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(Narrator) Amrit has a disability.

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It's just not obvious 
to most people.

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And the wheelchair has absolutely 
nothing to do with it.

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(Amrit) I have ADD.

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And...it's cool.

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(Narrator) The wheelchair is a temporary aid 
because he had foot surgery recently.

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Most people can relate to that; we've all known 
someone who broke a leg skiing or tripped

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over the dog and 
sprained an ankle.

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It's harder to understand a permanent 
disability that others can't see.

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Especially when that disability 
affects how the brain works.

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(Amrit) I go to a private school, 
I'm on a scholarship,

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I'm really smart; 
so I have no problem learning.

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I just have a problem 
focusing on things.

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(Narrator) Jesse, a college sophomore, 
also has an invisible disability.

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(Jesse Shaver) I have dyslexia, and for me 
that means a great difficulty with spelling;

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it means I have difficulty telling directions, 
so I've been known to go left instead

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of right or right instead of left.

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It means that I had a whole lot 
of difficulty learning to read.

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(Narrator) A car accident in 7th grade 
left Laura with some permanent injuries.

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One of those disabilities is invisible 
until she explains it.

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(Laura Bersos) 
I have a traumatic brain injury, yeah.

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And so with that there comes a lot 
of memory issues, like when I was in the accident,

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I lost like a lot of vocabulary; I ....I....

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now what I have to do is, and which is kind of 
more difficult for me, is I can't get straight

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to the point of what I'm trying to express, 
so I talk my way through it.

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So with vocabulary I have to talk 
"it's that thing that you drive into right in front

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of your house, you know-- oh, a driveway!"

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(Narrator) These are three of the many students 
on campus who look just like anybody else.

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In other words, they have disabilities 
which aren't easily noticed.

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And sometimes, that leads 
to misunderstandings.

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(Bea Awoniyi) You may look at a student and you say, 
you know, you look like every other student in the class,

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what do you mean 
you need note-taking?

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What do you mean 
you need extra time on the test?

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(Sheryl Burgstahler) So it won't be 
apparent to the faculty member

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that a student has a disability,

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but that disability may impact 
their participation in the class.

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(Teacher) Does it go directly 
through the walls of the heart?

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(Narrator) Sometimes, students with invisible disabilities 
are perceived as lacking in intelligence,

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or as just not paying attention.

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That happened to Nate before he was 
diagnosed with a learning disability.

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(Nate McCoy-Winston) And they'd look at me 
and they'd be like, Oh, well, you're faking,

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you're playing around, you're just 
not trying hard enough or something.

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But I was trying.

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(Jesse Shaver) My father has learning disabilities 
and actually his mom does too,

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so there's a history there and my parents 
kind of wondered if something was going on.

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But the school kept saying, 
"He's just a little slow, he'll pick it up."

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So by the end of second grade 
I still couldn't read at all.

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The number of college students with these 
types of disabilities continues to grow.

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(Al Souma) There's a very good chance 
that we'll be seeing a lot of these students

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in our classrooms over the years.

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Now with the new wave of psychiatric medications 
that is out there, students are finding

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that they are able to 
concentrate better and participate

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in classroom activities 
more than ever before.

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(Narrator) Invisible disabilities may 
affect the way a student processes,

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retains, and communicates information.

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He may not be able to screen out 
distractions, making it hard to focus.

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She may not have the stamina for a full class load, 
or be able to interact well with others.

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And anxiety may make it difficult to take tests, 
or to approach professors with questions.

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(Rebecca Cory) Every person 
experiences their disability differently.

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So even students that have the same label or 
the same diagnosis for their disability are going

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to have a different experience 
of that disability.

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You can't assume that because of the label, 
the student's going to have the same needs.

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So we want to make sure that we work with 
every individual on a case-by-case basis

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to figure out what's best for them.

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(Narrator) Professors may have 
safety concerns about students

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with particular disabilities, 
such as seizure disorders.

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It might feel like 
too much responsibility.

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(Sharon Bittner) Students with seizure disorders 
often are very well controlled with medication,

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so they're really not going to see 
frequent seizures in the classroom.

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It is important, however, for an instructor 
to know what to do in the event of a seizure.

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And if the student discloses and says, 
"I have a seizure disorder," then it's very easy

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for the disability services officer 
to talk with him and say,

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"What would you like for 
your instructor to know?"

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(Narrator) There might also be concerns 
about psychiatric conditions.

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What if a student has an outburst?

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What if his behavior disrupts the class?

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(Al Souma) There is a common myth out there 
that individuals with mental health issues

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or psychiatric disorders will present a larger 
problem to the instructor in the classroom,

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when in fact that is not the case.

