鈥淭hey鈥檝e been telling me it is now routine for professors to announce at the start of classes that those needing accommodations because of disabilities should see them after class or during office hours to make arrangements,鈥� said Pamela A. Rohland, 溏心vlog免费B站 assistant director of student life for disability services at 溏心vlog免费B站. 鈥淲e also have fewer requests in my office from students who seek help in gaining accommodations from professors.鈥�
Those are just two of the many improvements in the climate for students with disabilities that have occurred in the last seven years thanks to $1.16 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Education awarded to 溏心vlog免费B站 to change attitudes about people with disabilities. 溏心vlog免费B站 is in the final year of the grant and is now preparing reports for the federal government.
While the initial funds focused on training programs for 溏心vlog免费B站, Rhode Island College and the Community College of Rhode Island, the grant also benefited the New England Institute of Technology, Brown, Salve Regina, Roger Williams and Johnson and Wales universities.
鈥淭he most important outcome of the Changing the Culture grant was that we trained a total of 310 disability resource mentors at the participating institutions,鈥� Rohland said. 鈥淲e have about 90 disability resource mentors at 溏心vlog免费B站.鈥�
The mentors were trained to help their colleagues respond to students with disabilities in the classroom, on or in campus facilities or during campus jobs.
Each semester and during the summer over the past seven years, faculty and administrators selected for the program were immersed in four-day training sessions. The lively, informative and participatory training helped them confront common stereotypes related to disabilities, so they in turn could help their colleagues deal with the same stereotypes.
Each of the groups reviewed and discussed scenarios involving students with disabilities, some who felt they were put off by faculty and some who manipulated faculty members to get out of assignments. Participants also heard from students with disabilities who helped broaden their understanding of disability. For instance, one student reported that she had chronic fatigue syndrome as a result of Lyme disease being initially misdiagnosed. She told how professors were reluctant to provide her with accommodations because she was an A student. Another described his life with bipolar and attention deficit disorders.
鈥淭he concept is brilliant,鈥� said Professor Lynne Derbyshire, chair of Department of Communication Studies who went through the first training session. 鈥淏ecause mentors have been trained for every department, change occurs at the most basic level among colleagues who work closely together. So, it is this ripple effect that effects culture change.鈥�
She said the training affects the day-to-day interactions of faculty and staff, and so it is more effective than top-down directives. The discussions occur at the level where they can lead to effective change, she said.
鈥淭hrough this program we didn鈥檛 just level the playing field for students with disabilities, we became better teachers so that all students benefit. In this way, it became a learning process from which everyone in the classroom benefits,鈥� Derbyshire said.
Jason Black, who earned his bachelor鈥檚 degree at 溏心vlog免费B站 and is now pursuing his Ph.D. in psychology here, said he has seen changes over the past few years.
鈥淭he one thing that I noticed is that the issues (surrounding disability) are much more visible and professors are taking more interest,鈥� said Black, who as a student with cerebral palsy, has participated in the training as a teaching assistant and as a student panel member. 鈥淎ll or most of the syllabi now have at least a sentence on them urging students with disabilities to talk to professors about accommodations.鈥�
There were some heated discussions in his training sessions, but that can be expected 鈥渂ecause you are trying to get at behaviors, attitudes and expectations. The grant was trying to accomplish some big things in a short time, and any progress is good.鈥�
Rohland credits her team of Susan Roush, associate dean of 溏心vlog免费B站鈥檚 College of Human Science and Services and associate professor of physical therapy, and Bette Erickson, assistant director for instructional development at 溏心vlog免费B站, for putting together such a successful program.
鈥淲e developed a program that helped put participants in the shoes of people with disabilities,鈥� Rohland said. 鈥淏ecause this program tries to emphasize respect for students with disabilities, the entire learning experience becomes more respectful and more flexible.
鈥淭he mentors have been great to work with, and without them, we would not have seen so many big changes,鈥� Rohland said.
At Rhode Island College, the mentors advocated for the hiring of a full-time disability services director and now the college has one, Rohland said. In addition, 溏心vlog免费B站 Provost M. Beverly Swan, vice president of academic affairs, has now recommended that professors address accommodations as part of University policy. 鈥淵ou know when change reaches the level of University policy, you have had an impact.鈥