alternative way WHAT WOULD YOU DO? Training Records are to be kept. Thorneloe thoughts. Hearing Loss to provide assistance. University and the University of Sudbury There are different types of hearing loss. SAMPLE CASES TO DISCUSS WITH COLLEAGUES: • Avoid touching or distracting a service are tracking and reporting compliance with Mental Health Disabilities Commonly used terms are hard of hearing, animal – it is working and has to pay AODA Customer Service Training. Mental health disabilities can cause changes deafened, deaf and Deaf. Persons who are attention at all times. in a person’s thinking, emotional state, and deafened or hard of hearing may use devices Case 1: Andrew is in your class; he’s intense, Case 2: You’ve really improved your Requirement: Communicate behaviour and can disrupt the person’s ability such as hearing aids, cochlear implants, or focused, and doesn’t interact much with course with great visuals and a couple of Requirement: Support Persons Effectively to work. These changes may also affect the other students. You start your lecture and lively videos. On day one, Caleb arrives; FM systems; they may rely on lip reading. A A support person can be a personal support Communicate with a student with a disability way the person interacts with others. With Andrew immediately raises his hand, with a he uses a cane, wears dark glasses, and is person with little or no functional hearing worker, a volunteer, a family member or in a way that takes the disability into most mental health problems, the symptoms sense of urgency. When you acknowledge accompanied by an older person whom may use sign language. friend who provides physical assistance, account—in both written and interpersonal are not static and can improve or worsen him, he asks a series of very detailed he introduces to you as his note taker. You • Use the audio system in the room and personal care, interpretation, note taking, or communication. In many cases, the over time. questions about points you plan to cover wonder what you can do to ensure Caleb keep your face visible to enable lip reading. other services to the person with a disability. Accessibility Services Office at Laurentian in due course. (What you don’t know is that can benefit from all the enhancements These disabilities are often invisible. If the student is using an interpreter, • Welcome and allow access to support University will recommend to faculty ways while Andrew is a bright student, he has you’ve made to your course delivery. What speak directly to the student, not to the persons provided that the interaction does to help make courses more accessible to the • Use a flexible approach to assignments Asperger syndrome, a mild form of Autism do you do? interpreter. not compromise academic integrity. student. and assessments. that is characterized by social skill deficits, • If the student is being abrupt, • Speak clearly, precisely, at a good but not such as understanding social give and take.) • Speak directly with the person with a acknowledge the request without exaggerated volume; pace your speech What do you do? disability, not the support person. WAYS TO INTERACT commenting; redirect and refocus. and pauses normally. • Plan for support persons; save space EFFECTIVELY WITH • Permit assistance with note taking, e.g. a • Turn OFF audiovisual equipment when not for them and provide both parties with in use, to reduce background noise. handouts or lecture materials. STUDENTS WITH VARIOUS peer note-taker, taping of the lecture, etc. Case 3: Emma is a student in one of your Case 4: One of your students, Abigail, has • Summarize discussion or group work • If you charge a fee for an event, a field trip, DISABILITIES: • Permit the student a beverage if large lecture classes. She uses a wheelchair high marks so far on a surprise quiz and visually (chalkboard, projected image, etc.). or a conference, consider waiving the fee medication causes thirst. and wears a hearing aid. You use the sound on her first essay (for which she asked and for the support person. If you must charge Learning Disabilities • Avoid assuming a therapeutic role. If you • When communicating directly, get the amplification system in the classroom, and received an extension). She is a lively and a fee, publicize this fact in advance. Examples include dyslexia (problems are concerned about a student’s mental student’s attention before speaking by assume that this practice will be sufficient to intelligent participant in class discussions, but reading and language-based learning); health or emotional wellbeing, refer the saying his name and gently touching his make your teaching accessible. You see that her attendance is a bit erratic. On a couple Requirement: Service Disruptions dyscalculia (problems with mathematics); student to the appropriate service. arm or providing some visual cue. Emma also brings a recording device to the of occasions, you’ve seen her eyes close and and dysgraphia (problems with writing and • Ask the student if one ear hears better class, something you’d prefer students not head drop, as if in sleep. You are a bit annoyed Disruptions in service are to be • If a student is in extreme crisis and his or fine motor skills). Having a learning disability than the other and position yourself use. (What you don’t know is that Emma also when she shows up after a few absences and communicated for services/facilities usually her safety is compromised, call Laurentian does not mean a person is incapable of accordingly. has dysgraphia- problems with writing and asks for another deadline extension. (What used by persons with disabilities. Security (705-673-6562) and 911 for learning. Rather, it means she learns in a fine motor skills). What do you do? you don’t know is that Abigail has a chronic medical or other assistance, as needed. • Use gestures as you instruct - they • Notify students of local disruptions (e.g. different way. illness that flares up from time to time). a cancelled class or department closure), enhance understanding. What do you say? The strategies that follow directly via email, signage, and department The following are examples of ways in which Physical Disabilities • Avoid talking during a film or video. will help you meet your obligations under websites. By law, notices must indicate: 1) learning disabilities can be supported in our There are many types and degrees of physical • Avoid pacing or excessive movement – Ontario’s accessibility legislation the reason for the disruption (e.g. faculty educational environment: disabilities. Some people may use assistive this interferes with voice transmission.