Office of Accessibility : Tips on Providing Accessibility in your Office

Analyze the Environment

Questions to consider when evaluating your office for accessibility:

• Does your office offer any special services to individuals with disabilities?
• Is there an accessible path for wheelchair users?
• Are program literature and materials at a reachable height?
• Is “front-line” staff sensitive to and knowledgeable in identifying when special assistance is needed?
• Are you aware of policies and practices that may need to be modified in order to ensure access to students with disabilities?
• What effort has your unit made to train staff regarding the existence and implementation of the ADA?
• Are you aware of the procedures to evacuate individuals with disabilities from your unit during an emergency?

While this analysis includes the physical environment, it should also go beyond architecture. Attention must also be paid to the department’s message. Signage and statements of nondiscrimination, and posters and artwork that include people with disabilities should make it clear that students with disabilities are welcome. Have you reviewed your written and audio-visual materials to see how, or if, people with disabilities are portrayed?

Attitudinal Barriers

It is particularly important under the ADA to address the attitudinal issues inherent in interacting with persons with disabilities. While your “front-line” staff may have little authority to make policy changes or accommodations, they are likely to be dealing directly with persons with disabilities. They, perhaps more than anyone else in your office, may benefit from sensitivity training. They will also need to know both the requirements and the spirit of the ADA, as well as your efforts to comply with the law. With the frequent turnover rate of “front-line” staff, it can be helpful to provide ongoing training in ADA matters for all personnel.

Administrative personnel can be instructed on how to assist students with disabilities, and when the necessary assistance is beyond their abilities, to politely refer the individual to an assigned representative who can better respond to the student’s special needs.

Personnel should be aware that some people with disabilities (such as people with speech impairments) may require additional time to conduct their business even if no additional assistance or auxiliary aids are necessary.

Not all persons with disabilities will require assistance. Personnel should be aware that specialized services should not be forced on an individual simply because of a disability. You can train personnel about how to ask if someone needs special assistance and how to provide it or find someone who can.

Access to Information

Individuals who are blind or visually impaired may not be able to tell when a staff person is available. To overcome this problem, personnel could be instructed to politely speak out (for example, by saying, “May I help you?”) if it appears that the person waiting cannot see.

You may want to instruct personnel to help an individual to complete any necessary forms.

Qualified interpreters or other effective methods of making orally-delivered materials available to individuals with hearing impairments must be provided under the ADA. “Other effective methods” could include telecommunications devices for the deaf (TDDs). The extent to which (and often the circumstances under which) colleges and universities must provide auxiliary aids depends on the nature and type of services offered. Complex transactions involving a lot of direct communication would likely require interpreter services. An interpreter is probably not necessary for routine office communication, but could be necessary for more complex and detailed communications.

Written communication (note writing) may be an effective method of communication with deaf individuals in some instances. However, they may not be entirely effective where problems with interaction arise and the questioning is complex. When this occurs, perhaps a designated staff member could seek the services of an interpreter. This may cause a delay in the process as several days' notice is often needed to fulfill a request for an interpreter. The Office of Accessibility can assist you with arranging for your interpreter needs. The interpreter cost is the responsibility of the your unit.

It is not unreasonable to require students to provide advance notice that they need an interpreter for administrative services such as academic advising, counseling, or other matters involving complex communications.

For further information on providing accessibility in your office, please contact the Office of Accessibility:

Bancroft Campus
Mail Stop #342                                                        
1820 Rocket Hall                                                    
Voice: 419.530.4981                                              
TTY/VP: 419.530.2612                                           
Fax: 419.530.6137

http://www.utoledo.edu/utlc/accessibility