Madison Access Fall Newsletter

vol. 5, issue 1 October 2015

by Liz Gonzalez and Caitlin Powell Along with the many wonderful strategies we have always offered, Learning Strategies Instruction (LSI) has taken on an additional service: co-teaching. Our LSI coordinator Diane Secord was thinking about ways that LSI can go beyond the office walls to further support the students here at JMU. With co-teaching, the LSI staff works with an instructor to incorporate strategies that LSI has to offer, while also supporting the curriculum of a particular course. Even though LSI does not provide tutoring on

specific subjects, focusing on the curriculum in the co-teaching experience allows LSI to work through a different viewpoint and fine tune the strategies to best fit the specific class or subject.

How did this idea first come about you ask? While working with the ROTC program, Diane was requested to give an LSI presentation to cadets on Critical Thinking and Time Management. Instead of simply presenting our own LSI material, Diane decided to take this opportunity to co-teach with a fellow faculty member and officer in the ROTC program.

As an example, Diane, Caitlin

(LSI Graduate Assistant), and Sargent Welch worked to create a lesson plan for Critical Thinking that built on both the knowledge from the Army and LSI. Then the three of them taught the lesson.

Co-teaching requires a lot of pre-planning, however, the benefits of an integrated curriculum provides a more seamless academic experience.

Plus, LSI peer educators have seen an increase in emails and appointments from cadets since the collaboration. This type of teamwork demonstrates to students that their own instructors have faith and trust in LSI, so they too are more aware of the support they have from the LSI team.

Besides ROTC, the College of Science and the History Department has reached out to LSI. The History Department focused on note taking strategies. LSI is getting its name out there and assisting the JMU community in a whole different way!

vol. 5, issue 1

Student Success Center, Suite 1202 738 S Mason St Harrisonburg, VA 22807 Phone/TDD: 540-568-6705 Fax: 540-568-7099 E-mail: disability-svcs@jmu.edu

pg 2. From the Front Desk! pg 3. “No Barriers� pg 5. About Acme pg 5. Notetaking Assistance pg. 6 The Paa Team pg. 7 Talking to your Professor pg. 8 Ods Lingo

Lsi Co-teaching October 2015

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The Administrative Team welcomes you to the Office of Disability Services!

We direct you to the right people, places, and resources to answer your questions and meet your needs.

We also prepare and process all of the documents that come through ODS and make sure they get to the right person.

1) As early in the semester as possible, you should initiate contact with the Office of Disability Services to request Access Plans.

2) Recommendations from documentation and consultation with the student are both used to determine accommodations.

3) Final determination of accommodations rests with the university.

It is your (the student’s) responsibility to take the Access Plan to your professors, meet with them privately, raise their level of understanding of your strengths and disability, and work out the logistics of providing the approved accommodation. Since the primary relationship in the learning process is with the professor, we strongly encourage you to take the initiative within the first two weeks of the semester, or earlier, as appropriate, to develop that relationship.

We look forward to meeting and working with you!

ODS Admin Team Sandra Gulliver Brittany Diozeghy

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No Barriers October 2015

“No Barriers”

by Scarlet Racey

e are all influenced by our interaction with the world around us.

What we decide in these experiences creates a path for us to influence the way we interact with others.

Matt Trybus, a former member of the ODS Team has used experiences at ODS and in the “No Barriers” Summit to weave his knowledge within his new field of work.

Trybus worked with the Office of Disability Services (ODS) for seven and a half years before starting his position as Coordinator of Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS) in the Learning Center at the start of the 2015-2016 academic year.

ODS is not the only place to gain awareness of individuals with disabilities. Opportunities are all around if you look for them. Trybus took advantage of one of those opportunities when he attended the No Barriers Summit conference for the secont time.

No Barriers is a program started by Erik Weihenmayer, the first person with blindness to reach the summit of Mt. Everest. The mission of No Barriers is to unleash the potential of the human spirit through transformative experiences, tools, and inspiration. No Barriers helps people embark on a quest to contribute their absolute best to the world. In the process, they foster a community of curious, brave, and collaborative explorers who are determined to live the “No Barriers” Life.

According to Matt Trybus, “‘No Barriers’ doesn’t mean that you’re never going to face challenges or difficulties; it’s about facing

challenges head on and having a sense of purpose and meaning.”

The conference consisted of over 600 participants who all strongly believe in helping individuals achieve their full potential. These visionaries participated in numerous events such as film festivals, art displays, and the “Innovation Village”, an adaptive technology fair that displays new inventive ways to solve problems.

