Questions? Book an appointment with Robin today.
Robin Goodall
Coordinator of Disability Services
(802) 728-1278 | robin.goodall@vtc.edu
Students have the right to equal opportunities for education and participation in Vermont Tech activities. Students must meet or exceed the essential requirements of the Vermont Technical College with or without accommodations. Students can initiate the request for accommodations and/or services at any point in the semester, understanding that accommodations do not work retroactively, in partnership with the disability services coordinator, communicate with faculty regarding accommodations and work with the Disability Services Coordinator as needed.
This is one of those places where the differences between students’ experiences in high school and their experiences in college diverge, sometimes dramatically. In high school, generally, parents serve as the advocate and driver of the special education process, and the teachers and Special Ed folks take responsibility for coordinating all of the services that a student receives. And that’s a keyword, “receives”. You, the student, are the RECIPIENT of services that are designed to teach you in a way that is suited to your particular needs. Sometimes, that means that content is changed, or assignments are reduced, or someone outside your classroom teacher organizes material for you. The experience that you have is always a bit different from the rest of your peers. And that’s the way it should be. Part of the mandate under IDEA after all is to make sure that you learn. Hopefully, along the way, you absorb some of the techniques that they are showing you…
When you come to college, the playing field changes a bit. In college, it is expected that you will deal with the same content, the same assignments, and the same LEARNING as the rest of your classmates. That can be an important distinction. You may come at the task of learning that content a bit differently (assistive technology can be really important here), but the learning itself will be the same. Remember, accommodations, when they are put together well, are curb cuts that allow you to go about the business of being a learner with independence and dignity. When you graduate with your degree, in whatever it is, you will have the same credentials and the same store of knowledge as the rest of your class.
In high school, there was probably a meeting once a year, that you may or may not have attended, where your IEP or 504 plan was developed. The Special Educator or Guidance Counselor took responsibility for making sure that all of your teachers were informed, and you and your family were notified about your rights under the process and given copies of the document. At Vermont Tech, you and I will meet together, review your documentation, and develop your plan. I will make sure that you have a copy of that plan and we will have a conversation about how you disclose. After that, it’s up to you. You get to choose which teachers you share your plan with and how your accommodations will be used. For example, perhaps you will use your testing accommodations (if you have them) on every single assessment that you are given. Or, maybe you will choose to only use them on hourly exams… Or midterms and finals… The point is, you are in charge. We can meet at ANY point during the school year to revisit those accommodations if you feel they need adjustment, or to problem solve any issues that you may be encountering. You can initiate the process at any point during the school year – there is no hard and fast rule about when you have to begin how we proceed together. As much as humanly possible, we will work it out in a way that meets YOUR needs. Always.
Our documentation guidelines here at Vermont Tech are designed to provide information to the Coordinator of Disability Services as we work to build those curb cuts that will allow students to go about the business of learning. They are only part of the story though. Students’ self-reporting as to their experience as a learner is just as important. The guidelines are built to be flexible for providers so that they can do their part to tell your story, but at the end of the day, it is the student’s story. Feel free to download these guidelines and share them with your provider. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask!
Disability Services at Vermont Tech is committed to clarity of communication in our support of students. By identifying the essential dimensions of documentation, the college allows for flexibility in accepting documentation from the full range of theoretical and clinical perspectives. This approach enhances consistency and provide stakeholders (students, prospective students, parents and professionals) with the information we need to assist students in establishing eligibility for services and receiving appropriate accommodations.
Adapted from the AHEAD Guidelines for Best Practices in Disability Documentation, 2006
Disclosing a disability to a professor can feel awkward and uncomfortable. The decision to do this is yours, of course, but there are several things you can do to make it more comfortable and productive.
Face-to-face meetings with your instructors are an excellent way to educate instructors about disabilities and to help both of you feel at ease. You might even want to “rehearse” what you will say with the Coordinator of Disability Services or with a close friend.
Schedule your meeting as early in the semester as possible. This allows time to work out accommodations and helps your plan to be implemented as quickly as possible. You do not need to go into great detail about your disability, but you should tell your instructor about the impact it has on you as you study and do class work. Be willing to discuss what is difficult for you, but also talk about your learning strengths. Be willing to share some of the information from your documentation.
Rely on your past experiences as well. Talk with the professor about what works for you as a learner. For example, for students with auditory processing difficulties, accompanying verbal instructions with written ones (one the board perhaps) is very helpful. For students with visual processing difficulty, the use of simple fonts and sufficient white space on handouts and overheads is beneficial. Many times professors will have worked with students with issues similar to yours and will have additional ideas. Their input can be very valuable and they are the person most familiar with the demands of their course.
Discuss how your work will be evaluated, to ensure that any needs in this area are addressed. Be clear about understanding grading criteria and the format of exams. Your plan can be amended at any time, but it is better to address needs as completely as possible the first time through. It is really all about communication.
Students wishing to request the presence of an emotional support animal (ESA) should follow the regular, established process for documenting a disability as outlined above under “documenting a disability”. Documentation should be submitted to the Coordinator of Disability Services, who will keep it on file. After a review and an intake conversation with the student, the Coordinator of Disability Services will make a recommendation to Residence Life as to the reasonableness of the request.
Since emotional support animals are not covered by the Americans With Disabilities Act, but by the Fair Housing Act, students then will work with Residence Life and follow their procedures before the animal is allowed to come to campus. Emotional support animals are only allowed in the Residence Halls, and not in any other campus buildings. Requests for an emotional support animal can take up to 60 days to process.
Questions? Book an appointment with Robin today.
Robin Goodall
Coordinator of Disability Services
(802) 728-1278 | robin.goodall@vtc.edu
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