Mohawk College of Applied Arts and Technology

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Mohawk College of Applied Arts and Technology

• Services for Students with Disabilities

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Agenda

• Transition to Post-Secondary
• Disability Services
• Who registers with Disability Services?
• What is a Case Manager?
• What is a Learning Strategist?
• Accessing Services
• Student Responsibilities
• Confidentiality
• Accommodations
• Other Services
• Assessment for Success
• Financial Assistance
• OSAP
• BSWD
• OSBP
• FAB

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Transition to Post-Secondary Education
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Transition to Post-SecondaryStudent issues

• I find it difficult to take total responsibility
  for my own learning.
• I find it difficult to handle the workload!
• I have problems getting myself organized.
• I get distracted in class. How can I focus?
• Im failing a course and dont know where to go
  for help.
• Im afraid to tell my professors about my
  disability.
• I wish I had a friend. Its so hard to make
  friends. It was so much easier in high school.
• Im not sure this is the right program for me.

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Transition to Post-SecondaryKeys to success

• Program fit
• Awareness of strengths and challenges
• Self-directed
• Self-advocacy
• Good support network
• Wise use of college resources

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Disability Services
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Disability Services Mission

• Promoting Self-Reliance
• Maximizing Potential
• Encouraging Lifelong Learning

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Who Registers with Disability Services?

• Students who have or suspect they have a
• Physical or medical disability
• Mental health condition
• Deaf, deafened or hard of hearing
• Learning disability
• Blind, low vision
• Acquired brain injury
• register with Disability Services in order to
  receive accommodations in and outside of the
  classroom.
• An accommodations is
• special arrangements made so that persons with
  disabilities can fully participate." - Ontario
  Human Rights Code

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What is a Case Manager?

• Case Managers are faculty who work with students
  to develop a personal program of services and
  accommodations.
• Case Managers
• Assist with educational planning
• With students, develop an accommodation plan
• Offer guidance on financial issues specific to
  students with disabilities
• Refer to Learning Strategists when needed
• Promote independence by counseling on disability
  issues
• Counsel for transition to the workplace or other
  postsecondary programs

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What is a Learning Strategist?

• Learning Strategists are faculty who teach
  students how his/her disability impacts on
  his/her learning in a post-secondary environment.
  Through assessment, evaluation of documentation
  and discussion, a Learning Strategist will
  develop an individualized learning plan support
  academic goals.
• A Learning Strategist identifies strengths and
  weaknesses and then develops strategies that
  maximize strengths to compensate for the areas
  that are challenging.
• A students Case Manager will refer students who
  are eligible for Learning Strategist services.

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Accessing Services

• Step 1
• After you have accepted an offer to Mohawk
  College you can call the Disability Services
  office at 905-575-2211.
• The sooner you do this the better, as it takes
  time to get all accommodations in place. The
  best time is in the summer before your program
  starts.

• Step 2
• When you call the Disability Services office you
  will be making an appointment to see a Case
  Manager.
• Case Managers are divided up by program and by
  disability group. The receptionist may ask you
  what your disability is to ensure that you meet
  with the correct Case Manager.

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Accessing Services(Continued)

• Step 3
• You will attend your Case Management appointment.
• You will need to bring as much information as you
  have about you and your disability. Documents to
  bring can include
• IPRC or IEP documents
• A psycho-educational assessment
• Documentation from a physician

• Step 4
• At your appointment you will speak to your Case
  Manager about the services available to you and
  the accommodations that will be put in place to
  support you while at college.

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Responsibilities of Students

• Students identify their disability needs to
  Disability Services.
• Providing accommodations is a partnership.
• Students inform faculty of their recommended
  accommodations.
• The Confidential Academic Accommodation Plan
  outlines the appropriate accommodations for each
  student. It is the students responsibility to
  provide the Confidential Academic Accommodation
  Plan to each faculty member where he/she believes
  accommodations are necessary.
• Students are not required to disclose nature of
  disability to faculty.

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Confidentiality

• Disability Services at Mohawk College is a
  confidential service. The documentation you
  bring to the Case Manager is held in confidential
  file in Disability Services.
• Confidential information is shared only with
  student consent. You will be asked to sign a
  consent form so that your Case Manager can speak
  to others who can also support your academic
  goals. Those people may include
• Mohawk faculty/staff
• Parents
• Community agencies
• It is your choice with whom your information
  is shared with.
• Limits of confidentiality

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Accommodations

• An accommodations is
• special arrangements made so that persons with
  disabilities
• can fully participate." - Ontario Human
  Rights Code

• Typical Test
• Accommodations
• Extra time
• Separate Room
• Reader and/or Scribe
• Computer and/or adaptive technology

• Typical Classroom Accommodations
• Digital recording of lectures
• Peer and/or Computerized Notetaker
• Breaks
• Educational Assistant

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Other Services
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What is Adaptive Technology?

• What is Adaptive Technology?
• Adaptive technology is equipment or software that
  is used to improve the ability of individuals
  with disabilities to work independently. Adaptive
  technology supports students by taking advantage
  of the student's existing strengths.
• A Learning Strategist assesses the need for
  adaptive technology and trains students to use,
  in conjunction with individualized adaptive
  technology strategies.

