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Faculty Awareness and Training in the Post-Secondary Community: An Annotated Bibliography

Keyano College

Fort McMurray, Alberta

Students with Disabilities Handbook: For Students and Staff

Faculty Handbook

Keyano College has produced an excellent 51-page guide for faculty and student awareness. The Special Needs Committee prepared this book for Keyano College Student Services. This guide is set up in a manner that allows both sides to see from the other's perspective. This approach is designed to facilitate improved co-operation between students and instructors. The Students with Disabilities Handbook stresses that education is a shared responsibility between the student and the instructor.

The strongest section in this publication discusses "How students with disabilities can help themselves" and "How instructors can help students with disabilities." This section starts with a general approach and then moves to a more specific method that addresses each particular disability; for example: "How students with health disabilities can help themselves" and "How the instructor can help students with health disabilities." By showing students and teachers their responsibilities, there is less room for failure to accommodate and discrimination. Showing each party their responsibilities helps disabled students achieve success in the classroom. Communication and a strong team approach is seen as the key for success when working with a disabled student. This publication focuses on a range of disabilities: hearing, learning, health, mobility and visual.

This book is clearly written and concise. There is plenty of white space used around text, checkboxes, numbers and point form sections. There are also different types and sizes of font for diversity and some illustrations are provided when necessary.

One section lists community, provincial and national resources - with detailed contact information - that can assist the student with accommodations while attending post-secondary institutions. There is also a section that describes college resources and services, hours of operation and services of the bookstore, handicapped parking and other housing and student services that are applicable to disabled students. Yet another section addresses campus policies for students with disabilities and student rights.

Contact:
Counselling & Career Services
Keyano College
8115 Franklin Avenue
Fort McMurray, Alberta, T9H 2H7
Phone: 780-791-8934 / 780-791-8951
Fax: 780-791-4952
Web site: http://www.keyano.ca