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ON ABILITIES, A PROGRAM ABOUT ISSUES[Focus on Abilities (#195): "Deana Moylan - Assoc. VP Diversity and Equal Opportunity at UT Health"]
AFFECTING THE LIVES OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.I'LL BE YOUR HOST FOR TODAY'S PROGRAM.
I DIRECT THE INDEPENDENT LIVING RESEARCH UTILIZATION PROGRAM AT TIER MEMORIAL HERMANN.
AND I'M PROFESSOR OF HEALTH INFORMATICS AND OF MEDICAL REHABILITATION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER AT HOUSTON.
WE HAVE A VERY INTERESTING PROGRAM FOR YOU TODAY.
UH, GREAT GUEST AND I WILL INTRODUCE HER RIGHT AFTER WE TAKE THIS SHORT BREAK.
COME BACK FOR FOCUS ON ABILITIES.
THE FOLLOWING PROGRAM IS SPONSORED BY ILRU SOUTHWEST, A DA CENTER PROMOTING COMPLIANCE WITH THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT.
THANK YOU FOR TUNING IN TO FOCUS ON ABILITIES TODAY.
I'M LEX FRIED, AND WE'RE HERE TODAY WITH DINA MOORE MOYLAN FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER AT HOUSTON.
DINA, YOU ARE, UM, RESPONSIBLE FOR ACCOMMODATING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES AT OUR SCHOOL, RIGHT? THAT IS CORRECT, LEX, AND THANKS FOR HAVING ME HERE TODAY.
SO YOUR OFFICIAL TITLE IS, YOU SAY IT, OUR OFFICE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR UNIVERSITY RELATIONS AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY, WHICH INCLUDES ALL FORMS OF ACCESSIBILITY FOR STUDENTS AND EMPLOYEES ON OUR CAMPUS.
SO WOULD YOU SAY MOST OF YOUR JOB FOCUSES ON ACCOMMODATIONS OR WHAT OTHER ASPECTS ARE IMPORTANT TO YOUR WORK? SO WE LOOK AT ALL FORMS OF EQUAL OPPORTUNITY, UM, ALL FORMS OF ACCESSIBILITY, WHETHER IT BE CLASSROOM ACCOMMODATIONS, EMPLOYMENT ACCOMMODATIONS, BUT ALSO ALL ASPECTS OF POTENTIAL DISCRIMINATION OR HARASSMENT.
IF THERE'S A CONCERN, WE LOOK INTO THOSE AS WELL ON BEHALF OF THE UNIVERSITY.
SO, WELL, YOU SAY ON BEHALF OF THE UNIVERSITY, BUT CAN WE SAY ALSO ON BEHALF OF THE STUDENTS? ABSOLUTELY.
WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING AT ANY CONCERNS THAT ARE BROUGHT FORWARD BY A STUDENT OR AN EMPLOYEE IN THE CONTEXT OF HOW WERE THEY TREATED AT THE UNIVERSITY, WHERE THEY GIVE GIVEN EQUAL ACCESS IN THE CONTEXT OF ACCOMMODATIONS AND WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM ANY CONCERN THAT COMES FORWARD.
SO WHAT, I MEAN, PEOPLE GO TO SCHOOL MM-HMM
AND PEOPLE WITH DIFFERING ABILITIES HAVE DIFFERENT NEEDS IN THE LEARNING PROCESS.
I MEAN, WE KNOW THAT WE CAN APPRECIATE, WE UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S NOT ALWAYS BEEN THE CASE THAT SCHOOLS, UH, HAVE ACCOMMODATED STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES.
WHEN DID YOU REALLY GET, WHEN, WHEN DID YOU DISCOVER THIS PARTICULAR NEED AND THE WHOLE FIELD OF ACCOMMODATIONS? SO, PARTLY IT CAME THROUGH MY OWN ROLE, UM, WORKING WITHIN UT SYSTEM WHEN THE A DA WAS PASSED.
I WAS FIRST INTRODUCED WHEN I WAS ACTUALLY WORKING AT MD ANDERSON CANCER CENTER WOW.
BEFORE I WORKED AT UT HEALTH HOUSTON.
AND, UM, I THINK IT'S BEEN AN EVOLUTIONARY JOURNEY IN THE EDUCATIONAL AND WORK ENVIRONMENT AS THE LAWS AND REGULATIONS HAVE CAUGHT UP WITH THE NEEDS OF INDIVIDUALS.
UM, ON A MORE PERSONAL LEVEL, IN NOVEMBER OF 2002, MY MOTHER EXPERIENCED A STROKE, WHICH LEFT HER COMPLETELY PARALYZED ON THE RIGHT SIDE WITH SEVERE APHASIA.
