Fall 2016 Newsletter
Details
If you do not know much about ADS we hope this newsletter will introduce you to the important work the department is doing at Haverford.
Thank you for reading the very first Office of Access and Disability Services Newsletter! We hope the will keep students, faculty, and staff informed and up-to-date on the work of ADS. If you do not know much about ADS we hope this newsletter with introduce you to the important work the department is doing at Haverford. In this first newsletter, we have included information about the department, an outline of how students can receive accommodations, an introduce ADS staff, and other information important for the start of a new semester. Our office is located in Stokes Hall 111C. Please stop by to see our new location!
ADS hopes you have a happy and successful fall semester!
Our Mission
ADS aligns with Haverford’s mission to promote an increased sense of independence and confidence in students, and a concern for individual growth. We strive to accommodate and develop the whole person, in and out of the classroom.
What does ADS do?
The Office of Access and Disability Services (ADS) works to promote self-advocacy, reflection, and self-determination in individuals, as well as understanding and celebration of neurodiversity on the campus as a whole. ADS works collaboratively with each student applying for accommodations to determine eligibility, and to identify the accommodations that are necessary and helpful to the student without altering the fundamental nature of the academic program. Reasonable accommodations give students equal access to all campus programs and services, allowing them to participate on a level playing field.
Our office is a resource for faculty and staff as much as for students. It is through the faculty that access often happens, although it is the college as a whole that is responsible and provides accommodations.
What is a disability?
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (amended in 2008) describes an individual with a disability as “someone who has physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities of such individual, a record of such impairment or is regarded as having such an impairment.”
Disabilities include learning disabilities (LD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), physical disability or chronic medical condition, and psychiatric/psychological disabilities.
Increasingly, many students have a combination of diagnoses and/or conditions that require accommodations. We recognize that each student is unique and decisions regarding eligibility and accommodations are made after reviewing documentation and meeting with the student to learn about specific ways in which his/her/their disability affects daily functioning.
Important Statistics
In the US, nearly 1 in 5 people have a disability* and about 11% of undergrads enrolled in postsecondary institutions have a disability**.
For 2015-2016, about 17.2% of Haverford students received an accommodation or consulted with ADS.
*US Census Bureau, 2012
**National Center for Education Statistics, 2015
Process for Receiving Accommodations
It’s up to the student to disclose a disability to ADS usually before the classes start, but they can disclose at any time during the year and receive accommodations. Accommodations are not retroactive for work completed prior to the disclosure. Students must submit a form requesting accommodations and then send documentation of the disability to ADS. All documentation is confidential.
Students should meet with ADS to determine what accommodations are necessary and appropriate for them at Haverford. ADS creates an “Accommodation Verification Letter.” It is the student’s responsibility to give their letter to the professor of each class they wish to use their accommodations I and meet with their professors to discuss how their accommodations will be implemented.
Unsure if you qualify for accommodations? Contact Sherrie Borowsky at sborowsky [at] haverford.edu.
Major Diagnoses Associated with ADS
Including but not limited to:
- Specific learning disability or learning difference
- Mental illness/ psychological or psychiatric condition
- ADD or ADHD
- Concussion or temporary medical condition
- Health impairment/ condition, including a chronic condition
- Difficulty hearing/seeing
- Difficulty speaking or language impairment
- Mobility limitation/orthopedic impairment
- Autism Spectrum Disorders
Are you unsure if you are eligible for accommodations, used to receive accommodations, or have any questions about ADS?
Is there a topic you would like to see covered in one of our future newsletters?
Stop by Stokes 11C or email us at hc-ads [at] haverford.edu.
Student Advisory group
Come join ADS Student Advisory Group at our monthly meetings.
This group’s goal is to improve the experience of disability and access on Haverford’s campus. We focus on faculty and staff outreach, event planning, the development of online and campus resources, the creation of peer-to-peer support opportunities, and campus and educational accessibility.
If you are interested in joining, contact Sherrie Borowsky (sborowsky [at] haverford.edu).
Meet The Staff
Sherrie Borowsky
Access Coordinator
Stokes 111C
sborowsky [at] haverford.edu
Roxanne Clark
Administrative Assistant
Stokes 111
rclark [at] haverford.edu
Kristin Lindgren
Faculty Liaison for ADS
irector of Writing Center and Asst. Professor of Writing
Stokes 118
klindgre [at] haverford.edu
Kelly Wilcox
Learning Consultant for ADS
Academic Resources (OAR)
Assoc. Dean of the College
Stokes 118
kwilcox [at] haverford.edu