It is not uncommon for a new student to try and settle into the college experience, only to find they are struggling more than ever before. No matter how they try to discipline themselves, they never have enough time to finish an assignment, or they can’t concentrate during a lecture. The tricks they used to study in high school may no longer work.
They may compare themselves to their classmates and wonder, “Is something wrong with me? Am I good enough for college?”
They may not be aware that anxiety and depression can rise to the level of disability, along with learning disorders, autism, ADHD, and other physical or mental conditions. A disability can be any physical or mental condition that substantially impacts a major life activity, including seeing, hearing, mobilizing, thinking, studying, etc.
They can be assured they are not alone in feeling that way. Tina Vires, director of UNC Greensboro’s Office of Accessibility Resources and Services (OARS), says many people with learning or other disabilities aren’t diagnosed until adulthood. That is where she and her trained staff can step in to help.
“Our job is to remove barriers or otherwise ensure access for individuals with disabilities,” she says.
Shaping a path to learn
Like all higher educational institutions, UNCG ensures that all legal protection and equal opportunities are afforded to people with visible and invisible disabilities.
As children, students are protected by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Once they become adults, they come under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). These laws set different obligations for the schools, and that is why it is important for a student who has a disability or suspects they might have a disability to talk to someone in OARS about their options.
OARS will engage in an interactive process with the student to understand what kind of disability they have, how it affects their campus experience, and what accommodation will allow the student to have equity of access; to thrive. OARS then works with that student’s faculty members to implement the accommodation.
Vires says every experience is unique. “We can have ten students come to us with learning disabilities and leave with ten different accommodation letters,” she says.
Common accommodations include:
• More time to take an exam
• A separate space for exams with fewer distractions
• Accessible technology, including screen readers, smart pens, and other note-taking support technologies
OARS works closely with other offices at UNCG, including Counseling & Psychological Services, the Academic Achievement Center, and the Proctoring Lab, a location created for students who need an alternative space for taking tests.
Service Dogs
Under U.S. law, service animals enjoy special protections to accompany and care for their owner, including at UNCG. Their owners are not required to contact OARS, but it’s highly encouraged to help them settle into the campus environment. Vires, says, “They don’t have to, but every time we’ve invited a student with a service dog to connect with us, they always do. It’s very helpful for faculty to know in advance that there’s going to be a dog in their classroom, for example.”
Service dogs are working animals and should not be petted, played with, or spoken to when on duty, as doing so may distract them from the job they are trained to perform. When it’s not obvious that a dog is a service animal, two questions may be legally asked: Is this a service dog required due to your disability, and what task is it trained to perform? Never ask what about the disability or to see a demonstration of the training.
Emotional support animals (ESA) fall under different criteria. If you need an ESA on campus, you must connect with OARS and the ESA must be approved as reasonable, then meet with Housing, before bringing the animal. Whether an animal is a service dog or an ESA, they must be under control and non-disruptive.
Each student’s success matters
OARS envisions a campus that is inherently equitable, accessible, and inclusive. “We switched over to the social justice model of disability about four years ago, and it’s made it a lot easier for students to get connected with us,” says Vires. She says nearly 20 percent of students in higher education have some form of disability, and she assures students that they should never feel stigma for inquiring about a disability or asking for accommodations or worry about barriers.
Using a database management system, OARS sends letters outlining the accommodations to the students and their faculty members. Vires says, “That letter includes verbiage encouraging them to communicate with each other, to make sure that they’re on the same page as to how those accommodations will be implemented.”
Vires says OARS can help a student decide if the methods they used in high school are reasonable options in college, or if they need to seek an alternative. “Many psychological conditions change over time,” she says. “It depends on the situation or the scenario, but we may ask them to meet back with us before the next semester so we can see how things are going.”
The OARS office is in the EUC, Room 215. The office allows students to bring items that make them feel comfortable. They keep calming and focusing devices on hand in their waiting room and offices, such as adult coloring books and fidget spinners. Students may easily connect by completing a brief Welcome Form. Once received, OARS will reach out to ask if the student prefers a virtual or in-person consultation.
“When coming to our space, it’s important to be able to seek what you need,” says Vires. “We hope to level the playing field so that no one feels like less of a person. OARS is the best team on campus!”
Story by Janet Imrick, University Communications
Photography by David Lee Row, University Communications
