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

Algonquin College

Focus on Disability

Algonquin College has designed a series of professional development pamphlets entitled "Focus on Disability." Each pamphlet focuses on a specific disability and discusses how one can properly accommodate and understand it. For example, if a student registered at Algonquin is hearing impaired, the disability centre will create a pamphlet on this topic in hopes that the student's professors will read the brochure and assist the student. All full time faculty and department heads receive a copy of the brochure so they can be educated as well.

This is what college staff call a "Just in time" approach to professional development. Algonquin College has observed that faculty members are most receptive to receiving awareness training when they have an immediate need for the information. Many of these documents are also available through the college bookstore.

This approach is factual and straightforward. The format of the pamphlets incorporates the use of plenty of bullets, check boxes and different fonts, with a question and answer section. These professional development pamphlets are solution oriented, showing the professor what his or her responsibilities are in terms of accommodations. Also, the student's responsibilities towards the professor are explained. The pamphlets, which are four pages in length and easy to read, offer further references to other resources such as web addresses or publications that could be extremely helpful.

Some examples of issue-oriented pamphlets that Algonquin has created are:

• Focus On Disability II - A Resource Guide on Medical Disabilities
• Focus On Disability III - A Resource Guide on Mental Health Disabilities
• Focus On Disability IV - A Resource Guide For Faculty: Students with a Mild Acquired Brain Injury
• Focus on Deaf Issues
• Meeting The Needs of Students With Disabilities
• What You May Need to Know About Interpreting

Contact:
Karen Coffey-Crouch
Disabilities Counselor
Centre for Students with Disabilities
Algonquin College
1385 Woodroffe Avenue
Nepean, Ontario K2G 1V8
Phone: 613-727-4723 ext. 5058
TTY: 613-727-7747
Fax: 613-727-7661
Email: coffeyk@algonquincollege.com
Web site: http://www.algonquincollege.com/csd/index.html

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