OGC:  Emily, welcome to The Catholic University of America. We would like to introduce you to our campus community. Could you tell us a little bit about what you do in your position as Director of the Office of Disability Support Services?

ES:  Sure. I like to describe my role in three parts: 1) the person who determines and provides appropriate accommodations for students 2) works with the faculty and administration on disability awareness, policy and access and 3) works with students, faculty and staff when there is a dispute about access issues.  Sometimes I might side with the university and sometimes it might be a case where I feel it is important to defend the student.  One thing is for certain, this job is never dull.

OGC: If there is one piece of information you would like faculty to possess about accommodations for qualified students with disabilities at CUA, what would it be?

ES: Over-accommodation can do more harm than good.  Many of us  want to help these students.  However, accommodations are not a one-size fits all and what is right for some may not be appropriate for others.  My advice is to always ask DSS if something is or is not appropriate.

OGC: What is the current trend with student learning disabilities?  Is the number of students nationally seeking accommodations for such disabilities still increasing, or has it leveled off?

ES:  Actually, the number of students with different types of learning disabilities (inc. ADD, ADHD and TBI) has stayed pretty level in the last few years.  The fastest growing population of students with disabilities are those with psychological issues.  As for a trend, the one issue we are seeing is lack of sufficient documentation.  Due to recent legal changes, schools are no longer completing updated testing as the kids transition from high school to college.

OGC: Do you have recommended websites and books for faculty to read that might help them understand more about disabilities?

ES:  yes.  I have three really good websites for faculty:

¬     Universal Design: http://www.facultyware.uconn.edu/

¬     Fast Facts for Faculty: http://telr.osu.edu/dpg/index.html

¬     DO-IT: http://www.washington.edu/doit/Faculty/

I also plan to add many other resources to our website once things slow down.  So, be sure to check back later in the semester.

OGC: There were several cases decided in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia recently on disability issues. Both cases involved medical students at George Washington University claiming learning disabilities.

In both cases the court found the student had failed to prove he/she was actually “disabled” as required by the ADA. Stressed in both decisions is that a mere diagnosis is not enough to establish a disability, rather,  the student must prove the extent of the limitation in  terms of their own experience, and how the disability limits a “major life activity.” In both instances, students had waited until they were failing their coursework and about to be expelled from the program before attempting to seek a disability diagnosis.

Do you have any thoughts on the cases, and what if any effect they might have on the practices in your office?

ES:  Yes.  I see this type of thing every day. Many students with learning disabilities want to try things on their own.  I try to encourage students and parents from the beginning to at least identify themselves with our office.  I tell them that we will not do anything with that information until they ask for accommodations.  I also make sure to tell them that accommodations are not retroactive if they choose to try things on their own.  Unfortunately, not every student follows this and some of them get into trouble.  Some are also successful.  However, as a service provider, it is very frustrating for me to not to be able to help the students right away who bring us documentation that does not meet our guidelines.  The issue here is really the large disconnect between high school and college.  One of the most important things that I think I can do is to work with all of the high schools and talk with them, the parents and the students as early as possible so that they do not get caught in the middle of the different laws.  Of course we want to assist these students.  However, we want to make sure that we do it within the boundary of the law and that can sometimes be very frustrating for both the parents and the students.

OGC: Could you tell us a bit about where you worked prior to CUA, and what you saw as your challenges and successes in that job?

ES: I worked at The University of Tennessee in Knoxville.  I think we made a lot of progress in that office in a short time.  Again, one of the main things I focused on was awareness training and also putting different policies and procedures in place and in writing.  However, as with any school there are always challenges.  Unfortunately, things did not seem to progress past the reactionary stage into a proactive mode.  I would like to have seen that happen before I left.

OGC: If anyone has questions about the Office of Disability Services, where/when/how should they direct them?

ES:  They can feel free to call or email me any time.  I am also more than willing to come do presentations to faculty, staff and students about disabilities.  That I found has been the most successful method to getting questions answered.  My contact information is below.

Emily Singer

Director

Disability Support Services

The Catholic University of America

620 Michigan Ave NE

207 Pryzbyla center

Washington, DC 20064

202-319-5211 Phone

202-319-5126 Fax

singere@cua.edu

http://disabilityservices.cua.edu