SO SHE LOST THE ABILITY TO SPEAK, AND WE WERE VERY, VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE MY MOTHER WITH US FOR ANOTHER 18 YEARS.
BUT SHE REQUIRED 24 HOUR A DAY ASSISTANCE, AND WHETHER WE NEEDED TO GET HER ACCESS TO A RESTROOM IN A RESTAURANT OR HEALTHCARE OR HOME CARE, ANY OF THE ABUNDANT NEEDS THAT WE EXPERIENCED IN MANY VARIATIONS OVER 18 YEARS, IT GAVE ME A PERSPECTIVE THAT I DON'T THINK I WOULD'VE EVER HAD JUST AS AN ADMINISTRATOR.
SO, I MEAN, YOU'RE, YOU REALLY CHANGED YOUR APPROACH AFTER YOU HAD THAT PERSONAL EXPERIENCE? ABSOLUTELY.
UM, TO BE ABLE TO WALK IN THOSE SHOES.
AND, UH, SHE ACTUALLY HAD HER STROKE ON THE DAY THAT I GOT MY OFFER LETTER FROM MD ANDERSON.
AND SO UNIQUE COINCIDENCE, BUT THEN I GOT THE OPPORTUNITY THROUGH MY JOB TO SUPPORT PEOPLE WHO NEEDED THE TYPES OF SUPPORT THAT I NEEDED IN MY OWN FAMILY.
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AND, UM, IT REALLY GAVE ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO WALK IN SOMEONE ELSE'S SHOES TO EXPERIENCE THINGS FROM A PERSPECTIVE I HAD NOT BEEN AS OPEN TO PREVIOUSLY.SO PRIOR TO THAT, YOUR, YOUR EDUCATION, YOUR TRAINING, YOUR BACKGROUND WAS PROVIDED JUST THROUGH THE EDUCATION THAT YOU SOUGHT YOURSELF? YES.
OR THROUGH CONTINUING EDUCATION THROUGH MY EMPLOYER.
AND THAT AT THE TIME WAS MD ANDERSON.
SO THE MD ANDERSON ROLE THAT YOU PLAYED, WAS THAT RELATED TO ACCOMMODATING PATIENTS WITH DISABILITIES PATIENTS AND STUDENTS AND EMPLOYEES? YES.
THAT MUST HAVE PROVIDED SOME CHALLENGES.
WELL, I THINK EVERY ENVIRONMENT PRESENTS UNIQUE CHALLENGES IN THAT RESPECT.
NO TWO SITUATIONS ARE EVER THE SAME.
AND WHAT I LEARNED FROM MY MOTHER'S SITUATION IS I NEEDED PEOPLE TO LISTEN TO ME, TO MY STEPFATHER WHO WERE REPRESENTING HER BECAUSE SHE COULDN'T SPEAK FOR HERSELF.
AND, UM, IN THAT CONTEXT, WE REALLY, I'M ABLE TO TAKE THAT EXPERIENCE AND TRY TO LISTEN THROUGH OUR TEAM, UM, BOTH TODAY AS WELL AS IN MY PAST TO WHAT ARE THE NEEDS OF THE INDIVIDUALS THAT COME TO OUR OFFICE FOR ASSISTANCE? WELL, UH, I MEAN, AS I POINTED OUT BEFORE, ACCOMMODATING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES HAS NOT ALWAYS BEEN A PRIORITY.
IT'S NOT ALWAYS BEEN A REQUIREMENT.
AND I, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT IT'S STILL KIND OF A DYNAMIC SITUATION AND THE FACT THAT, UH, MORE AND MORE TECHNOLOGIES AVAILABLE, MORE AND MORE SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS ARE AVAILABLE, YOU HAVE TO KNOW MORE.
AND THE VARIETY IS CHANGING ALMOST DAILY.
SO I WANT, I I WANT TO GO INTO THAT IN LITTLE MORE DETAIL.
WE'RE HERE WITH DINA MOYLAN AND, UH, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ACCOMMODATING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES.
UH, WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH MORE FOCUS ON ABILITIES.
DOWNTOWN IS AN ART LOVER'S DREAM.
WITH MORE THAN 65 PIECES OF PUBLIC ART, THE INFLUX OF SO MANY PEOPLE ARRIVING HERE IN HOUSTON FROM AROUND THE WORLD IS VERY IMPACTFUL ON MY PALETTE, AS WELL AS MY CANVAS AS AN ARTIST.
ALL THE ART THAT WAS IN HOUSTON ONLY GOT ME SERIOUS ABOUT MAKING MY OWN.
WE'RE HERE TODAY WITH DINA MOYLAN, AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ACCOMMODATING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES.