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Types of Adaptive Technology

• Text-to-Speech Software
• Speech-to-Text Software
• Organizational Software
• Portable Notetakers
• Personal Digital Assistants
• (PDAs)/Handheld Devices

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For More InformationBooking an appointment

• To make an appointment with a Disability Services
  Case Manager, please call the Student Services
  receptionist at
• 905-575-2211

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For More InformationAbout Disability Services

• For more information about Disability Services,
  you can go to
• www.mohawkcollege.ca
• Click on Mohawk Students
• Click on Help for Students
• Click on Disability Services

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Assessments for Success
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Assessments for Success

• All first year students write the Assessments for
  Success.
• Students will receive information about
  assessments in the Preparing for College
  Success package sent to all first year students.
  
• The assessments are to evaluate incoming
  students communication and mathematic skills.
• Students will be asked to write Communications,
  or Mathematics, or possibly both.

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Assessments for Success(Continued)

• If you require testing accommodations to write
  the assessments, please make an appointment with
  a Case Manager as soon as you receive your
  notice.
• For more information you can go to
• www.mohawkcollege.ca
• Click on the Assessments for Success
• icon on the main page

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Financial Assistance
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Financial Assistance

• Some students with disabilities face increased
  financial demands to accommodate their specific
  needs at college.
• There is specific funding available to support
  students with disabilities to gain some of these
  accommodations.
• The next few slides will discuss some of these
  financial assistance options. For additional
  information regarding eligibility and potential
  purchases, please speak to your Case Manager.

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Ontario Student Assistance Program(OSAP)

• Many bursaries and scholarships are tied to the
  Ontario Student Assistance Program.
• Disability Services recommends that all students
  apply for the Ontario Student Assistance Program
  whether they believe they will receive these
  funds or not.
• You can apply online for the Ontario Student
  Assistance Program by
• http//osap.gov.on.ca
• Click on Apply Online

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The Canada Access Grant

• The Canada Access Grant is up to 2000 per year
  for students with permanent disabilities.
• To receive this grant you must apply for the
  Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP).
• For more information about this grant please go
  to
• http//osap.gov.on.ca
• Click on OSAP Info
• Click on Assistance for
• Students with Disabilities

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Bursary for Students with Disabilities (BSWD)

• The Bursary for Students with Disabilities is
• Up to 10,000 for each academic year
• Non-repayable
• Taxable benefit
• The Bursary for Students with Disabilities
  provides funding for disability-related expenses.
• The expenses can include
• Equipment, computers, software
• Tutoring needs
• Psycho-educational assessment

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Bursary for Students with Disabilities Eligibility

• Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
• Demonstrate financial need.
• This means that you must be Ontario Student
  Assistance Program (OSAP) eligible.
• Have no previous default of an Ontario Student
  Assistance Program (OSAP) loan.
• Be actively registered at college.
• You may have to repay the bursary if you withdraw
  early in term.

To be eligible for the Bursary for Students with
Disabilities a student needs to meet the
following requirements
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Bursary for Students with Disabilities Additional
information

• Students need to talk to his/her Case Manager to
  ensure that he/she is eligible and to discuss
  what types of purchases would be appropriate to
  accommodate his/her disability.

• The Bursary for Students with Disabilities is
  authorized by the students Case Manager.
  Students work with their Case Manager to
  determine eligibility and appropriate purchases
  to be made with the bursary.

• It is not recommended that students make
  purchases prior to starting college or without
  consulting with his/her Case Manager.

• Students should make an appointment to see
  his/her Case Manager once OSAP is either approved
  or denied the students application.

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Ontario Special Bursary Plan (OSBP)

• The Ontario Special Bursary Plan offers up to
  2500 per academic year.
• By being eligible for the Ontario Special Bursary
  Plan, student can also qualify for an additional
  2000 of the Bursary for Students with
  Disabilities funding
• To be eligible you need to
• Be registered with Continuing Education
• Cannot be receiving assistance through OSAP
• Be taking courses on a part-time basis

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Financial Aid Bursary (FAB)

• The Financial Aid Bursary is similar to the
  Bursary for Students with Disabilities in that it
  is designed to support the additional disability
  related costs for students with disabilities at
  college.
• These costs can include
• Tutors, educational assistants, adaptive
  software, adaptive hardware
• The Financial Aid Bursary offers varies each
  semester.

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Other Bursaries and Scholarships

• Mohawk College offers a wide range of additional
  general bursaries and scholarships.
• To find out what bursaries and scholarships are
  offered and how to apply, please go to
• www.mohawkcollege.ca
• Click on Mohawk Students
• Click on Financial Assistance
• Click on Scholarships and Bursaries

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For More InformationAbout full-time programs

• For information about full-time programs, you can
  go to
• www.mohawkcollege.ca
• Click on Choose a Program
• Click on Full-Time 2007-2008 Calendar

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For More InformationAbout Continuing Education
programs

• For information about Continuing Education
  programs, you can go to
• www.mohawkcollege.ca
• Click on Continuing Education
• Click on CE Catalogue
• After you have selected a course
• or program you can then click on
• CE Registration

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Questions