Faculty Resources
Understanding and Accommodating Students with Disabilities: A Description of Different Disabilities and Reasonable Accommodations
 Faculty need to have a clear understanding of the possible educational implications of specific disabilities. Students with disabilities may require certain accommodations, and it is important that faculty be receptive and responsive to students’ needs. Effective communication between faculty, students, and Disability Support Services (DSS) staff plays a crucial role in appropriately providing accommodations. Encourage students to discuss their strengths and weaknesses as they relate to the course, and invite them to make reasonable suggestions based on their experiences in other courses. Give students the opportunity to privately discuss with you their situation, but don't force it if they are uncomfortable. Address students naturally. Don't assume the "spread phenomenon" which generalizes from a single disability and assumes there are also intellectual, social, and additional physical deficits.
The following section provides summarized descriptions of common disabilities and some suggested accommodations, but it is in no way complete- remember that any condition that substantially limits one or more major life activity can be considered a disability. While these descriptions and suggestions can be helpful when a student with a disability is in your classroom, it is important to remember that each student is an individual, and that different disabilities create different circumstances. Even among those with the same disability, an accommodation that makes a difference to one student may have little value to another. Never assume that a student cannot participate in a class activity or complete an assignment because he or she has a disability. In fact, most reasonable accommodations are easy to arrange.
After reading the following section about different disabilities and accommodations, please continue on to the section about Disability Support Services. This section will provide specific information about DSS’s policies and procedures for reasonable accommodations. If you would like more information, please contact Disability Support
Faculty and Staff Training and Development
The staff of Gulf Coast State College’s Student Disability Support Services is committed to sharing general information about students with disabilities with the GCSC community. This includes individual consultations or group training sessions designed to provide opportunities for faculty and staff to engage in dialogue about providing accommodations to students with disabilities and have their questions answered. If you are interested in arranging a departmental training session or an individual meeting, please call Diane Randall at 4852.
Important Phone Numbers
Linda Van Dalen, Coordinator for Disability Support Services – 3834
Diane Randall, Assistant Coordinator - 4852
Testing Center - 3342 or 6071
WEBSITES
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U. S. Department of Education http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/index.html
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United States Department of Justice http://www.usdoj.gov/
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National Council on Disability: People with Disabilities and Postsecondary Education http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2003/education.htm
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