The Need for Technology at the Disability Services Center

Paper Summary:

This paper addresses the failure of the Disability Services Center (DSC)of the University of California of Irvine to provide adequate testing facilities and space, the Center's poor utilization of technology for internal systems, and an internal and external misunderstanding of the necessity for their services and why those services are critical to the student with a disability. The paper suggests that the University needs to invest in technology to research and justify expansion of DSC space, testing facilities for reasonable testing accommodations, and advanced training in web technology. The paper also advocates the need to make the students, administrative staff, and the general public more aware of the needs of disabled students. Finally, the paper suggests transitioning to a more web-based system, which would simplify the systems at the DSC.

Table of Contents:
Executive Summary & Introduction
Literature Review
Problem Description
Research Study Setting: The Disability Services Center
Methods
Results: Hypothesis
Data Analysis
Discussion
Design Recommendations
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"It is very apparent from the research that the DSC needs to address the cumbersome paper system. A web based questionnaire, or e-mail survey (not PDF form) one that could be filled in by the professor, and then returned and put into a database, would help eliminate much cumbersome repetitive filling out of forms by both students and professors. It would also create expectancy. If professors have discussed the reasonable accommodations with students, faculty will expect the required forms to come by one particular communication vehicle. If everything is sent out via e-mail, both the professor and DSC staff will expect it. As the professor indicated, the web might be a better way to address the issue, with professors and students signing on to complete necessary paperwork. This eliminates looking through a lot of junk mail or junk e-mail. This web based system would also allow the student to check back and make sure the faculty member had signed off or did the necessary work to make the reasonable testing accommodation occur. This creation of this type of system could take a lot of paperwork off the DSC."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Accessing Safety Website, Understanding Disability, http://www.accessingsafety.org/index.php/main/main_menu/understanding_disability
• Coatta, T., In A New Approach to DB Programming, Queue, Feb. 6, 2007, http://www.acmqueue.org/modules.php?name+News&file+pring&sid+377
• College of Liberal Arts Web Site, Classroom Procedures: Students With Disabilities, http://www.clas.uiowa.edu/faculty/teaching/classroom_p&p/disabilities.shtml
• Dennison, G.M., University of Montana Website: 1993 Accessible Events Policy, http://www.umt.edu/dss/access/events_policy.htm
• Grove, Jeff "Wanted, Public Politices that Foster Creation of Knowledge, Don't enact laws and regulations that prevent or inhibit access to the facts and dieas needed for scientific resrearch, " Viewpoint, Commications of the ACM, No 5, May 2004.

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