Re: Graduate School & Disability Accommodations Question

[Guest guest]

Is there someone above this person in the Disability office that you

can talk to? or someone higher up int he uni or elsewhere. As I seem

to remember you know a bit about the ADA etc. Is there a copy of the

specific acts/laws etc that state that they must help you in everyway

they can to make your life at uni less limiting etc. As it seems to

me sure they may have budget issues but they are not even (or at

least to me don't seem to be) willing to try to help/ accomodate your

needs as a student and more importantly as a disabled student (if

ythey can't help with the simplest of tasks then they shouldn't be

working in an office for disabled students (I mean this is one of the

groups of students where the MOST help is needed on individual cases)

Is there a local disability advocasy group who can back you up in

your fight to get your rights of a note taker, decent notes (without

the added costs (why should you be penalised because you cannot write

(do they ask blind students to take there own notes??) or for

students in wheelchairs to pay to use the lifts to bypass stairs,

this is stupid. I mean the people in this office's SOLE reason for

being is to help students like you with things like note takers and

THEY shold at least know what laws do cover them et and why they MUST

supply etc.

Good Luck in your quest/fight to get the note takers and notes that

you need (and without the cost).

Sharon

Australia

> I just started grad school last week. My fingers bend backwards,

making it

> extremely difficult and painful for me to take notes for an

extended time.

> My classes are each 3 hours long. I provided appropriate

documentation to

> the school and they provided letters to my instructors informing

them of my

> need for a note taker and extended test time.

>

> My instructor made the required announcement to ask for a note

taker for me,

> but he wasn't familiar with how to handle the procedure of getting

the notes

> to me. I mailed the school's Disability Office asking for their

assistance

> in recruiting a note taker and for their policy on how the notes

are to be

> copied. Their answer (below) essentially told me I am on my own

for both

> issues.

>

> It is my understanding that Section 504 of the Rehab Act also

applies to

> graduate school. The following is from the University's website

about their

> ADA policy.

>

> " Providing meaningful access to courses for disabled persons is not

> preferential treatment, it is aimed at providing equal

opportunity.... When

> a student's disability prevents him or her from fulfilling a course

> requirement through conventional procedures, thoughtful

consideration should

> be given to alternatives, keeping in mind that academic standards

must be

> maintained. Innovative and flexible solutions may include extended

> assignment deadlines, use of word processing equipment, or taped

responses

> in class or on examinations. "

>

> So, my question is this. Does anyone have any experience with

requesting

> ADA/504 accommodations at the graduate school level.

>

>

> Disability Services

> >

> > My instructor made the announcement at the start of class on

Thursday

> > requesting a note taker for me. No one came forward to provide

notes.

> The

> > instructor was unfamiliar with how to handle the note-taker issue

as he is

> > new to City U.

> >

> > Being new myself, I wasn't sure how to answer his questions. How

does

> City

> > U seek a note taker for me and what is the procedure by which I

will

> receive

> > the notes?

> >

> > I require extra time for testing. What is the procedure the

instructor

> will

> > follow for allowing me the extra time?

> >

> > -Barbara

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

When i too read the emails I didn't see anything in there that had

anything to do with her now total turn around about the note taker

charging $10 etc. She just didn't think you would be bothered to look

up the laws or to know them and thought she could intimidate you into

NOT taking it any further (as can be seen by the 180 degree turn

around when you quoted the 504 whatever at her). And what difference

should it make if it is private or public you are still disabled

either way and they are still under the same laws either way (same

for kids in private primary or secorndary schools (it isn't only for

those who attend public education it is for DISABLED students and the

disabled in general).

I am glad that it has been settled for the time being and here is

hoping that she crawls back under her rock.

I have been lucky I did a correspondence course and it was supposed

to be completed in 12 weeks but when we (being one of the staff at

the commonwealt rehab services (here is Oz this is for people who

have been injured at work or need help getting back to work after an

injury or disability etc) my case worker at the time who got me to do

the course (as a break from medical appointments etc and got my

workers comp insurere to pay for it)) talked to them I was allowed to

take as long as I needed (it ended up taking me nearly 2 years but I

finished it and I got very high marks (95-100% on ALL assignments) as

I put a LOT of work into it and at the time my RSD was in a HUGE

flare up and I was undergoing knee and shoulder surgeries as well as

trying to get a diagnosis and everything else. But I FINISHED IT....

They were great and willing to help me out when I needed it (even

though it was correspondance).

Good Luck Barb

Sharon

> In my anger last night, I sent an email to the disability services

office

> which started with the sentence, " what part of my 504 rights do you

not

> understand? " I then proceeded to tell them that it was their

responsibility

> to recruit a note taker and to pay for copying the notes.

>

> Having received no response to my email, I called the disabled

student

> services office at 11:00 am this morning. I asked to speak

directly to the

> person in charge, but the assistant answered. The assistant had

been the

> one who had emailed me yesterday. She asked my name and when she

realized

> who was calling, she said she was looking at my file and was taking

care of

> things. She quickly started telling me about the exam proctoring

works for

> extended test time. That was not my primary concern, but I was

interested

> in that answer as well. She said the instructor would choose from

a list of

> available exam proctors and the instructor would handle

everything. As I

> explained to her again, my instructor is new to City U and he knows

nothing

> about how to handle the situation. She said she was planning to

call him

> today to explain things to him.