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(Audrey Smelser) We would encourage faculty 
to refer those students who have some outburst

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in class to the counseling center for us 
to work with them on stress management,

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appropriate behaviors, 
just as we would any other student.

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(Narrator) Familiarity with 
conditions such as Asperger

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or Tourette Syndrome can help faculty 
feel more comfortable

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with a student's occasional 
lack of social skills.

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(Linda Walter) Sometimes students with Asperger's 
don't have the filter to be able

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to stop asking questions if there are 
certain things that they want to know.

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So they may monopolize a lot of class time 
and one of the things that we really try to work on

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is a signal where the professor 
can let the student know that,

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"You've asked enough questions, and I will help you, 
but it's just not going to be now."

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(Andrew Lyon) The media does a lot to play on 
Tourette Syndrome, for instance Deuce Bigelow,

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the second movie, I guess the main guy, 
dated all these people that sort of had problems,

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and one of them had Tourette Syndrome, 
but it was one of the most rare cases

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and she would just scream swear words, and so 
whenever I talk to people who have seen

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that movie, they always say, wait, Tourette Syndrome, 
isn't that where you scream bad words?

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And I'm like, I wouldn't say that, 
it's not like that at all.

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(Narrator) Students with invisible disabilities may
or may not need accommodations in a college classroom.

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If they do, it's their responsibility 
to self-disclose, provide documentation

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of a disability, 
and request accommodations.

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However, they may choose not to 
let anyone know about the disability

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and just try to "make it on their own."

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(Rosezelia Roy) A lot of individuals choose not 
to self disclose because they feel the pressure

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and the stress that is related to it.

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In previous years, before coming 
to postsecondary education,

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a lot of times they're labeled; and when they get 
to us they feel that this is a brand new day

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for me and I don't want anyone 
to know that I have a disability.

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(Narrator) That's usually not a 
recommended course of action.

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It can be stressful for both 
the student and the professor.

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(Suzanne Tucker) There are times 
faculty are frustrated with students

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because they self disclose 
later in the semester.

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They don't do it at the 
initial start of a semester.

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And they often will come to the disabled 
student service person and say, "Oh, you know,

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why didn't this student disclose?

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Why did they wait 'til they 
did badly on that first exam?"

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And I think, you know, 
there's not one answer.

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Often students, because of the hidden 
nature of their disability, that risk of having

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to disclose, being judged by their professor, 
is one that prevents them

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from taking that initiative 
and disclosing.

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(Narrator) College students with disabilities should 
contact the disabled student services office

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on campus before they start classes.

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The staff people there will typically 
check documentation of the disability,

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determine appropriate accommodations,

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and give the student a letter 
authorizing those accommodations.

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(Bea Awoniyi) What we look into is, 
How does that disability affect

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that specific person 
for that specific class?

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And then we make a determination of 
what types of accommodation

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will be reasonable 
and what will be appropriate.

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Not all accommodations are reasonable 
and not all accommodations are appropriate.

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(Narrator) 
An accommodation is not appropriate if it would:

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If an accommodation request seems unreasonable, 
a compromise could be discussed

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between the professor, the student, 
and the disabled student services staff.

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(Rebecca Cory) I was working with a student 
who had Tourette Syndrome, which is a disability

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that causes her to experience 
some physical and vocal tics.

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And this student was taking a chemistry class, 
and was working with a chemistry professor,

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and the professor was concerned 
that these physical tics may cause a hazard

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in the chemistry class, 
in the laboratory specifically.

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And so we worked with this professor 
and the student to get a lab situation

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that was not going to be 
a problem for the student.

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We replaced the glassware with plastic 
when we could, and with Pyrex when we could,

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and we paired the student 
with a lab partner.

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So that if there was a chemical 
that the student might have a difficulty handling,

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in case she had a physical tic 
during the handling of it,

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the lab partner would handle those specific 
chemicals and the student was still working

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in a situation that was safe,
and she could learn what she needed to learn.

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(Teacher) I'm going to see 
if I can find those sunspots.

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(Narrator) Students with disabilities 
have the right to confidentiality.

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If a student appears to be struggling in class, 
but hasn't requested accommodations,

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the professor is not advised 
to ask if a disability is involved.

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But there are acceptable ways 
to offer assistance.

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(Bea Awoniyi) It's okay for the professor 
to call the student and say,

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"It seems as if you are struggling 
with the concepts in this class.

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Is there anything 
I can do to help you?"

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(Narrator) You could suggest resources on campus, 
such as tutoring or instructional centers,

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and include disabled student services 
as one of those resources.

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A very good plan is to include a statement 
on your class syllabus,

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inviting students to talk with you 
about any disability-related concerns.

