Faculty Resources, Disabled Student Development, Ball State University

Faculty Resources Introduction

The Faculty Room: How to Create Environments that Maximize Learning

Policies and Procedures Relative to Teaching Students with Disabilities
This link will give you important information such as: what you should do if a student requests an accommodation from you; what you can expect to find on an accommodation letter from Disabled Student Development; where and how accommodated testing works at Ball State; where on campus you can go for accessible computer technology and video captioning serives; and key reminders and legal terminology that you will find helpful.

Accommodated Testing Administration
This link will provide you with information regarding how to provide the necessary test accommodations to students with disabilities. A list of appropriate testing accommodations is given, as well as information on the accommodated testing program at the Learning Center.

The Accommodation Dilemma of Pop Quizzes
Pop quizzes can be a valuable teaching/learning tool in postsecondary education, but they often put many otherwise qualified students with learning disabilities, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, traumatic brain injury -and sometimes psychiatric disorders- at an extreme disadvantage.

'I Only Wanted to Help, So I Gave Her A B'
The following is a speech given by Joel Mugge, a professor at Augsburg College in Minnesota. Mugge's speech reflects the challenge and dilemma faced by college instructors across the nation as they encounter disabled students in their classrooms. The speech was printed in the November 1980 issue of Access Awareness Newsletter and is reprinted here with permission.

Interacting with People with Disabilities
This information, from the Indiana Governor's Planning Council for People with Disabilities, gives examples of the proper language to use in referring to people with disabilities and tips on proper ettiquette in communicationg with people with disabilities.

Initial Emergency Response
There may be an occasion when a student's condition needs immediate intervention in the clasroom. The most likely examples are seizures, diabetic shock (insulin reaction), and heart attacks.

Emergency Evacuation
The following emergency evacuation description is written primarily to inform faculty and staff of the procedure for assisting students with disabilities in the event of an emergency.

This section is designed for teachers of students with disabilities at Ball State. Please use the links at the bottom of the page to find valuable resources which will help you understand how to better understand and teach students with disabilities in your classes.

A disability does not automatically preclude a student's participation in certain activities or classes. A student with a visual impairment may benefit from an art class; someone with a hearing impairment from a music class; and a student who is quadriplegic from a physical education class, with certain modifications and adaptations.

When a student's disability prevents him or her from fulfilling a course requirement through conventional procedures, thoughtful consideration should be given to alternatives, keeping in mind that academic standards must be maintained.

Although the need for accommodation for students with some disabilities may be obvious (e.g., students using a wheelchair and blind students), the needs of others, such as students with learning disabilities, may not be so clear. The responsibility for determining a student's eligibility for accommodation rests with the Office of Disabled Student Development. You should reasonably request that a student secure a letter from this office. Similarly, the determination of the nature of adaptations and accommodations may be worked out with the director of Disabled Student Development.

The related links section above provides information on various topics that faculty members need to be aware of in teaching students with disabilities. The links below provide information about types of accommodations for specific disabilities.

Students who are Blind or Visually Impaired

Students who are Deaf or Hearing Impaired

Students who have Mobility or Dexterity Limitations

Students with a Learning Disability or Attention Deficit Disorder

Students with Asperger's Syndrome

Students with Chronic Health Conditions

Students with Psychiatric Disabilities

Students with Speech Impairments