Disability Support Services at the University of Alaska Anchorage is happy to serve as a resource to the community and provide training or workshop opportunities for those who seek a better understanding of how disabilities impact students in the academic setting, how accommodations are put in place, which accommodations are appropriate, and how a Universal Design approach can minimize the need for accommodation by creating a greater level of access at the design stage.

E-mail aydss@uaa.alaska.edu to request a presentation or workshop on one of the topics below. Trainings can be customized for University classrooms, University staff or faculty meetings, K-12 transition team meetings, or other applications as requested.

Examples of topics for workshops include:

Accommodation Overview
This presentation includes: 1) a breakdown of the legal mandates to provide equal access, 2) definitions key to the rights and responsibilities of the student and the institution, and 3) detailed descriptions of the accommodation process.

This is great information for staff and faculty who want to be able to direct students toward resources as appropriate.

Universal Design
This hands-on workshop gives faculty the chance to bring a specific course they are teaching to the table. Essential learning outcomes are identified and ways to enhance mulitiplicity and flexibility are explored. The idea is to remove barriers while maintaining high standards.

Adaptive Computing Opportunities
This material can be delivered as a single longer presentation or as a shorter subset. Topics include descriptions and examples of: 1) text-to-speech technologies, 2) speech-to-text technologies, 3) alternate format material production, 4) disability and technology overview.

Realtime Access in the Classroom
DSS provides hands-on instruction in how to use a TTY, and can provide an overview of how to use FM Listening Systems or other Assistive Listening Devices. DSS can also provide an overview of TypeWell and demonstrate how it provides a text-based meaning-for-meaning realtime communication access for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students.

Suggest another topic by emailing aydss@uaa.alaska.edu or calling 786-4530.

Visit our handouts page for materials from trainings you may have missed!

The University of Washington offers a wealth of information and resources through the faculty room. It is part of their Disability, Opportunity, Internetworking, and Technology site:

http://www.washington.edu/doit/Faculty/

The New England ADA Center has created the following website:

http://adaptiveenvironments.org/neada/site/student_videos

The website offers videos of students with disabilities sharing their stories, describing the strategies they used to be successful in school and find employment.