Joyce: Case Study
Joyce, a graduate student with a GPA of 3.6, uses an electric wheeled mobility device. In an advisement session, her academic advisor asked Joyce if she had ever considered the possibility of a master's degree in special education. The advisor explained, "While you are here at the university, Joyce, I suppose we can make whatever adaptations are necessary to make the courses and clinics available to you on campus. However, none of the sites we use in off-campus school-based practicum are wheelchair accessible, and only a few have accessible lavatories for the staff. It may be difficult for you to move between the two or more schools as expected of an itinerant speech-language pathologist in the schools. Frankly, I think you will find the same problem when you are looking for a job in speech-language pathology in another setting. It might be difficult for you to work with small children. You would probably find it easier to work in a classroom with older children in special education such as high school children with learning disabilities or orthopedic impairments. Besides, having gotten this far yourself, I would think you would enjoy an opportunity to help other people like yourself."
Has the professor violated the provisions of the ADA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act?
Absolutely. The institution is responsible for providing Joyce the same choices for a practicum afforded to students without disabilities. The program must provide some practicum sites that are able to meet the accessibility needs of the students. In addition, the advisor provided guidance to Joyce based on her disability, not on her ability to perform the function of the positions.
Craig: Case Study
Craig, an undergraduate student with a learning disability, is majoring in speech-language pathology. He has been in the program for the past seven years and has been on and off academic probation several times during his time at the university. Although he is very interested in speech and hearing science, he has had a good deal of difficulty making his way through the curriculum. He has a GPA of 1.67 in his major after 72 semester hours of classes. His overall GPA is 2.3, largely because of the success he has had in courses in history and social studies, which is his minor. In a meeting with his advisor, the professor asked him if he had considered changing his major to history. The professor explained by saying, " I know you are interested in speech and language science, but the academic coursework required seems to be difficult for you. The department has a rule that in order to receive a degree in the program you must have a GPA of at least 2.0. You would need to take five more courses in speech and hearing science and get an A in each of them in order to reach the 2.0 necessary for graduation. Also, in the long run, you will need a GPA of at least 3.0 to move on to graduate school. On the other hand, you have done well in your history courses. You will only need to take five more courses and get a C in them in order to receive a degree in history."
Has Professor Jones violated Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the ADA by giving this advice?
No. He gave his advice based on the student's past performance rather than based solely on his disability. The student has shown that he does poorly in courses in the basic sciences and does well in courses in the social sciences. The advice given to him was appropriate.
Lori: Case Study
Lori, a graduate student in communication sciences and disorders, has an undergraduate GPA of 3.6. She does well in her academic classes and in her clinic sessions. During discussions with her clinical supervisor, Lori can verbalize her understanding of the clients and the clinical strategies that are appropriate for them. However, Lori is late with her clinical reports. She makes grammatical and spelling errors in daily charting and in written reports. During a supervisory conference, Lori told the supervisor that she has a learning disability and requested accommodations to allow her to meet the requirements of the program. She said that in her undergraduate program she received extended time on her tests, including the GRE, and was able to use a note-taker in classes and use a computer with a spell-checker for her written assignments. Since she is required to write clinical notes daily in her practicum, she has not been able to use the necessary accommodations. She asked if she could have additional time to prepare her chart notes and her reports. Her supervisor appreciated her candor, but told her that she would not be able to complete the practicum because of her poor writing ability and the lateness of her reports. She was asked to withdraw from the program or be asked to leave by the faculty committee.
Did Lori's supervisor violate the requirements of the ADA?
Yes. The supervisor should have investigated whether there was a reasonable way for Lori to meet the requirements of the program. Lori could have been allowed to dictate her reports for the daily reports and later have them transcribed using a software package such as Dragon Dictate. Since Lori had a documented disability, her needs should have been discussed prior to the assignment in the clinic so that the reasonable adaptations could have been made when she began the practicum.
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