Multi Lilly Workshop

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Maximizing Ability And Opportunity
Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities at MSU
February 2, 2006
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Welcome!

• Introductions.
• Why we are here.

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Legal Framework

• University policy.
• State and federal laws.

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MSU Anti-Discrimination Policy

• Prohibits discrimination and harassment on the
  basis of disability status.

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Federal and State Laws

• ADA
• Section 504
• MI Civil Rights Act for Persons with Disabilities.

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What is a Disability?

• A physical or mental impairment that
  substantially limits one or more of the major
  life activities of the individual
• A record of such an impairment or
• Being regarded as having such an impairment.

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Major Life Activities

• Breathing
• Sleeping
• Seeing
• Hearing
• Walking
• Learning
• Taking care of oneself

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Equal Opportunity

• Non-Discrimination.
• Accessibility
• Programs
• Facilities
• Services

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Reasonable Accommodation

• Any modification or adjustment to the academic or
  work environment that helps assure equal
  employment or educational opportunity for a
  qualified individual with a disability.

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Qualified Individual with a Disability

• A person who, with reasonable accommodation, can
  perform the essential functions of a particular
  job.
• A person who meets the academic and technical
  standards requisite to admission or participation
  in the educational program or activity.

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Reasonable Accommodation

• The University must provide reasonable
  accommodations to qualified employees and
  students unless the accommodation would pose an
  undue hardship on the universitys operation or
  the activity.

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Reasonable Accommodation

• Do not need to eliminate essential job functions.
• Bona fide academic requirements need not be
  modified or eliminated.
• Need not provide personal devices or personal
  services.
• Allowing misconduct or poor academic performance
  is not a reasonable accommodation.

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Need your help

• We all play a part in developing tomorrows
  leaders. With your help and a little knowledge
  about people with disabilities you can help
  Maximize Ability and Opportunity.

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Perspective on Disability

• Persistence, creativity, camaraderie and adaptive
  skills combined with a sense of humor enable
  people with disabilities to exceed the
  expectations of most.

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When my disability seems like a disability

• Disabilities are toughest to conquer at onset, in
  new settings and when others exhibit negative
  attitudinal expectations.

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The RCPD Mission Lead Michigan State University
in MAXIMIZING ABILITY AND OPPORTUNITY for full
participation by persons with disabilities.
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RCPD Philosophy

• Disabilities need not preclude the achievement of
  goals and dreamsrather, they mandate a greater
  level of creativity, commitment and a repertoire
  of compensatory techniques.
• The team of professionals at the RCPD is ready to
  assist students, employees and visitors with
  resources that create an environment of
  opportunity.
• We value full integration of persons with
  disabilities throughout the university mission,
  programs and services.
• We believe that persons with disabilities at MSU
  are as much in control of their educational/work
  experience as a person without a disability.

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RCPD Staffing Major Functions

• Staff are specialized to provide highly-tuned and
  expert analysis along disability, topical or
  programmatic lines.
• RCPD Specialists are available to
• Provide disability-related information and
  referrals.
• Identify population, document disability and
  conduct needs assessments.
• Facilitate reasonable accommodations.
• Provide disability-related technical assistance,
  auxiliary aids/services, advocacy and training.

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Admission Policy

• Students with disabilities are undifferentiated
  during the admissions process and must meet all
  MSU standards of academic rigor.

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Hiring Practices

• Employees with disabilities are generally
  undifferentiated during the interview/hiring
  process. They must be able to meet the essential
  functions of positions in which they work.

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Disability Prevalence by Type 2004-2005 --
Students
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Disability by Prevalence Type 2004-2005 --
Employees
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Employees with Disabilities Registered with RCPD
2004-2005
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RCPD Students by Area of Study
Data based on students enrolled during Fall
semester 2005.
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RCPD Students by Degree Status
Data based on students enrolled during Fall
semester 2005
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RCPD Registered Students with Disabilities
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Procedural Overview for Students

• Self-identify
• Document
• Individualized assessment with Disability
  Specialist
• VISA/VISTA Generation
• Re-evaluate and adjust where needed

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A closer look at the VISA

• Physical appearance Legal size setting it apart
• VISA Reference Number unique number that serves
  as a deterrent to document tampering
• Accommodations are prescribed with opportunity
  for feedback from faculty if concerns exist for
  negative impact on course operations
• Back side contains background and summary of
  roles for each party

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Procedural Overview for Employees

• Self-identify
• Document
• Individualized assessment
• Disability Resource Coordinator for Employees
  will receive accommodation requests and
  collaboratively identify reasonable
  accommodations with the employee and supervisor.
• Disability Resource Coordinator for Employees
  will communicate accommodation determinations
  with the employee and supervisor.

