Welcome to Boot Camp

Students with Disabilities in Online Education - Online-Only Institutions

"Toto - I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore!"

• Online Workshop Information

While Dorothy was referring to her first glimpse at the magical world of Oz, the statement could be just as applicable to our initial forays into the virtual world of online education. We know that the broad availability of new technology opens up a wealth of opportunities, but with it come challenges. We cannot mount a course for online presentation by simply using the same lectures, the same assignments, and the same teaching techniques used in the traditional classroom. It's not that easy. And we cannot provide equal access and support to students with disabilities who take those online courses in the same way that we have traditionally responded. IT'S NOT THAT EASY!

Institutional personnel charged with serving students with disabilities in online classes have already figured that out. The problem is that many institutions offering online classes have NOT figured it out. Online-only institutions may not realize the legal mandates that obligate them to provide necessary support to students with disabilities, and if they DO understand their responsibilities, they may not have a clear picture of how to fulfill the obligation. Traditional institutions of higher education who are making significant commitments to newly-constituted online programs do not understand why their existing disability services unit cannot absorb the need for serving students with disabilities using established policies and procedures. Whichever your setting, the need is significant, the legal mandates are clear... and the information is scarce!

For those intrepid souls who have taken on the responsibility of meeting the needs of students with disabilities, and those administrators who are trying to figure out where to assign that responsibility! -- we have put together an intensive orientation to your responsibilities that we think you will find to be just what you need!

You are invited to join Jane Jarrow and her colleagues from Disability Compliance in Career and Online Learning (see information about the "Instructor") in Columbus, Ohio, in February 25-26, 2008, for two days of rigorous training to help you identify your role, and organize your response to the needs of students with disabilities in online programs/institutions. You will learn more about the laws that require equal access for students with disabilities and how these play out through your policies and procedures, as well as gaining practical insight as to how to organize and implement a disability services program that meets your legally mandated obligations (see Schedule and Agenda). This seminar will provide 15 hours of in-depth training (1.5 CEU's available through the DAIS Academy).

Throughout your time in Columbus, the emphasis will be on developing a philosophy and a plan of action that is appropriate to your own institution. The size of the class will be purposely limited to assure time to focus on your individual needs and concerns, and will include some group work with other recruits so that you might learn from their experience -- and their questions -- as well.

Hopefully, after browsing through this website, you will be convinced that you NEED to come to Boot Camp. Now we need to convince the administrators at your institution that their support of this activity will be time and money well spent. At the top of this page, you will note a link marked, "Additional Information For Administrators" Click on the link, read through the information, then print out that page and hand it over to the powers-that-be when you initiate your request to send you to this critical professional development opportunity.

See you there!