NOW, DINA, WE'RE TALKING, UH, GENERALLY SPEAKING MM-HMM
UM, UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER, WHERE WE WORK, UH, ACCOMMODATE STUDENTS.
I HAVE A NUMBER OF, UH, STUDENTS IN MY CLASSES WHO HAVE DIFFERENT TYPES OF DISABILITIES, BUT WHAT WE DO IS PROBABLY WHAT OTHER UNIVERSITIES, OTHER SCHOOLS DO AS WELL.
UH, THAT'S BASED LARGELY ON, ON RULES ON, UH, GUIDELINES PROVIDED WHAT BY THE DEPARTMENT OF, UH, EDUCATION AND THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, I GUESS, AS WELL.
I WOULD SAY THAT IT'S ALSO GUIDED BY OUR OWN PAST EXPERIENCE.
UH, WE'RE LEARNING EVERY DAY WITH NEW ACCOMMODATION REQUESTS.
THERE IS NOT, UM, A ROTE OR A SET LIST OF ACCOMMODATIONS THAT YOU CAN FOCUS ON.
UM, YOU CAN ALWAYS START WITH THAT LIST, BUT I FIND THAT THE MOST EFFECTIVE ACCOMMODATIONS ARE WHEN WE SIT WITH A STUDENT OR AN EMPLOYEE AND WE LISTEN TO THEM AND WE UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY'RE EXPERIENCING.
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IF WE CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY'RE EXPERIENCING, WE MAY NEED TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT WE'VE NEVER DONE BEFORE.AND I FIND THAT OUR OFFICE IS IMPLEMENTING NEW SOLUTIONS ALMOST EVERY DAY.
I THINK ONE OF THE FEW GOOD THINGS THAT CAME OUT OF THE COVID PANDEMIC WAS THAT TECHNOLOGY REALLY GAVE US SOME ADVANCEMENTS.
VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS WERE NOT AS THEY ARE TODAY.
UM, AND THE EARLY MONTHS OF 2020, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE WAS NOT WHAT IT WAS.
CAPTIONING WAS REALLY POOR IN MOST VIRTUAL PLATFORMS. TRANSCRIPTION WAS NOT NECESSARILY ALWAYS AVAILABLE.
RECORDING WASN'T READILY AVAILABLE AT YOUR FINGERTIPS.
AND WE'VE MADE A LOT OF ADVANCES FOR OTHER REASONS RELATED TO THE PANDEMIC THAT HAVE CONTINUED TO BENEFIT OUR STUDENTS AND OUR EMPLOYEES GOING FORWARD.
YOU KNOW, AT UT HEALTH HOUSTON, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS WE STRIVE TO DO IS ALWAYS LEVERAGE OUR TECHNOLOGY AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WHETHER WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HOW DO WE LET A STUDENT PARTICIPATE ACTIVELY IN A PATIENT ENCOUNTER DURING THEIR TRAINING, OR HOW DO THEY HAVE ACCESS TO ALL THE TOOLS AND RESOURCES THEY NEED IN THEIR ACADEMIC AND DIDACTIC PROGRAMS. WE'VE DONE SOME REALLY COOL THINGS IN LABORATORIES, AND, UM, SOMETIMES THOUGH, EVEN THOUGH TECHNOLOGY IS REALLY WONDERFUL, OUR BEST AND MOST CREATIVE SOLUTIONS COME FROM SOME OF OUR MOST BASIC ACCOMMODATIONS.
I WANT TO, I WANNA TAKE JUST A BREAK RIGHT HERE MM-HMM
I'M GONNA ASK THE AUDIENCE A QUESTION AND, UH, WE CAN COME BACK AND, AND, UH, ANSWER IT AT THE END OF THE SHOW.
BUT I, I JUST WANT TO TEST OUR AUDIENCE HERE.
OUR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES, BECAUSE OF THEIR DISABILITIES, EXCUSED FROM DOING CERTAIN KINDS OF REQUIREMENTS, MEETING CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS THAT A DEGREE PROGRAM MIGHT HAVE.
SO I WANT YOU AND THE AUDIENCE TO GIVE SOME THOUGHT TO THAT QUESTION, AND, AND WE'LL COME BACK TO IT BEFORE THE END OF THE PROGRAM, BUT NOT RIGHT NOW.
I WANNA GIVE YOU A CHANCE TO THINK ABOUT IT NOW, DINA.
UH, WE'RE BACK TO, UH, THE TECHNOLOGY ADVANCES DURING COVID.
UH, YOU MENTIONED SOME, UH, YOU MENTIONED AI, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, BUT YOU'VE, YOU ALSO MENTIONED SOME TECHNOLOGIES THAT WE ARE ALREADY TAKING FOR GRANTED.
IMPROVEMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE.
I MEAN, AS YOU SAID IT, I'M THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ON ZOOM NOW, AND WE'RE, WE ALL DO ZOOM FIVE YEARS AGO, WHO KNEW? RIGHT? AND, AND, AND YET NOW IT'S, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY KNOWS, UH, EVERYBODY DOES ZOOM AND, UH, AND FURTHERMORE, PEOPLE WHO ARE HEARING IMPAIRED, UM, THREE YEARS AGO HAD PROBLEMS WITH ZOOM BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T HEAR WHAT WAS BEING SAID BY PEOPLE ON THE VIRTUAL, UH, CONNECTION.
BUT NOW EVERYBODY'S GOT ACCESS TO REALLY, REALLY GOOD, UH, TRANSCRIPTIONS ON THE, ON THE ZOOM AND ON THE OTHER PLATFORMS. I MEAN, IT JUST, AS YOU SAID, ADVANCEMENTS ARE COMING SO QUICKLY, AND IT'S REALLY EXCITING AS WELL TO SEE THAT WE CAN GO TO OUR IT TEAM, OR SIMPLY TO ONE OF OUR VENDORS THAT PROVIDES SOFTWARE, TELL THEM WHAT OUR CHALLENGE IS, AND HAVE THEM PRESENT US WITH NEW OPTIONS.
AND WHAT I CONSIDER A PRETTY RAPID SPEED COMPARED TO WHERE WE WERE PRE PANDEMIC.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT SOME GREAT VENDORS THAT WORK WITH US TO BE ABLE TO ENSURE THAT WE EITHER HAVE, UM, TALK TO TEXT, OR WE HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, UNIQUE SCENARIOS.
AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE, FOR INSTANCE.
A LOT OF THE TERMINOLOGY THAT WE TEACH IN OUR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS IN HIGHER EDUCATION, THE TERMINOLOGY IN AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE DOESN'T EVEN EXIST.
SO WE, THROUGH SOME OF OUR ACCOMMODATIONS, OUR STUDENTS AND THEIR AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETERS ARE ACTUALLY WRITING NEW LANGUAGE.
THEY'RE CREATING SIGNS THAT CAN BE SHARED TO HELP OTHER INDIVIDUALS LEARN THE SAME TECHNICAL CAREERS, CLINICAL CAREERS IN THE FUTURE.
NOW, WE COULD DO A WHOLE PROGRAM ON, ON DEAFNESS AND, AND ACCOMMODATIONS FOR PEOPLE WITH HEARING IMPAIRMENTS.
PEOPLE WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS YES.
AND COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENTS AND SO ON.
BUT JUST TO FOLLOW UP ON THE, ON THE ISSUE OF INTERPRETERS, UM, MANY DEAF PEOPLE USE AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE MM-HMM
WHICH IS NOT ENGLISH, IT'S NOT SPANISH.
IT'S ACKNOWLEDGED AND RECOGNIZED AS SUCH.
UH, PEOPLE CAN TAKE IT IN SCHOOL AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE.
UH, BUT THE INTERESTING THING ABOUT THAT IS JUST LIKE THE OTHER LANGUAGES ARE NOW BEING TRANSLATED REAL TIME MM-HMM
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BY GOOGLE VOICE AND, AND ALEXA AND SO ON.UH, THE, THE, THE PEOPLE THAT I WORK WITH AT INTEL AND MICROSOFT TELL ME THERE WILL SOON BE AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE THAT IS DONE EXCLUSIVELY BY ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.
WOULDN'T THAT BE AMAZING? MM-HMM
UM, UNLESS YOU'RE, UH, A SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETER.
UM, BUT I MEAN, IT IS JUST SO OVERWHELMING AND, AND, AND, AND AMAZING.
I, I MENTIONED, UH, PEOPLE WITH COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENTS MM-HMM
WE KNOW NOW THAT, UH, UH, LEARNING DISABILITIES PROBABLY ARE THE LARGEST COHORT OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES THAT THERE ARE.
UM, AND FOR YEARS WE COULDN'T, UH, DIAGNOSE A DHD MM-HMM
UH, WE COULDN'T TALK ABOUT IT.
BUT NOW WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN SCHOOL, AND THEY SHOULD BE IN SCHOOL WHO DO HAVE, BY DEFINITION, LEARNING DISABILITIES.
NOW WHAT KIND OF ACCOMMODATIONS CAN WE MAKE FOR THOSE PEOPLE? SO AGAIN, IT ALWAYS STARTS WITH LISTENING TO THE STUDENT AND WHAT DO THEY NEED? AND I SEE A VARIETY OF REQUESTS FROM STUDENTS IN THAT SPACE WITH THE HIDDEN DISABILITIES.
