Students with Physical Disabilities

Definition 

Impairments ranging in severity from limitations on stamina to paralysis impacting physical mobility and movement.  Examples include quadriplegia, paraplegia, amputation, arthritis, back disorders, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, cardiac conditions, polio/post polio, cystic fibrosis, and stroke.

Background Information

Physical disabilities are separate from matters of cognition.  When talking to a person in a wheelchair, talk to them at eye level.  Take time to understand the person if their speech is affected.  Take cues from the individual in assistance is needed with a particular task.  Students should let faculty and staff know if help is needed depending on the severity of their impairment.  Each person’s physical rehabilitation level is different.  In seating students with these types or disabilities in class, every effort should be made to integrate them so that they can participate with their peers.

Possible Accommodations

• Leniency for occasional late arrivals, particularly in bad weather
• Extra time for tests if there are manual dexterity problems, or provide alternative arrangements for testing, including tests on computer, use of scribes, audio taping responses, or oral tests
• Extra time for assignments due to slow writing speed or medical concerns which involve time in a doctor’s office or hospital
• Partners who can function as a student’s hands or legs
• Moving a desk to allow for seating up front, if needed
• Notetakers, tape recorders, laptop computers in class, or copies of instructor and/or classmate’s notes

 

Possible Teaching Strategies

• Make sure the classroom layout is accessible and free from obstructions.
• If a course is taught in a laboratory setting, provide an accessible workstation.  Consult with the student for specific requirements, then with ODS if additional assistance or equipment is needed.
• Let the student set the pace when walking or talking.
• A wheelchair is part of a student’s personal space; do not lean on, touch, or push the chair, unless asked.
• When field trips are a part of course requirements, make sure accessible transportation is available.
• Ask the student of he or she will need assistance during an emergency evacuation.
• Treat students the same as all other students who do not use wheelchairs, scooters, or other mobility devices.

 

If you have any more questions or concerns, feel free to contact the Office of Disability Services.  We are located in the Alumni Memorial Union, Room 317.  The phone number is extension 8-1645.

Heidi Vering

Coordinator, Disability Services

ODS 10/08