Other Disabilities
Other Disabilities
There are many other disabilities that largely affect mobility, such as cardiac conditions, arthritis, chronic back pain, chronic fatigue syndrome, active sickle cell anemia, diabetes, and respiratory disorders.
Students of Short Stature may have in-classroom access problems unique to their stature.
The student with Epilepsy will have little problem in the classroom. In most cases, seizures will be controlled by medication. Some students with epilepsy will have learned to manage seizure activity through adequate rest, proper diet, and regular medication. Most will be able to participate in sports and lead active, normal lives. There are some whose seizure activity simply cannot be controlled. A few commonly asked questions is included in the Epilepsy Questions page so the professor will know what to do in the unlikely event that a seizure occurs in the classroom.
Students who have had an Ostomy (urostomy, colostomy, ileostomy) may be advised not to participate in violent contact sports or wrestling. Most permissible restrictions on participation, however, will be the result of causes other than the ostomy itself. Swimming is permissible for these students. Most have found that a matter-of-fact attitude toward their appliance encourages other students to behave in the same way.
Spina Bifida (open spine) may cause a range of disabilities varying from no noticeable effects to hydrocephalus and paralysis. The student with spina bifida may have short stature and may use a wheelchair, braces or crutches. Classroom modifications that may be required will depend on the students functional limitations. Most adaptations that are required have been discussed in earlier sections.
Multiple Sclerosis (MS), the number one cause of chronic disability among young adults, may affect the student in a multitude of ways. Because MS most often occurs between the ages of 20 and 40, the college student with MS is apt to be in the process of adjusting to the new disability. Depending on the degree to which the MS has progressed, the students mobility, speech, vision, and emotional state may be affected. One of the most difficult aspects of MS is that the symptoms have a tendency to come and go, but they continue to progress Periods of remission may last from a few days to months in the early stages. During an exacerbation, the student may appear as if intoxicated - slurred speech, staggering, unfocused eyes. Understanding fluctuations that may occur in the students behavior make it easier to understand variations in classroom performance. The physical adaptations, if any, will vary from student to student, depending on functional limitation. The most common accommodations have been discussed in previous sections.
Other conditions that may result in marked fluctuations of behavior and performance are Muscular Dystrophy and certain kidney problems that may necessitate dialysis. As a final note, some of the conditions described in this section require medication for control of symptoms. If an instructor has valid educational questions about the potential effect of various medications on the students performance, the student, if willing, can probably provide some information. The instructor should not hesitate to discuss such issues tactfully with the student. A student health services physician or the SSD Director may be able to provide relevant information.
In closing, the following guidelines may be helpful: many disabilities are obvious, and the question is then one of the degree and nature of accommodation and assistance required. However, there are cases in which a faculty member may have no way of knowing that a student has a disability. For example, a student whose epilepsy is controlled by medication or a student with multiple sclerosis in a remission period may not expect to need any adaptation and may not disclose their condition.