Disability Resources

Equal Access and Inclusive Excellence.

Changes in the Office

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Melissa Rowley standing next to Disability Resources C-17 door sign with her and Sue Sprague listed on it.
Our new Secretary, Melissa Rowley

By Sue Sprague, Director of Disability Resources

Get ready for a change in scenery! Disability Resources is moving around the corner in Van Hoesen Hall. It won’t take long to get used to our new office and location just down the hall and around the corner in room C-17, part of the old UPD suite.

Along with our new office comes our new secretary, Melissa Rowley, an experienced office administrator, leading the way in teaching students and faculty about AccessCortland and assisting one and all with answers to questions and offering support when needed.

As we finish the final touches on our new office space, Melissa and I will be excited to welcome you to stop by and visit. One of the exciting additions to our office will be areas for students to post important messages, share disability pride, and just relax.

Some things won’t change. We will continue our emphasis on sharing information, listening to students living disabilities, and offering support to find resources and solutions. We also will be keeping the same phone number since its change last year: 607-753-2967.

Be ready to see us in Van Hoesen C-17 when you return in August. We will be happy to show you around our new space!

A Special Congratulations to Seniors and Graduates! All the best with your future plans!

 

AccessCortland Improves Disclosure Process

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By Jeremy Zhe-Heimerman, Assistant Director of Disability Resources

Feedback has been positive on the first semester of AccessCortland, the Disability Resource Office’s new online system for requesting accommodations, scheduling appointments, and releasing access plans to faculty. Students report an appreciation of the ease of disclosing their accommodations to faculty while faculty have noted the system has worked smoothly.

Students on the Disability Resources Advisory Committee like how easy it is to release their access plans. “What would normally take a week or two weeks now just takes a click of a button,” said one upper class student. Additionally, video tutorials have made learning the system quite easy.

Disclosing through AccessCortland is valuable for more than convenience. It can also help students be stronger self-advocates. Last year, DRO hosted a program with students and faculty talking about best practices during “the moment of disclosure” when students identify to faculty that they require accommodations. Students shared that they feel particularly vulnerable during such discussions. Additionally, research indicates that students often back down from asserting their rights when faculty ask relatively innocuous questions during such meetings.  On the other hand, students on the Advisory Committee indicated that AccessCortland helped them feel more comfortable identifying to faculty. They felt better prepared to discuss their accommodations with faculty face-to-face once they’ve already notified them electronically in advance.

While early anecdotal feedback on AccessCortland has been encouraging, we are surveying faculty and students to learn more about how AccessCortland is succeeding and how it can be improved. Please complete the one to three minute survey by visiting AccessCortland and going to the Surveys tab.

Faculty Senate Approves New Disability Syllabus Statement

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By Jeremy Zhe-Heimerman, Assistant Director of Disability Resources

Faculty Senate has been updating syllabus statements in the Faculty Handbook, so we thought it would be a good time to revisit the disability statement. In creating a new statement, we were interested in:

  • Couching the statement in the College’s commitment to its core values of equity and inclusive excellence rather than on the need to comply with federal law;
  • Keeping the statement clear and simple for students;
  • Ensuring that the statement follows the Office of Civil Rights decisions noting that the Disability Resources must determine eligibility and accommodations;
  • Communicating to students who choose to not affiliate with the Disability Resources Office;
  • Empowering faculty who wish to have conversations with students and adapt course design on their own;
  • Putting the focus on addressing barriers in a course that might hinder several students rather than placing a focus on a student’s disability.

We also wanted to ensure that students and faculty were actively involved in shaping the statement, as this is something that will appear on their syllabi for years to come. As such, the Disability Resources Advisory Committee, made up of students, faculty, and professionals, reviewed and made many changes to the first draft. The entire faculty then had the opportunity to review that draft and suggest changes to the Faculty Senate Educational Policy Committee, who made additional alterations. Final minor edits were then made in Faculty Senate before it was adopted unanimously on April 8.

We will be emailing reminders to faculty of the new statement before the upcoming summer session and again before the fall semester. The new statement reads:

As part of SUNY Cortland’s commitment to a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment, we strive to provide students with equal access to all courses. If you believe you will require accommodations in this course, please place a request with the Disability Resources Office at disability.resources@cortland.edu or call 607-753-2967. Please note that accommodations are generally not provided retroactively so timely contact with the Disability Resources Office is important. All students should consider meeting with their course instructor who may be helpful in other ways.

SFAAC and RespectAbility

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By Lauren Hosek, Disability Resources Student Ambassador

Students for Access and Ability in College (SFAAC) aims to address the needs and concerns of the disability community. This SGA-recognized club is finishing its first full year connecting students with disabilities and allies in a common purpose. Members mentor each other to start a conversation around the various accessibility struggles they deal with on campus, as well as everyday life as college student. SFAAC also aims to educate members of the College community about disability, accessibility challenges, and the disability climate on campus. The power of education is utilized by Devin Martinez, President of the club, as he leads each meeting to help members move in a forward direction. As a group they strive to help each other develop strategies to advocate for themselves and others. SFAAC is a welcoming, judgement-free, all-inclusive club that accepts everyone as they go all-out to help students through whatever challenges they may be facing.

 

SFAAC will be hosting a campus-wide event on Monday April 29, from 7-8:30 PM in the Corey Union Exhibition lounge. The event is called “RespectAbility”, a name meaning that above all, everyone deserves respect. At the event there will be tie-dye stations, a brief informational presentation about the club and its goals, and a free pizza dinner! The first 15 students to arrive will receive a free t-shirt to tie-dye. All other students may bring an item of clothing to tie-dye. Everyone is encouraged to come to support the club and be an ally to your peers as this will be a stress-free time of conversation, food, and fun!

 

Campus Program Accessibility Checklist

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By Christina Papaleo, Staff Assistant to the Chief Diversity Officer

Christina Papaleo, Staff Assistant to the Chief Diversity Officer, recently developed a Campus Accessibility Events Checklist for Events and Programs. This was adapted and used with permission by Cornell University’s Division of Human Resources. The goal of this resource is to provide students, faculty, and staff with guidelines to ensure that their events and programs are equitable. It is by no means a complete checklist, but rather a catalyst in supporting SUNY Cortland’s vision to be a “college of opportunity.”

“What some people misunderstand about accessibility is that it is not just for people with disabilities,” Papaleo said. “Oftentimes, accommodations are made for only a handful of people, without the acknowledgement that these actions may ultimately further marginalize someone who identifies with a disability–or even stigmatize the idea that receiving an accommodation is an extra step in a program, rather than something that can influence it.”

This checklist can become a way for campus community members to hold themselves accountable in maintaining the College’s commitment to equity and inclusion. To access the checklist, please visit the Disability Resources Office web page.