Faculty Collaborations with Disability Services
A Shared Responsibility
Portland Community College can only fulfill our mission of equal access when we work together to acknowledge a shared responsibility to advance inclusive opportunities that maintain high standards while minimizing barriers.
Disability Services is here to coordinate individual adjustments for students, but also to work proactively with faculty and staff to ensure potential barriers are removed at the design stage whenever possible. There are many opportunities to connect, engage, and collaborate. Below are descriptions of some of these options.
Livescribe Pilot
In Summer 2012 Disability Services hired Accessibility Aides to go into classrooms and take notes with livescribe smartpens then share the multimedia notes with students in the class.
[Summer 2012 Livescribe Pilot Feedback]
In Fall 2012 Disability Services was able to secure additional funding through Perkins to purcase additional livescribe pens for use by Community and Technical Education faculty. In Winter 2013 additional feedback will be collected from faculty in CTE and Math courses who are using Livescribe in their teaching.
Additional Resources:
- Adding Text Behind Livescribe Pencasts - process description
- Creating PDF Pencast with Text Overlay - video
- Using Livescribe to teach Anatomy and Physiology to students who are blind - video
Technical Standards Review
Many programs have technical requirements that need to be written carefully to ensure we are promoting participation of underrepresented groups while maintaining high standards. Departments are encouraged to work collaboratively with Disability Services to review current language in consideration of elements such as:
- Sensory differences
- Full-time status requirements
- Clinical or Internship placement needs
- Certification or Licensure requirements
Individualized Consultation
Disability Services is always happy to sit down, or chat on the phone, or exchange emails, as needed to be sure faculty across the district, whether full-time or part-time, feel supported in making sure courses, programs, and other offerings are inclusive, accessible, and working well for the students who are intended to benefit.