Policies and Procedures

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Disability Services - Student Office For Alternative Resources (S.O.A.R.)

The mission statement for the Student Office of Alternative Resources is to foster an accessible environment where individuals are viewed on the basis of their ability. Loyalist College upholds this principle of service provision to students with disabilities including deaf, hard of hearing, blind, low vision, learning disabled and mobility challenged.

Disabilities Overview

The needs of persons with differing abilities are as unique as the individual. Identifying, understanding, and accepting your disability is the first step to becoming an independant person. Meeting the needs of students at the post-secondary level represents a cross-section of special challenges. They include blind/low vision, deaf/hard of hearing, mobility impaired, learning disabled, or any other challenges a student may confront in obtaining their goal. The biggest challenge posed by a disability maybe breaking the social barrier: Knowing your own limitations and capabilities is the key for you to be able to set realistic goals. Many people are uncomfortable with a disabled person, so try to make them feel at ease; give them a chance to overcome those fears; fears which at sometime you as a disabled person might have had as well. As part of self-directed learning we encourage and support all of our students to be active and involved.

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Blind/Low Vision

Blind/low vision individuals are enrolling in the Ontario Colleges in increasing numbers, and are, thereby, creating demands for accomodations to be provided by these institutions.Many blind/low vision students are not easily or quickly identified if they do not make use of a white cane or are not accompanied by a guide dog. There are, however, characteristics which may assist in identification, including the following:

Relying on others for written communication
Reading with one eye only, holding a book at close proximity to the eyes, or viewing only a few words at a time
Making errors in copying
Taking more time and effort to complete tests and assignments, especially those with required reading
Depending on sound and touch
Experiencing difficulty in moving from one location to another
Requiring encouragement to socialize and participate in campus activities
Appearing to be unable to make eye contact.

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Deaf/Hard of Hearing

Post-secondary educational opportunities for deaf/hard of hearing individuals continues to develop at Ontario Colleges. Creating appropriate programs and developing constructive services for deaf/hard of hearing students in colleges that primarily serve "hearing" students is a challenging task.Post-secondary educational opportunities for deaf/hard of hearing individuals continues to develop at Ontario Colleges. Creating appropriate programs and developing constructive services for deaf/hard of hearing students in colleges that primarily serve "hearing" students is a challenging task. If a student requires interpreting or computerized notetaking services it is essential that early identification takes place. Students who require manual communication may have difficulty with English language much like students with ESL issues. Should a student be accompanied to class by an interpreter everything the instructor or other students say will be interpreted to the deaf/hard of hearing student. Conversely, everything the deaf student signs will be translated into spoken English. In-service training for students and faculty will help make the integration of easier. Contact the SOAR office for further information on support services for deaf or hard of hearing students.

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Learning Disability

At present, students with learning disabilities represent the largest number of students with special needs in our school system. College staff need to increase their knowledge and understanding of learning disabilities in order to help learning disabled students succeeed. Students with learning disabilities experience difficulties in processing various types of information. A learning disability is defined as a lifelong condition experienced by a person with average intelligence but who experiences difficulty in such areas as reading math or spelling.

For an indepth view of the enhanced services program please visit: LD (Learning Disabilities)

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Physical Disability

Physical impairment can be defined as any physical limitation which may necessitate physical and learning acommodations, adaptations, and adjustments to permit the individual student full access and participation in all aspects of college life. Physical impairment can be invisible or visible depending on the type, the degree, and whether the impairment is characterized by remissions. Physical impairment can include: multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, spinal cord injury, arthritis, diabetes, heart and respiratory problems and many others. In college programs there are not standard substiutions that can be made, but rather modifications based on the needs of individual students. Technical aids ( For more information see LOFT) need to be provided to students where necessary for their participation in and benefit from an academic program.

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Support Strategies

Support services that may be required include:

Tutors
Readers
Notetakers
Test Adaptations
Taped Books
Computer Accessibility
Specialized Computer Programs

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Loyalist College is committed to ensuring the accommodation of those students who have a documented disability and may require support services. A wide range of services may be available to those students who identify themselves as requiring assistance. It is important for the College and the student to start working together as early as possible to develop a plan for successful pursuit of educational goals.