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How accommodations are determined

• Students
• Documentation
• Previous accommodations
• Syllabi
• Curricular requirements
• Discussions with student and professors
• Other advisors, University Physicians Office,
  Registrars Office, Deans Office

• Employees
• Documentation
• Written job description
• Actual job duties
• Visiting work site
• Discussions with employee and supervisor
• Other Human Resources, University Physicians
  Office, Affirmative Action Office, General
  Counsels Office

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Some typical accommodations

• Students
• Alternative format materials
• Assistive technology
• Alternative testing
• Note-taking assistance
• Housing accommodations
• Sign language interpreters
• Real-time captioners

• Employees
• Alternative format materials/ways of
  communication
• Assistive technology
• Work-site modifications
• Sign language interpreters
• Real-time captioners
• Schedule flexibility

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Assistive Technology

• Technology is one of the most important tools for
  mitigating the impact of a disability and
  providing independence. RCPD employs an
  Assistive Technology Specialist to maximize
  campus availability of assistive technologies
  with impact on many disability types.
• The Accommodating Technology Committee advises
  Vice-Provost for Libraries Computing and
  Technology on purchases and planning that makes
  MSU more technologically available to people with
  disabilities.

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Alternative Format Production

• Please submit books in accordance with university
  and bookstore policies to facilitate alternative
  format production.
• RCPD produces over 275 text and course related
  packets each year for students with print-related
  disabilities.
• Volunteers are always needed and welcomed!

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Alternative Testing

• Accommodations vary but the most common include
• Need for 50 extended time
• Reduced distraction environment
• Separate testing room RCPD has limited facility
  space so faculty are encouraged to facilitate
  whenever possible.

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Scholarships

• Two Major RCPD scholarships
• Samaritan Scholar Award for undergraduate
  students -- five 3,000.00 awards.
• Friendship Memorial Scholarship for graduate
  students two awards up to 4,000.00.

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Study Abroad

• Traditionally underrepresented but improving
  involvement by students with disabilities
• Need for advanced planning with a team comprised
  of RCPD specialists and Study Abroad Office
• New programming underway

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RCPD Awards and Appreciation Reception

• Students, faculty and staff recognized for
  promoting ability and opportunity
• On-line awards nomination forms
• Over 20,000.00 in scholarship awards annually
• Most attendees report this is one of the most
  uplifting and memorable campus traditions

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Model Statements for Inclusion

• Model statement for course syllabi
• Michigan State University is committed to
  providing equal opportunity for participation in
  all programs, services and activities.
  Accommodations for persons with disabilities,
  with documentation from the MSU Resource Center
  for Persons with Disabilities, may be requested
  by contacting insert Professor name or "me" at
  the start of the term and/or two weeks prior to
  the accommodation date (test, project, etc).
  Requests received after this date will be honored
  whenever possible.

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Model Statements for Inclusion

• Model statement for public event
• "Michigan State University is committed to
  providing equal opportunity for participation in
  all programs, services and activities.
  Accommodations for persons with disabilities may
  be requested by contacting Name, Affiliation,
  contact info by date. Requests received after
  this date will be honored whenever possible."

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Job Applicants

• If a person volunteers that he/she has a
  disability which makes it difficult to perform
  particular functions of a job, or
• if the selection official believes that a
  persons readily-apparent disability might make
  it difficult to perform certain job functions,
• the selecting official may ask job-related
  follow-up questions, such as describe how you
  can perform the job.
• Source U.S. Office of Personnel Management

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Job Applicants

• Hiring decisions should not take into account the
  additional costs associated with providing a
  reasonable accommodation to an applicant with a
  disability.

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Confidentiality

• All medical documentation related to
  accommodation requests is maintained only by the
  RCPD. Such documentation is kept confidential,
  except as necessary to administer the
  accommodation process.

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Who Pays for an Accommodation

• Student accommodations for credit-based courses
  are centrally funded by RCPD.
• Employee accommodations are funded by the hiring
  unit.
• If the unit needs assistance to fund an
  accommodation, the MAU administrator should be
  consulted.

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Who Pays for an Accommodation

• Accommodations for extracurricular activities and
  public events should be funded by the sponsoring
  unit.

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What to Do When a Dispute Arises

• Internal options
• Request for RCPD reconsideration
• ADA Coordinator in the Office of Affirmative
  Action, Compliance and Monitoring

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Other Internal Options for Resolution of
Disability Discrimination Complaints

• Anti-Discrimination Policy (ADJB)
• Faculty Grievance Procedure
• MSU collective bargaining agreements
• ADA Grievance Procedure (not available to MSU
  students, employees or applicants)
• Time frame must be filed within 30 days after
  the grievant becomes aware of the matter giving
  rise to the alleged violation.

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Retaliation

• Retaliation against an employee or applicant who
  requests an accommodation is prohibited. 
  Individuals who feel that they have experienced
  retaliation may contact the ADA Coordinator in
  the Office of Affirmative Action, Compliance, and
  Monitoring.

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When a Dispute Arises

• External options must be filed within 180 days
  following the alleged act of discrimination
• Michigan Department of Civil Rights
• Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
• U.S. Department of Education, Office of Civil
  Rights