Trybus describes the village as “A group of people who know how to create and design an accessible world and bring their diverse knowledge and backgrounds together in one setting.”

“ODS does a phenomenal job of displaying these elements, which are evident in the department’s vision,” Trybus expresses. The Office of Disability Services’ vision is to be the strategic campus partner for Continued on pg. 4

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NO Barriers No Barriers October 2015

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removing barriers and building capacity to ensure inclusion and equity for people with disabilities.

He believes that with the brand new expansion the office has undergone in the Student Success Center, ODS can continue to raise awareness, bring visibility, and collaborate with other offices dedicated to student success.

Both of the No Barriers Summit conferences Trybus attended have had a large impact on his role at ODS. He reveals that even though Student Affairs can be tiring work sometimes, he feels like the knowledge he gains at conferences is rejuvenating. It allows him to teach new concepts and ideas to others and utilize a framework for planning and programming. Although Trybus has moved to another office, he will continue to be an ambassador for raising awareness, promoting opportunities, and removing barriers for persons with disabilities.

Trybus thanks anyone who wishes to make a positive difference in the

Collaborate and connect with others to build strong communities Move beyond your comfort zone to grow and reach goals.

Harness life experiences into optimism.

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No Barriers October 2015

lives of individuals with disabilities.

He urges people to continue to gain awareness, knowledge, and skill, to engage in conversation whenever the opportunity arises, and to learn, ask questions, and be open-minded to each individual’s experience. As for persons with disabilities; “Explore the beauty in your disability, the gifts you’ve received, the people you’ve met, and the lessons it has taught you. Harness the adversity to become your best self.”

The Office of Disability Services would like to send our best wishes to Matt Trybus. We are grateful that we have representatives like you. Thank you for your hard work, knowledge, inspiration, motivation, and optimistic personality. We appreciate how you plant the seed of disability awareness into the lives of so many people and continue to do so. From the ODS team, we wish you well with your endeavors and look forward to much collaboration in the future.

Persevere through challenges to innovate.

Define a purpose that inspires you to give your best back to the world.

Impact the world as a leader who serves.

It’s a bird! It’s a plane!

It’s an. ..Accesible Media staffer!

Our “Batcave” is straight ahead when you walk into ODS with glass walls and lots of computers. We call it the fishbowl.

It’s filled with relics such as the Captioning Museum and a variety of book spines from all over the world.

We’re basically superheroes (with a few limitations).

Our superpowers

Our main goal

Transforming textbooks into audio files Punching out braille materials & tactile graphics Captioning videos in super speed (at least, we try) Magnifying rays to enlarge print

Our Kryptonite

How we refuel our powers Walk the Moon Pandora station Smash Mouth Minions Dunkin Donuts happy hour Carrots and hummus

Continuing to alter the design of the Universe in order to make it accessible for everyone

Technical difficulties (ie. angry scanners)

Our main allies

Questions?

Contact: alt-media@jmu.edu

The Copy Center Student Affairs Technical Services JMU Libraries Center for Instructional Technologies

Review PowerPoint slides and overheads before class.

Go over supplemental notes written by peer volunteers.

Use an Echo™ smartpen.

Use any extra resources the professor makes available.

Check your inbox weekly! That way if you are not getting notes or the notes are missing information you need, you are aware sooner than if you did not check for most of the semester. Just email or call us about the situation and we will help fix it!

Questions? Contact: Catherine Branner Email: notes@jmu.edu Phone: 540-568-6705 acme, Note-taking October 2015

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by Anda Weaver When you walk into the Office of Disability Services you may notice a sign that invites you to “Step On In�. If you choose to accept that invitation, you will find yourself in the Peer Access Advocate or PAA Room surrounded by two student PAAs who can assist you in a variety of ways.

The PAA team is composed of two undergraduate students: senior Chelsea Simon, sophomore Scarlet Racey and graduate student Anda Weaver.

Scarlet and Chelsea can be found in the PAA room and are available to answer questions and provide mentoring and support for registered students and unregistered students.

Students who are not registered with ODS may have questions about the documentation process or how they go about applying for accommodations.

Registered students can talk with the PAAs about a variety of issues including how to deliver Access Plan letters to professors and how to access their testing accommodations.