SOMETIMES IT'S, I JUST NEED EXTRA TEST TAKING IN A QUIET SPACE.
IT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT STRAIGHTFORWARD.
OTHER TIMES, I NEED A FIDGET SPINNER.
I NEED A DESK WHERE I CAN SIT OR STAND.
UM, IN A, IN A COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY ENVIRONMENT, SOMETIMES THINGS ARE VERY RIGID IN A TESTING ENVIRONMENT, RIGHT? SO HOW DO WE ALLOW THEM THE FREEDOM TO BE ABLE TO SIT, STAND? HOW DO THEY, UH, WELL, HOW MANY BREAKS DO THEY GET? CAN THEY EAT FOOD? UM, WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT NEEDS THOSE INDIVIDUALS HAVE? SO WE ALWAYS START OFF WHEN A STUDENT COMES TO US AND SAYS, I NEED ACCOMMODATIONS.
WE ASK THEM TO, ONE, TELL US WHAT THEY'RE REQUESTING NOW, BUT ALSO RECAP WHAT THEY'VE RECEIVED PREVIOUSLY THAT'S BEEN SUCCESSFUL SO THAT WE CAN, SOMETIMES THEY FORGET TO ASK FOR WHAT THEY'VE ALREADY HAD.
I THINK ONE OF THE CHALLENGES WITH STUDENTS SOMETIMES IS THAT THEY HESITATE TO COME FORWARD AND ASK FOR THE SUPPORT THEY NEED UNTIL THEY'VE CREATED A BIT OF A DEFICIT FOR THEMSELVES, AND THEN THEY'LL RAISE THEIR HAND.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE STUDENTS COME FORWARD EARLIER IN THE PROCESS AND WORK WITH US TO MAKE SURE THEY HAVE WHAT THEY NEED FROM DAY ONE.
SO LET'S, LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT IN A MINUTE.
I THAT I, AT THE KEY POINT HERE, I THINK, IS THAT IN ORDER TO GET AN ACCOMMODATION, YOU NEED TO ASK FOR IT.
UH, WE'LL COME BACK WITH THAT POINT IN JUST A MOMENT.
UH, WE'RE GONNA TAKE ANOTHER BREAK.
YOU'RE A LOCAL, YOU'RE ONE OF US, AND WE WANT TO GIVE YOU A RICHER, MORE EXCITING EXPERIENCE.
WE'LL SHARE THE FOOD THAT WOWED NATIONAL COOKING SHOWS AND TAKE YOU TO THE ATTRACTIONS THAT PUT US IN TRAVEL AND LEISURE'S TOP 50 PLACES TO VISIT IN 2023.
AND THEN WE'LL TAKE YOU OUT TO A BALL GAME TO SEE OUR WORLD SERIES CHAMPS.
BOOK YOUR STAY TODAY THROUGHOUT THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC METRO HAS BEEN THERE FOR YOU, GETTING MEDICAL CENTER EMPLOYEES AND OTHER ESSENTIAL WORKERS TO THEIR JOBS DURING LOCKDOWN.
WE'RE ALSO IMPROVING YOUR CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE.
FROM MORE FREQUENT CLEANINGS TO SECURITY MONITORS ON VEHICLES, WE'VE LAUNCHED FREE WIFI AND INSTALLED OVER 3000 NEW ACCESSIBLE BUS STOPS, ALL TO MAKE YOUR RIDE BETTER.
VISIT RIDE METRO.ORG TO LEARN HOW YOU CAN DRIVE LESS AND DO MORE GREASE AND WIPES CLOG PIPES.
IN FACT, CLOGS FROM THESE ITEMS ARE THE MAIN CAUSE OF SEWER OVERFLOWS IN HOUSTON.
LEARN MORE@PROTECTOURPIPES.ORG.
WHETHER YOU'RE LOOKING FOR DINE-IN OR TAKEOUT INDOOR OR ALFRESCO, DOWNTOWN HOUSTON'S RESTAURANTS AND BARS ARE OPEN AND READY FOR YOU.
THE KENNEDY BAKERY BUILDING IS SAID TO BE ONE OF THE OLDEST HAUNTS IN HOUSTON.
YOUR WATCHING FOCUSED ON ABILITIES.
AND WE'RE HERE TODAY WITH DINA MOYLAN, UH, FROM UT HEALTH.
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UH, DINA, BEFORE THE BREAK, WE TALKED ABOUT THE STUDENT'S OBLIGATION.UM, IF, IF, IF YOU HAVE A DISABILITY AND, UH, YOU NEED SOME KIND OF ACCOMMODATION, NOT EVERYONE IN THE SCHOOL WILL KNOW HOW TO ACCOMMODATE YOU.
AND SOME OF THEM MAY NOT HAVE A CLUE ABOUT HOW YOU MIGHT BE ACCOMMODATED.
BUT IN NOW, IN SCHOOLS AROUND AMERICA, THEORETICALLY, EVERY SCHOOL YES.
SHOULD HAVE AN OFFICE OF DISABILITY SERVICES OR ACCOMMODATIONS.
IF THEY WERE LOOKING FOR YOU, WHERE WOULD THEY GO? SO, IN OUR ORGANIZATION, YOU CAN LOOK FOR EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES.
YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO SEARCH FOR DISABILITY ACCESSIBILITY.
ANY OF THOSE THINGS SHOULD BE ABLE TO COME TO OUR OFFICE, UM, EITHER THROUGH A SEARCH ENGINE OR THE TELEPHONE DIRECTORY, OR OUR WEBSITE.
DOES, DOES A PERSON WHO FEELS LIKE THEY NEED ACCOMMODATION AND THEY'RE NOT SURE IF THEY HAVE A DISABILITY, HOW DO YOU TREAT THOSE PEOPLE? THE SAME WAY I TREAT SOMEBODY WHO KNOWS THEY HAVE A DISABILITY.
THEY COME TO OUR OFFICE, THEY TELL US WHAT THEIR CHALLENGE IS, WHAT THEY'RE STRUGGLING WITH, AND WE'LL HELP THEM, WE'LL HELP THEM NAVIGATE AN UNDERSTANDING, UM, WHAT THEIR OPTIONS ARE, WHAT THEIR RESOURCES ARE.
SOMETIMES WE REDIRECT STUDENTS TO STUDENT HEALTH AND COUNSELING BECAUSE THEY CAN HELP US IN THAT RESPECT TO GET THEM DOCUMENTATION THEY NEED OR A DIAGNOSIS THAT THEY NEED IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW WE CAN HELP THEM.
SO A STUDENT DOESN'T HAVE TO HAVE SOME HISTORY OF DISABILITY IN ORDER TO REQUEST SERVICES.
JUST THIS MORNING, I WAS GIVING A TALK TO A BUNCH OF ADMINISTRATORS WHO SUPPORT STUDENTS, AND I TOLD THEM, YOU KNOW, ON ANY GIVEN DAY, SOMEBODY CAN ACQUIRE A DISABILITY ON ANY GIVEN DAY, YOU CAN DISCOVER YOU'VE ALWAYS HAD A DISABILITY AND DIDN'T KNOW YOU HAD IT.
AND THAT'S WHY WE HAVE TO BE ATTUNED.
WE HAVE TO BE EDUCATED AND KNOW WHAT TO LISTEN FOR AND HOW TO, UM, GUIDE PEOPLE TO THEIR RESOURCES BECAUSE IT'S SCARY, RIGHT? FIRST OF ALL, AS A STUDENT, YOU MAY BE FEELING OUT OF PLACE.
I HAVE A DAUGHTER WHO JUST STARTED AT UT THIS FALL, AND I'M FOLLOWING HER JOURNEY DISCREETLY ON A FACEBOOK PAGE WITH A BUNCH OF OTHER UT PARENTS.
AND I KEEP SEEING PARENTS POP ON AND SAY, MY CHILD IS STRUGGLING IN THIS WAY.
THEY HAD A 5 0 4, OR THEY HAD AN IEP IN HIGH SCHOOL, BUT THEY DON'T WANNA GO TO DISABILITY SERVICES ON CAMPUS TODAY.
AND MY RESPONSE TO THAT IS, GO HEAR WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY.
YOU CAN'T BE PENALIZED FOR IT.
AND THEY MIGHT POINT YOU TO RESOURCES YOU DIDN'T EVEN KNOW YOU HAD.
AND SO MANY OF THOSE RESOURCES ON MOST COLLEGE CAMPUSES ARE ALSO FREE.
SO HELPING STUDENTS JUST GET OVER THAT HURDLE OF ASKING AND TALKING THROUGH THEIR CHALLENGES, I THINK IS THE BIGGEST PIECE FOR US.
WELL, YOU STILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH, UH, AND I'VE TALKED TO KIDS WHO HAVE BEEN FRUSTRATED BY THIS, THAT YOUR OFFICE, DISABLED STUDENT SERVICES MAY WELL UNDERSTAND AND SUPPORT THEM, BUT AN INDIVIDUAL INSTRUCTOR MAY STILL PROVIDE SOME KINDS OF, OF BARRIERS, WHETHER THEY DO IT THINKING OR NOT, THINKING INTENTIONALLY OR NOT INTENTIONALLY.