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For example, you could say:

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This will make students with disabilities 
more comfortable discussing accommodations.

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(Suzanne Tucker) It's letting students know that you care 
and that you're open and responsive,

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and that's one of the biggest barriers 
that students confront.

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They want to know that when they 
approach a faculty member,

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especially if your disability's one 
that's not obvious or apparent,

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that they've got a faculty member 
who's already invited that disclosure.

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(Narrator) A student may request accommodations 
for the classroom, assignments, and exams.

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Some commonly-requested 
classroom accommodations include:

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(Jesse Shaver) I use my laptop 
in class extensively

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for both notes and for 
things like essay tests.

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I'll email them to a professor at the end 
of the class, and so they are in their inbox

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when they show up 
in their office afterwards.

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(Narrator) 
Assignment accommodations include:

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(Andrew Lyon) I've received extra time from the teachers, 
a reasonable amount of extra time,

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saying that if I don't get this assignment 
accomplished, I have until later to get it in.

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Accommodates for exams include:

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(Amrit) Extra time on tests.

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I have problems taking tests, 
that's my major issue is

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that I can't take tests 
to the best of my ability.

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Like I can do my homework, I can study, 
I can memorize; but I can't take the tests very well.

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(Laura Bersos) For some classes, I'm allowed 
to take oral tests, because I can work my way

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to the answer and they'll understand 
that I'm actually saying the right thing,

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it's just that when written, 
it's like, la, la, la.

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(Narrator) In some cases, accommodations 
may extend beyond the classroom.

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For example, a medical student might 
eventually need to do clinical work.

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An individual discussion 
of options may be necessary.

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(Deb Casey) What I would most likely talk about 
are the technical standards of the program.

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Can this student meet 
the technical standards?

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So sitting with the student who wants to go 
into the College of Nursing, I may say to them,

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"Okay, here are the technical standards 
for this program.

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Are you able to perform these standards 
in order to graduate from the program?

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Not just participate, but 
be able to graduate from the program.

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And included in those technical standards 
are some of these field work sites,

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clinical experiences, 
hands-on aspects of working

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with patients - are you able to do that?"

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(Teacher) So it's a good idea 
to look through the list.

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Like we're going to...

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(Narrator) Good teaching can 
minimize the need for accommodations.

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By using principles of universal design 
in your instruction,

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you'll maximize learning 
for all students in your class.

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(Bea Awoniyi) When we talk about universal design, 
we are not talking about something

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that is out of the ordinary, but is 
teaching to a wide variety of individuals.

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So preparing ahead of time, thinking about 
the different types of learners that you may have

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in the class, and making sure that 
those individuals can participate.

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(Sheryl Burgstahler) Universal design strategies 
are usually not difficult to employ.

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For instance, as you're designing your course, 
you might think of alternative assignments

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for students: they might write a paper, 
they might give a presentation,

205
00:15:01,416 --> 00:15:05,905
they might put together a portfolio 
to meet a requirement in class.

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(Narrator) These alternatives work well 
for students with a variety of learning styles

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and backgrounds, 
including those with disabilities.

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(Al Souma) For example, having notes available 
in the library, having notes available online,

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having books available and syllabuses available 
before class starts

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so students can get, 
have access to that.

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(Narrator) Planning your curriculum 
with universal design can reduce

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or eliminate the need 
for accommodations later,

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and that's helpful 
for both faculty and students.

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(Meryl Berstein) If you're designing your class work 
so that it will accessible to all students

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in class, it might take a little bit longer 
for you to do that initially.

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But the benefits of it to you, as well as 
to the student, will be reaped later.

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Because once you've done it, 
you've done it.

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You are not going to have 
to re-invent the wheel.

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Other elements of universal design 
which may be particularly helpful to students

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with invisible disabilities include:

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such as multiple choice and essay

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(Bea) When we adopt the principle of 
universal design, that minimizes the amount

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of accommodations that we're going to need, 
and students who are in the class

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who have disabilities may not even 
have to ask for accommodations any more.

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Of course, that doesn't mean that we're 
not going to have anyone requesting accommodations;

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we just limit the number of accommodations 
that we have to provide.

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(Narrator) Finally, just listening to students 
will let you know what they need

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to be successful in your class.

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And who knows?

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They may be teaching your children some day.

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(Laura Bersos) I want to teach middle school.

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I want to be a math teacher, and one of the 
main reasons I want to teach is because,

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have you ever gone through, like, a problem 
or something where it's just like,

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"Oh, I don't understand what 
they're talking about, aargh!"

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And then you have that click, and then 
you have that huge smile on your face.

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I want to help kids get that everyday.