Office Procedures For Disability Services (SOAR)

Intake Interview:
Students with disabilities are those determined by the Coordinator of the S.O.A.R. Office and are encouraged to meet with Jennifer Vincent early in the term to have services put into place for the academic year. This meeting allows the student and coordinator to discuss any changes in accommodations required, as well as to allow the office to have up-to-date information to facilitate the coordination of those accommodations.

Any request for accommodation, whether initiated by a student or faculty member must be approved by the Coordinator. During this interview, the Coordinator will complete an Intake Form and will distribute copies to other office staff.

Students will be asked to take an Individualized Service Plan Form (ISP) indicating the accommodations they are receiving to their course instructors to sign. This is to ensure that your instructors are aware that you are working with the S.O.A.R. office. A copy of this form will be sent to your school dean.

Documentation:
The Student Office for Alternative Resources provides accommodations for students with documented disabilities. The documentation required is dependent on the student's disability type. Students should contact the Student Office for Alternative Resources regarding the type of documentation required for their specific disability.

Services:
The staff in the S.O.A.R. Office assist students with disabilities to adjust to the college environment in a variety of ways. Given that each student's needs are unique, services and accommodations in the academic setting are arranged on an individual basis, and based on the documentation of the student's disability. Some of the services provided by the S.O.A.R. are listed below:

- assistance with registration

- advocacy and counselling regarding disability issues

- letters explaining the student's special needs can be sent to professors

- notetakers and readers can be arranged

- text and journal articles can be produced on tape for the visually impaired, campus guides can be arranged until class routes become familiar

- maps are available which indicate accessible routes, entrances, and parking

- personal FM systems are available to amplify hearing in lectures and tutorials

- referrals for disability assessments

- bursary funds for purchase of disability related services and equipment for eligible students

- lending of adaptive equipment

- library assistance such as research assistance, retrieval of books, peer support in library training

- special arrangements for exams and assignments can be made to accommodate disabilities. Some of the types of exam accommodations are:

• extended test time
• taped exams and answers
• exams in braille
• use of a computer with a spell check
• distraction-reduced exam environment
• readers

Assessments:
If a student requires an up-to-date assessment, appointments will be scheduled with the staff Psychologist upon approval of the Coordinator. The assessment process requires students to attend several different testing and interview appointments. Students will be asked to sign an Assessment Contract agreeing to attend the schedule appointments. If you are unable to attend any of the scheduled appointments, you are required to pay a $100.00 fee for any missed appointments with the Psychologist. The fee also applies if you cancel your appointment and we cannot re-book your appointment time with another student or the Psychologist cannot see another patient. It is the responsibility of the student to inform the course instructor of any classes that will be missed. Appointments can be made with our Academic Skills Tutor to discuss any missed course work.

Loyalist College Policy Concerning Persons with Disabilities

Introduction:
The Ontario Human Rights Code (1980) stipulates that every person has a right to equal treatment with respect to services, goods and facilities, and to occupancy of accommodation and employment, "without discrimination because of handicap". Loyalist College, in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code, will make every reasonable effort to provide both an accessible environment and appropriate support services for members of the College community with special needs. The College actively accommodates those with special needs, and initiates this process in the area of services, goods and facilities.

Policy:
Loyalist College recognizes its responsibility to those students, faculty and staff with special needs. It undertakes to ensure access to its academic programs and physical facilities, short of undue hardship, while protecting the academic integrity of the College.

Rights and Responsibilities:
The College acknowledges that the individual members of each group identified above have both rights and responsibilities, the respective recognition and exercise of which will be essential to the implementation of this policy.

The implementation of the above policy will be based upon awareness of need Therefore, it will be the College's responsibility to ensure that its faculty, staff and students are aware of special needs programs, services and facilities, as well as of their rights and obligations under the various pieces of legislation in this area. Equally, it will be the responsibility of members of the College with special needs to make appropriate officers and offices of the College aware of those needs and of their implications.

Please note that, in this document, the phrase "special needs" is used to denote the needs of those persons who have a handicap as defined in the Ontario Human Rights Code, 1981.

Text Version

Disability Services - Student Office For Alternative Resources (S.O.A.R.)

Disabilities Overview

Blind/Low Vision

Deaf/Hard of Hearing

Learning Disability

Physical Disability

Support Strategies

More Infomation

Office Procedures For Disability Services (SOAR)

Loyalist College Policy Concerning Persons with Disabilities

Related Links

There are many other sites which may be useful to students with disabilities: