Ad-Hoc Commission on Learning Disabilities, 2003

Dear President Mote,

I am pleased to send you a study recently completed by two members of
your Commission on Disability Issues, Susan McMenamin of Disability
Support Services and Prof. Roberta Lavine of the School of Languages,
Literatures and Cultures. Both have offered excellent service in the
execution of this survey and the formulation its conclusions; they were
ably assisted by Anuradha Shenoy, a graduate student in the College of
Education.

Over the last several years, it has become clear to us on the Commission
that learning disabilities are an issue of increasing importance on the
campus, and that the incidence of learning disabilities has increased
during the period when the academic quality of our students has
increased. Some have suggested a connection. We understand that 95% of
DSS student caseload now consists of students with LD.

This report shows that learning disabilities are poorly understood by
Staff, Faculty and Students alike, and that several recommended measures
could broaden understanding and help give appropriate accommodation to
students with this disability in a more humane and effective way than is
now the case.

The project will continue with an investigation of peer institutions to
better advise you on measures taken elsewhere to accommodate students
with Learning Disabilities. But we wanted you to have this important
document promptly. Dr. Waters is familiar with this report and with the
Commission’s deliberations on it. The Commission would be pleased to
assist you further with this issue as you may require.

Sincerely yours,

Ralph Bennett
Prof., Chair
President’s Commission on Disability Issues

 

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President’s Commission on Disabilities Issues
LD Task Force Summary Report

I. Introduction

In the Fall of 2002, the President’s Commission on Disabilities Issues 
created a Task Force to explore issues pertaining to students with Learning 
Disabilities on this campus. Co-chaired by Dr. Roberta Lavine, Associate 
Professor, Department of Spanish and Portuguese, and Susan McMenamin, 
Coordinator, Office of Disability Support Services, an Ad-hoc Committee of 
campus professionals was formed to solicit advice with determining the goals 
and methodology for the Task Force’s efforts. Our mission was to:

First, to investigate the current situation regarding students with 
learning disabilities on this campus.

Second, to conduct a comparative analysis between the University of Maryland 
and its peer institutions regarding issues relevant to students with 
learning disabilities.

Third, to enhance the visibility of Disability Support Services among those 
students who may have learning disabilities but not chosen to disclose them 
or known the available resource to seek academic support.

Finally, to use data culled from the investigations to support the 
identification of needed interventions including training programs for 
faculty and staff.

The Ad-hoc Committee contributed to the development of three surveys to be 
used to gather information from current students, faculty and 
administrators. The following section covers the pertinent results and 
implications gleaned from the analysis of those surveys.

II. Results

The survey results indicated the following trends:
University efforts for disseminating information about the field of learning 
disabilities seem not to be as effective as they could be among students, 
faculty, and administrators.
· Knowledge of appropriate accommodations even among students with Learning 
Disabilities is limited.
· Accommodations asked for and offered are limited to a small subset (e.g., 
extended exam time, private space for taking exams, and note takers).
· Understanding that students with Learning Disabilities can compete on par 
with non-disabled students is not widely acknowledged.
· Some faculty do not realize that by law they must accommodate students 
with Learning Disabilities registered with DSS.

University efforts for disseminating information about Disability Support 
Services (DSS) seem not to be as effective as they could be among students, 
faculty, and administrators.
· In general, DSS is not known to be a strong source of support.
· Students with Learning Disabilities are not always aware that they should 
work through DSS to access accommodations.
· Faculty and administrators are not aware of the breadth of DSS services or 
of its important role as a central service point for students with Learning 
Disabilities.

Faculty and administrators clearly expressed a desire for additional 
information and training about how to assist students with Learning 
Disabilities.
· Electronic means and department presentations were cited as possible 
productive training methods.

III. Implications and Recommendations

The most significant findings highlighted concerns within all three groups 
about communication, most notably the accuracy as well as availability of 
relevant information. In view of these results, the LD Task Force plans to 
continue its efforts by focusing on solutions to the following issues:
· Improving DSS web accessibility and overall campus visibility
· Offering guidance to University students, faculty, and staff through 
brochures, website content, professional development workshops, and seeking 
other opportunities to interact with new and established campus personnel 
and students
· Creating a University System policy regarding the treatment of individuals 
with all disabilities within the academic arena.

Specific strategies include:
· Improving DSS web accessibility and overall campus visibility:
§ Redesign the web site especially in terms of user friendliness, 
accessibility from the University home page and additional content geared 
toward students, parents, faculty, and administrators
§ Include general information as well as a request card for a DSS brochure 
in the information sent to students accepted to the University.
§ Place information about DSS in the class schedule listing (magazine).
§ Assure more frequent presence at recruitment events (e.g., open house, 
orientation, etc.).
· Offer guidance to University community about Learning Disabilities and the 
needs of students with these disabilities.
§ Seek grant funding to have a one or two day University conference on 
working with students with disabilities at no or minimal cost to 
participants.
§ Create electronic and print resource guides and other relevant material.
§ Offer a one-hour presentation to each department on campus.
§ Build faculty alliances (e.g., faculty advisory board for DSS)
§ Discuss the laws governing accommodations and how important they are.

· Create a University System policy regarding the treatment of individuals 
with all disabilities within the academic arena
· Make it mandatory that all professors/instructors place information about 
accommodations on their syllabus and that the place to get help is DSS.
· Make it clear that while it is the right of the instructor to make any 
kinds of accommodations he/she wishes for a particular student, it is not 
the ideal way to assist students with disabilities.

IV. Next Steps

The Task Force recommends the following steps for the future:
· Revise and redesign the DSS website as described above and to be 
consistent with the best sites of our peer institutions.
· Research the best practices from other institutions.
· Review the responses from the National Databank Survey for possible 
improvements and strategies.
· Seek funding for implementation of other initiatives as described above.

Attachments:

a. Ad-hoc Committee Members list
b. IRB Application
c. Faculty Survey
d. Administrator Survey
e. Student Survey