>

> I brought her back to the issue of note-taking. She said she would

notify

> the business office at the Renton campus to allow us free use of

the copier.

> She further stated that her original comment was that the

university would

> not pay for note-taking services, i.e. if the other student were

charging me

> $10 a page or something. I've re-read her original email and mine,

and I

> don't see how she could have meant it that way.

>

> My question:

> " Being new myself, I wasn't sure how to answer his questions. How

does City

> U seek a note taker for me and what is the procedure by which I

will receive

> the notes? "

>

> Her answer:

> " The Disability Resource Office is not responsible for:

> Funding notetaker for the class, expenses incurred for notetaking

for a

> course will be paid for by the student.

> Any expenses incurred for notetaking for this courses is your

> responsibility. "

>

> In any case, the issue of paying for the copies was handled. The

business

> office on campus will allow my note taker to make copies for me

after class.

>

> However, I do see a potential problem loomin in one of her

comments. I

> explained to her how things were handled at my other schools in

terms of

> note takers and accommodations. She said, " well those probably

weren't

> private universities, what schools did you attend? " Her position

is that as

> a private university, they aren't required to provide the same equal

> accommodations as a public university. I'll be watching this

closely and

> see how things go. I will also apply for Voc Rehab as so many

people have

> suggested.

>

> -Barb

[Guest guest]

When i too read the emails I didn't see anything in there that had

anything to do with her now total turn around about the note taker

charging $10 etc. She just didn't think you would be bothered to look

up the laws or to know them and thought she could intimidate you into

NOT taking it any further (as can be seen by the 180 degree turn

around when you quoted the 504 whatever at her). And what difference

should it make if it is private or public you are still disabled

either way and they are still under the same laws either way (same

for kids in private primary or secorndary schools (it isn't only for

those who attend public education it is for DISABLED students and the

disabled in general).

I am glad that it has been settled for the time being and here is

hoping that she crawls back under her rock.

I have been lucky I did a correspondence course and it was supposed

to be completed in 12 weeks but when we (being one of the staff at

the commonwealt rehab services (here is Oz this is for people who

have been injured at work or need help getting back to work after an

injury or disability etc) my case worker at the time who got me to do

the course (as a break from medical appointments etc and got my

workers comp insurere to pay for it)) talked to them I was allowed to

take as long as I needed (it ended up taking me nearly 2 years but I

finished it and I got very high marks (95-100% on ALL assignments) as

I put a LOT of work into it and at the time my RSD was in a HUGE

flare up and I was undergoing knee and shoulder surgeries as well as

trying to get a diagnosis and everything else. But I FINISHED IT....

They were great and willing to help me out when I needed it (even

though it was correspondance).

Good Luck Barb

Sharon

> In my anger last night, I sent an email to the disability services

office

> which started with the sentence, " what part of my 504 rights do you

not

> understand? " I then proceeded to tell them that it was their

responsibility

> to recruit a note taker and to pay for copying the notes.

>

> Having received no response to my email, I called the disabled

student

> services office at 11:00 am this morning. I asked to speak

directly to the

> person in charge, but the assistant answered. The assistant had

been the

> one who had emailed me yesterday. She asked my name and when she

realized

> who was calling, she said she was looking at my file and was taking

care of

> things. She quickly started telling me about the exam proctoring

works for

> extended test time. That was not my primary concern, but I was

interested

> in that answer as well. She said the instructor would choose from

a list of

> available exam proctors and the instructor would handle

everything. As I

> explained to her again, my instructor is new to City U and he knows

nothing

> about how to handle the situation. She said she was planning to

call him

> today to explain things to him.

>

> I brought her back to the issue of note-taking. She said she would

notify

> the business office at the Renton campus to allow us free use of

the copier.

> She further stated that her original comment was that the

university would

> not pay for note-taking services, i.e. if the other student were

charging me

> $10 a page or something. I've re-read her original email and mine,

and I

> don't see how she could have meant it that way.

>

> My question:

> " Being new myself, I wasn't sure how to answer his questions. How

does City

> U seek a note taker for me and what is the procedure by which I

will receive

> the notes? "

>

> Her answer:

> " The Disability Resource Office is not responsible for:

> Funding notetaker for the class, expenses incurred for notetaking

for a

> course will be paid for by the student.

> Any expenses incurred for notetaking for this courses is your

> responsibility. "

>

> In any case, the issue of paying for the copies was handled. The

business

> office on campus will allow my note taker to make copies for me

after class.

>

> However, I do see a potential problem loomin in one of her

comments. I

> explained to her how things were handled at my other schools in

terms of

> note takers and accommodations. She said, " well those probably

weren't

> private universities, what schools did you attend? " Her position

is that as

> a private university, they aren't required to provide the same equal

> accommodations as a public university. I'll be watching this

closely and

> see how things go. I will also apply for Voc Rehab as so many

people have

> suggested.

>

> -Barb