CASE STUDIES

1. John and College Studies: A Case Study in Accommodating Learning Disabilities

Background
John has a learning disability which affects auditory processing. Like many students with
invisible disabilities, such as learning and psychological impairments, he is sensitive to the
attitudes and perceptions of fellow classmates and instructors regarding his need for a note taker
in class. He is reluctant to announce this need among his classmates, fearing perceptions of
preferential treatment, invalid reasons, and negative stereotyping (e.g., that he is lazy or stupid).

Access Issue
John needed to obtain lecture notes as an accommodation. He was too embarrassed to make such
a request of his classmates. Although the student disability resource center had provided
paperwork and approval for monetary compensation for a note taker, nearly two weeks had
passed and still no classroom volunteers were identified.

Solution

Conclusion
 2. Ken and Psychology: A Case Study in Accommodations for Learning Disabilities

Background
Ken is a first year student studying child psychology. He has an expressive language disorder
and is also a very poor speller.

Access Issue
This semester, two of his psychology courses requires written exams. Even though he does all
right with multiple choice and short answer tests, he has a hard time completing written exams
that are timed. For his assignments he uses a word processor with the grammar and spell checker
options rather successfully. However, a computer will not be available for my exams.

Solution

Conclusion
 3. Caryn and Visual Arts: A Case Study in Accommodating a Learning Disability

Background
Caryn is an 18-year-old freshman entering a small private university. She is studying the visual
arts and eventually plans to attend graduate school for a master in fine arts.

Access Issues
she is an art major, but must take two English courses and four semesters of a second language
that are required by the university. She has a language-learning disability which makes it
difficult for her to understand and organize large amounts of verbal information. Writing was her
most challenging academic area in high school. She was worried that she would not be able to
keep up with the course workloads and failing a course her first semester was not an option.

Solution

Conclusion
 4. Michael and Graduate School: A Case Study on Accommodations for Deafness

Background
Michael is a graduate student in Rehabilitation Counseling at San Diego State University. He
has a severe-profound, bilateral hearing loss and use hearing aids and speech reading (watching
the movement of a person's lips) to maximize his communication abilities. He has some
knowledge of American Sign Language but not enough to effectively use a sign language
interpreter as an accommodation.

Access Issues
Graduate level courses emphasize student participation and the development of critical thinking
skills. In addition to using a note taker and real-time captioning, in what ways can instructors
create a fully inclusive classroom environment that meets and maximizes my communication
needs?

Solutions

Conclusions
 5. Scott and Engineering: A Case Study in Accommodations for Mobility Impairments

Background
My name is Scott. I am a 19-year-old engineering student with muscular dystrophy. I use a
powered wheelchair for mobility. An important part of the first year of my engineering program
involves work on computer-aided design programs in the engineering computer lab.

Access Issues
Although I can use one hand to control my wheelchair, I have limited strength and movement in
my hands and fingers. I cannot use a standard mouse or keyboard due to limited strength and
movement. I also cannot physically access some lab computers due to the height of the table and
the position of the computer equipment.

Solution

Conclusion
 6. Jordan and an Inaccessible Building: A Case Study in Accommodating Mobility
Impairments

Background
A student, Jordan, who uses a wheelchair and is majoring in a Special Education/Mentally-
Physically Handicapped program, needed to take a required course. The class, "Health and
Physical Education for Elementary Schools," was to be held in an old building which was
inaccessible.

Access Issue
While the usual procedure was to move the location of the class to an accessible building, the
professor initially requested that a temporary ramp be constructed for access. This idea was
rejected by facilities management due to the prohibitive expense and time of building a ramp
which would meet ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) specifications. The building was
slated for renovation in two years.

The class was relocated to a field house arena where three other gym classes were scheduled for
the same time slot. This was unacceptable to the professor who felt the teaching environment
would be adversely affected because of excessive noise. Furthermore, since there was inadequate
storage at the field house, equipment (including balance beams, assorted size balls, and other
large items needed for the course) would need to be moved to the field house prior to each class
session.

As a result, the professor requested the student be carried up the 22 cement stairs to the original
classroom. This proposed solution was rejected due to student safety and institutional liability
issues.

Solution

Conclusion
 7. Lisa And Law School: A Case Study in Accommodations for Health Impairments

Background
My name is Lisa. I was diagnosed with cancer about a year ago. I am currently in my second
year of law school.

Access Issues
I switched to part-time status after I became ill. The medication I'm taking has some side effects
including lapses in concentration. I want to continue my studies, however there are days when
I'm too tired or nauseous to attend classes. I also have doctor appointments about every other
week. My course of study runs on a quarterly basis and if I miss too many lectures or
discussions, I quickly fall behind. I also need to watch my stress level as that can cause some of
my symptoms to worsen.

Solutions

Conclusion
 8. Sally and College Studies: A Case Study in Accommodating Psychiatric
Impairments

Background
My name is Sally and I'm a 22-year-old student with Major Depression and Anorexia Nervosa. I
attend college full-time and need disability accommodations to help compensate for low mood,
fatigue, bouts of anxiety ranging from mild to severe, and very low energy and motivation. I
want to excel in my classes but my illnesses interfere.

Access Issues
I am stabilized on my psychiatric medications, which help my mood and eliminate thoughts of
self-harm, but I experience morning fatigue as a side effect so early morning classes are difficult
for me. Depression and eating disorders also affect my cognition by decreasing concentration,
short-term memory, and problem-solving skills. I am very critical of myself and often don't have
enough confidence to talk in class. If I do speak in class, I always feel I'm being judged so I
withdraw.

I don't have an obvious disability like some people, and maybe it would be easier to see I need
help if I did. Teachers don't usually know how to help people with mental illnesses because they
don't understand them. Sometimes I even feel that getting special accommodations is cheating in
some way. I get frustrated because I really want to succeed in college and I know I'm not stupid.

Solution

Conclusion
 9. Robbie and a Computer Course: A Case Study on Computing Access for Students
who are blind.

Background
My name is Robbie and I am blind. I have been using computers for several years and consider
myself "computer-proficient". I access the computer via a combination of speech output (Jaws
for Windows™) and a dynamic Braille display. I am presently enrolled in the Computer
Programming program at the local community college. One of the courses required in the
program is Database Concepts. The Database Application used in this course is Microsoft
Access, an application that is run under Microsoft Windows™, a point-and-click environment.

Access Issues
The text for the course assumes that all students are sighted. All the examples and instructions
involve the use of the mouse. The instructor was not aware of any keyboard shortcuts to
accomplish the necessary tasks. I needed to develop strategies for finding keyboard shortcuts and
suggesting an accommodation in the event that there were no keyboard shortcuts for certain
tasks.

Solution

Conclusion
 10. Derek and Access to Information: A Case Study on Accommodations for Low
Vision

Background
I'm Derek, a freshman studying Japanese and political science. I'm visually impaired. I can read
large print but have trouble with the computer screen, especially when the lighting is poor. For
the most part I am able to read large print text without any problems.

Access Issues
I need large-print materials for all of my courses. I also need access to a computer with enlarged
images, a large screen, and reduced glare.

Solution

Conclusion