Inclusion Plan for Students with Disabilities at Western Illinois University

Inclusion Plan for the Integration of Students with Disabilities in the Overall Campus Community Western Illinois University Lacy Christison, Staci Kohen, Adam McNeil, & Fernando Monge

Overview What We Already Know Issues At-Hand Current University practices Goal Key legal considerations Relevant theories Our action plan Budget Q&A

What We Already Know... The autism spectrum population on campus has increased The three areas of target integration are academic, social, and personal Services for this population have not evolved Our committee is comprised of: The Director of Disability Resource Center (who is fully on board) Residence Life Professional Faculty Member Office of Student Activities Professional Mental Health Services Professional

Issues At-Hand How do we meet the needs of the many different disabilities? How do we tackle invisible disabilities? How do we evolve the services for the ever growing population across all areas of the campus community?

Current University Practices of The Disability Resource Center (DRC) Working with students with disabilities such as: Learning Disabilities Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Mental Health Disabilities Autism Spectrum Disorder Brain Injuries Physical/Mobility and Medical Disabilities Vision and Hearing Impairments Test services Reasonable accommodations Transporation

To develop a disability services program aimed at providing personal, social, and academic integration of students with disabilities into the campus community Goal

Key Legal Considerations Affirmative Action The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) The ADA Amendment Act of 2008 The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) does not transfer from K-12 to higher education Service vs. Companion Animals - US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Miller, T. E. & Sorochty, R. W. Risk management in student affairs: Foundations for safety and success.

Relevant Theories Gibson s Disability Identity Development Model Passive Awareness Realization Acceptance Schlossberg s Marginality and Mattering Astin s Theory of Involvement Harper, S. R., & Quaye, S. J. Gibson, J. (2006). Disability and clinical competency: An introduction. Student engagement in higher education: Theoretical perspectives and practical approaches for diverse populations.

Personal Plan Service/Emotional Support Animals Universal Accessibility Across Campus Action: Provide students with service animals and/or the proper paperwork to register their own pets and understand their dos and don ts Purpose: To serve as companion for student with both visible and non-visible disabilities Execution: Inform the University community of the presence of these animals Partner up with local animal shelters Action: Improve accessibility by adding elements such as ramps, van transformation, braille translations, etc Purpose: To make it just as easy and comfortable for students to with disabilities to be on campus as the rest of the student body Execution: Create new contracts with Facilities Management that reflect these changes and audit the current state of campus accessibility Make ramps easy to reach Create an accessible sign up system for services such as van transportation Educate the DRC staff of the legalities and forms necessary for service animals Affirmative Action for Student Employment for Students with Disabilities Action: Promote affirmative action on on-campus jobs for students with disabilities Purpose: To help students with disabilities have the same opportunity at landing a job as the rest of the student body Execution: Have conversations with employers about the opportunities and advantages that come with this action Create programs that create education and awareness about the disadvantages that students with disabilities face in the workforce

Personal Plan - Advantages and Disadvantages Advantages Disadvantages Service Animals: Universal Accessibility: Students with disabilities don t have to worry about getting around campus Benefits ALL students Affirmative Action for on-campus employment: Create income for students with disabilities Helps them assimilate to the community Helps get rid of stigmas Service Animals: Universal Accessibility: Extra construction costs Affirmative Action for on-campus employment: Backlash from other students Backlash from employers Cover more than one disability Create comfort in multiple ways Extra companionship Animal waste Allergies Student discomfort Harvard Extension School Accessibility and Student Services

Social Plan DRC Student Organization Required Training for All Student Organizations Action: Create a student organization through the DRC Purpose: To serve as an organization for any and all students to come together and advocate for themselves and their peers on campus and support each other through programming Execution: Staff member within DRC will serve as primary advisor Recruit students who frequent the DRC to join and serve as leadership for the organization Recruit both within the DRC and campus-wide for students to join the organization Will be funded via a combination of student fees and the general DRC budget Action: Require one member from every current student organization to attend a disability training/ informational session on how to create accessible program for all students Purpose: To ensure at least one member of every organization is aware of the ways to create accessible programs Execution: Have students and staff at the DRC create a training program on inclusive programming Require each student organization to attend this training annually Tie participation in the training to the ability for student organization to receive campus funding Campus Programming Checklist Action: Creation of a Checklist of things to keep in mind when programming for all campus resources and offices Purpose: To help campus offices asses and create programs that are accessible for all students Execution: Have students and staff from the DRC create a Best Practices Checklist for accessible programming. Email to all staff and faculty and make available through the DRC website

Social Plan - Advantages and Disadvantages Advantages Disadvantages DRC Student Org: Student Org training: All student orgs will have someone who is at least aware of policies and best practices Benefits all students Campus accessibility checklist: Resources for all faculty and staff Simple guide DRC Student Org: Stigma of joining Could potentially restrict the DRC budget Student Org training: Creation of training placed on DRC Pushback from student organizations Possible pushback from Office of Student Activities Campus accessibility checklist: Creation of checklist on DRC No accountability still Community for all students A place for advocacy and support

Academic Plan Faculty Focus Priority Registration Action: Provide virtual information to faculty on how to best serve students with disabilities in their classrooms Purpose: To better inform faculty on how to best support students with disabilities through accommodations, conversation, and referrals Execution: Survey Faculty DRC Create, Market, and Inform Action: Allow students with disabilities to have priority registration for courses Purpose: To ensure student are able to create the best academic schedule to suit needs and accommodations associated with their disability Execution: Students - DRC Academic Advising Registrar Although not mandated, strongly encouraged through incentive program

Academic Plan - Advantages and Disadvantages Advantages Disadvantages Faculty Focus: Priority Registration: Encourages more intentional academic advising conversations adhering to student s disability needs Shows we care about student s academic success Faculty Focus: Informative Accessible Incentive based Further serves students with disabilities Engaging Academic Affairs from varying departments Unable to ensure that it s utilized Priority Registration: May be difficult to determine which disabilities are deemed feasible Places more responsibility on student May be seen as unfair

Budget Lines Additional lines added to the already existing DRC budget: Cleaning of space for service/companion animals needed through facilities management Creation of Braille signs as well as hanging of signs Building of ramps and lifts throughout campus Creation of technological system for accessible sign up for transportation services Partial budget for DRC student organization (co-funded by student fees) Creation of advanced faculty focus system from the DRC

Questions? Thank you for your time!

References Accessibility and Student Services (2016-2017) Retrieved from https://www.extension.harvard.edu/accessibility-student- services. Gibson, J. (2006). Disability and clinical competency: An introduction. The California Psychologist.39. 6-10. Harper, S. R., & Quaye, S. J. (2009). Student engagement in higher education: Theoretical perspectives and practical approaches for diverse populations. New York: Routledge. Miller, T. E. & Sorochty, R. W. (2015). Risk management in student affairs: Foundations for safety and success. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Mollica, B. N. & Keyes, J. B. (2004). Wood ramp design: How to add a ramp that looks good and works too. Retrieved from https://www.ncsu.edu/ncsu/design/cud/pubs_p/docs/rampbooklet296final.pdf