UH, WHAT MOTIVATES THEM, WE'RE NOT CONCERNED ABOUT, BUT THE FACT THAT IT HAPPENS MEANS THAT KIDS HAVE TO KNOW WHAT THEIR RIGHTS ARE.
AND, AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN REASSURE THEM OF AND PROBABLY PAY, PLAY A ROLE IN HELPING TO COUNSEL THE INSTRUCTORS.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE STARTED DOING SOME SIMPLE THINGS LIKE NOTING ON ACCOMMODATIONS THAT IF SOMETHING NEW ARISES THAT WE HAVEN'T CONSIDERED, REACH OUT TO US, TALK TO US.
UM, WE WANNA KNOW ABOUT IT SOONER RATHER THAN WHEN YOU'RE FRUSTRATED.
UM, AND ALSO WE DO HAVE A ROLE IN EDUCATING, AND I THINK THERE ARE TIMES WHEN THERE'S NOT ILL INTENTION, BUT MAYBE LACK OF AWARENESS OR LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN A CERTAIN SPACE.
AND, YOU KNOW, FOR INSTANCE, SOMETIMES I MIGHT SAY TO A STUDENT, OKAY, WE'RE GOING TO RECORD YOUR CLASSES, UM, AS PART OF YOUR ACCOMMODATION, ARE YOU COMFORTABLE HAVING YOUR PROFESSOR ANNOUNCE TO THE CLASS THAT WE'RE RECORDING THIS SESSION? YEAH.
YOU'RE GONNA GET YOUR LITTLE ZOOM OR TEAMS MESSAGE AT THE TOP OF THE SCREEN THAT SAYS, THIS IS BEING RECORDED.
WE DON'T HAVE TO ANNOUNCE THAT YOU HAVE A DISABILITY, BUT ARE YOU COMFORTABLE WITH THE PROFESSOR? JUST PUTTING EVERYONE ON NOTICE.
AND I THINK WE HAVE TO HAVE THAT KIND OF TRANSPARENCY IN OUR CONVERSATIONS IN ORDER FOR PEOPLE TO FEEL COMFORTABLE AND FEEL SUPPORTED.
IT ALSO ALLOWS US, ON THE FRONT END, THE OPPORTUNITY TO COACH FACULTY WHO MAY NOT BE AWARE.
THEY HAVE HUNDREDS OF STUDENTS COMING THROUGH THEIR DOOR, AND THEY MAY BE FORGETFUL, THEY MAY BE JUST UNAWARE FOR
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WHATEVER REASON.AND WE CAN HELP THEM BE MORE AWARE, BE ON POINT, AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE DELIVERING THE ACCOMMODATION WE INTENDED THE STUDENT TO RECEIVE.
SO WE HAVE JUST A FEW MINUTES LEFT HERE.
WHAT DO YOU REGARD AS KIND OF THE MO THE, THE COOLEST ACCOMMODATIONS THAT ARE BEING MADE AT UT HEALTH RIGHT NOW? OH, WOW.
I THINK THAT A LOT OF THE TECHNOLOGY THAT WE'RE USING, UM, BUT HONESTLY, I WOULD SAY SOME OF THE COOLEST ACCOMMODATIONS ARE THE LOWEST TECH SOLUTIONS THAT WE HAVE.
ONE OF THE THINGS I'M REALLY PROUD OF IS WE HAD A, A STUDENT WHO NEEDED TO COME TO OUR CAMPUS WITH THEIR SERVICE ANIMAL AND LABORATORIES CAN BE A TRICKY PLACE TO HAVE A SERVICE ANIMAL, RIGHT? SO THIS WAS A PARTICULAR LAB THAT WAS GOING TO HAVE A B IT WAS BSL TWO LAB, WHICH WITH PATHOGENS.
SO INITIALLY YOU GET THIS REACTION, OH, OKAY, CAN WE DO THIS SAFELY FOR THE RESEARCH OR FOR THE STUDENT? TURNED OUT WE HAD A REALLY EXPENSIVE ACCOMMODATION.
IT WAS A ROLL OF BLUE PAINTER'S TAPE, AND IT DIVIDED THE ROOM.
AND THE SERVICE ANIMAL COULD STILL DO THEIR JOB AND ALERT FROM THEIR DESIGNATED SPOT IN THE LAB, BUT THEY DIDN'T PASS ACROSS THE BLUE TAPE ON THE GROUND.
IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO ALLOW THE STUDENT THE LEARNING OPPORTUNITY THEY NEEDED TO HAVE, BUT THEY COULD ALSO SIT AND DO THEIR LAB WORK RIGHT NEXT TO THEIR SERVICE ANIMAL WHEN THEY NEEDED TO.