Scarlet, a social work major and public relations minor, was drawn to working at ODS because she has attended past Disability Awareness Weeks and was interested in getting involved with the office. Chelsea, who

Valerie Schoolcraft Director Diane Secord Learning Strategies Coordinator Christina Wulf Accessible Media and Technology Specialist Sandra Gulliver Executive Administrative assistant Britanny Dioszegy Receptionist and Office Assistant Pauline Hoyte Exam Accomodations Assistant

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Paa team October 2015

majors in Communications Sciences and Disorders with a minor in Exceptional Education, decided to apply to be a PAA because she wanted to dispel any stereotypes about those who receive services from Disability Services. She also wanted to educate the JMU community on the various resources the office provides. Anda Weaver, a graduate student studying School Counseling, worked at ODS last year as an accommodations assistant and is the Graduate Assistant this year assisting PAA supervisor Valerie Schoolcraft. Anda is very excited about her expanded role in the office working with Chelsea and Scarlet and enjoys being part of a team that reaches out to students to provide additional support beyond accommodations.

The PAA team is working hard to plan a variety of events to raise awareness and educate the JMU community about disability. A goal of the PAAs is to plan events that keep a student focus and serve as a support for students with disabilities as they work to achieve balance in their lives.

The PAAs are starting to plan for the 7th Annual Disability Awareness Week, which will be held during the Spring semester.

Catherine Branner Notetaking and Accommodations Assistant Brennan Maupin Visual Impairment Production and Accommodation Assistant Sarah Humphreys Deaf and Hard of Hearing Production and Accomodation Assistant

Breonna Davis Screening and Referral Graduate Assistant Anda Weaver Student Accommodations Assistant Caitlin Powell Learning Strategies Instructor

Anda Weaver, Editor-in-Chief Paa & Graduate Assistant

Scarlet Racey, Staff Writer Paa & Volunteer Coordinator

Chelsea Simon, Staff Writer Paa & Social Media Manager

Atika Chadha, Design Editor Accessible Media & Graphic Design

Liz Gonzalez, Writer Caitlin Powell, Writer

by Chelsea Simon design by Atika Chadha

Step 6: Contact ODS at disability-svcs@jmu.edu or call 540-568-1720 if you have further questions!

Step 5: Schedule times and take exams and quizzes throughout the semester using the TEAA form.

Step 4: Advocate and explain how you would like the professor to help you access your test accommodations.

Step 1: Request your access plan letters.

Email: disabilitysvcs@jmu.edu

Step 2: Contact professor about meeting during office hours or at a time of convenience for both of you.

Step 3: Become familiar with testing and accomodation procedures.

Paa team 7 professors October 2015

ODS Lingo Access Plan: Once you are registered with our office, this letter spells out the accommodations approved for your classes. At the beginning of every semester, you are responsible for presenting one of these to your professors so you can succeed in their class.

ACME (Accessible Media): A department in the office that converts classroom materials into accessible formats including books, articles, captioned videos, and much more.

Accommodations: A variety of services or modifications, ranging from extended time on exams to the conversion of your textbooks into audio format, that help students with disabilities overcome barriers.

Advocacy: Speaking up for yourself so you can get the accommodations you need, an essential skill for students with disabilities in the academic environment.

Disability: Impairments that prevent an individual from participating or enjoying significant parts of daily life. This can come in many forms including physical, mental, emotional, or health-related and is never anything to be ashamed of.

DAW (Disability Awareness Week): Our biggest event of the year. An entire week devoted to spreading the word about disability across the JMU community with speakers, activities, and other events that are meant for everyone.

LSI (Learning Strategies Instruction): LSI provides academic coaching and support for everyone, disabled or not.

ODS: The Office of Disability Services

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ParaTransit: A van service offered through Harrisonburg Public Transit Ods Lingo October 2015

(HDPT) that works with students who cannot use the standard bus system whether permanently or temporarily.

PAA (Peer Access Advocates): A program within the office composed of other students with disabilities who provide outreach, peer mentoring, and support.

Smart Pen: A cool bit of technology that we loan to students with a wide range of disabilities. It is a pen that records audio and syncs it to your handwritten notes to help you keep track of lectures. (Also known as a Live Scribe Pen or Echo™ Pen) Registration: The process by which a student with a disability can receive the accommodations and services the office provides.

Screening and Referral: If a student believes he or she has a disability but has not been formally diagnosed, they can go through our office’s free screening process to provide a more clear direction and receive appropriate referrals to other clinicians and services.

Exam Accommodation Center: A place in the office where students can take their tests and exams with their proper accommodations when those accommodations cannot be provided by professors.

TEAA (Test & Exam Accommodation Arrangements Form): A form that the student and professor fill out together to make reservations for exam accommodation at ODS. Universal Design: Environments that are tailored in such a way to accommodate the largest swath of people possible to create a more accessible and comfortable community for everyone.

Compiled by Lucas Nordyke