AND IT DIDN'T COST US MUCH MORE THAN THE COST OF A ROLL OF BLUE PAINTER'S TAPE.
SO, WELL, THAT, THAT LEADS ME TO THE NEXT QUESTION.
WHERE CAN PEOPLE WHO ARE LOOKING RANDOMLY FOR ACCOMMODATIONS FIND THEM? I MEAN, THERE ARE SOME GOOD WEBSITES, UH, WE MENTIONED JAN A WHILE AGO.
THE JOB ACCOMMODATION NETWORK MM-HMM
NOW THAT'S FOCUSED ON EMPLOYMENT, NOT NECESSARILY EDUCATION, BUT THE SOLUTIONS ARE THE SAME, RIGHT? ABSOLUTELY.
SO, PLACES THAT I USE ON A DAILY BASIS, THE JOB ACCOMMODATION NETWORK APPLIES TO STUDENTS AS, UM, WELL AS EMPLOYEES.
THE SUGGESTIONS THAT THEY HAVE, UM, SPECIFIC TO CERTAIN DIAGNOSES, AND CERTAIN CONDITIONS ARE RIGHT ON POINT, REGARDLESS OF YOUR EMPLOYMENT OR EDUCATIONAL ROLE, BUT ALSO THEY LINK TO A LOT OF OTHER RESOURCES THAT ARE OFTEN HELPFUL.
THE OTHER THING I DO IS I VISIT OTHER UNIVERSITY'S WEBSITES AND DO RESEARCH THERE.
MAYBE A UNIVERSITY IN A DIFFERENT STATE HAS, UM, ADDRESSED A SPECIFIC NEED THAT I'M TRYING TO ADDRESS, AND THEY KEEP THAT INFORMATION ON THEIR WEBSITE.
I THINK YOU HAVE TO ALWAYS BE ON A LEARNING JOURNEY.
IF YOU THINK THAT, OKAY, I'VE SOLVED THIS PIECE AND I'M MOVING ON TO SOMETHING NEW, YOU'RE GOING TO BE DISAPPOINTED.
YOU'RE GOING TO DISAPPOINT YOUR CUSTOMERS AND THE PEOPLE THAT NEED OUR SUPPORT, UM, WE HAVE TO CONTINUOUSLY BE LEARNING AND SEARCHING FOR NEW OPPORTUNITIES.
SO THE, THE BOTTOM LINE IS IT'S A CONVERSATION.
NOW, THE QUESTION THAT I ASK THE AUDIENCE DOES HAVING A DISABILITY, EXCUSE A STUDENT FROM MEETING ANY REQUIREMENTS OF A DEGREE? AND THE ANSWER TO THAT'S NO.
WE CAN'T FUNDAMENTALLY ALTER THE PROGRAM.
HOWEVER, WE CAN EXTEND THE PROGRAM, WE CAN CREATE EXPERIENCES THAT MEET THE STUDENT'S NEEDS IN WAYS THAT MAYBE WE HADN'T CONSIDERED PREVIOUS, UH, IN PREVIOUS SCENARIOS.
BUT IT'S A JOURNEY AND IT'S PART OF A CONVERSATION THAT WE HAVE TO GO ON TOGETHER.
SO, SO YOU MIGHT EXPLORE ALTERNATIVES TO CURRENT REQUIREMENTS.
YOU MIGHT EXPLORE ALTERNATE WAYS TO COMPLETE CURRENT REQUIREMENTS AND SO ON.
BUT STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES DON'T GET A FAIR, UH, AN EASY PASS OR A, UH, A WAY OUT OF MEETING ALL THE REQUIREMENTS.
BUT WE WORK WITH THEM TO MAKE SURE THEY GET WHAT THEY NEED TO GET THROUGH THE PROGRAM AND TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A CAREER ON THE BACK END.
ALL RIGHT, DINA, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR, UH, BEING OUR GUEST ON FOCUS ON ABILITIES TODAY.
I, I THINK WE'VE HAD A GOOD DISCUSSION.
WE COULD GO ON, UH, FOR ANOTHER HOUR AND A HALF, BUT, UH, WE DON'T HAVE THAT TIME.
WE WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY.
THIS IS HTV, IT IS FOCUS ON ABILITIES.
UH, WE ARE GLAD TO HAVE YOU HERE.
AND, UH, IF YOU HAVE ISSUES THAT, UH, YOU'D LIKE FOR ME TO, TO ADDRESS ON A FUTURE, UH, FOCUS, PLEASE DON'T HESITATE TO, UH, SEND AN EMAIL.
UM, MY EMAIL ADDRESS IS L FRIEDEN@UT.TC.EDU.