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St. John Skeates: "OK so there is an element of devil's advocate in these postings and no >offence is intended but they are issues which need to be addressed rather >than assumptions being made as to the role of DSA" The role of the assessor is crucial in ensuring recommendations are backed by an analysis based on the student's disbility and course requirements. It is therefore crucial to ensure that a Needs Assessment interview focuses on using printed and electronic media, and these aspects presented seperately. It is very clear that dyslexic studends experience the same kinds of dyslexia-related problems when using electronic media as they do when using printed media. That is, reading speeds are slow, many find scrolling causes them to lose their place, some use their fingers to read on the screen, or read under their breath, tiredness sets in quite quickly [with the lose of concentration and increase in distractability], and re-reading has to take place for meaning to be extracted. It is also important to remember that using the Internet is often interactive. For example, if you want to search the archives of the journal Brain for research papers on dislexia & epilepsi, you won't get very far with this kind of spelling. In other words, an effective interview will explore and identify these kind of issues. If is often my judgement that if these diffculties with using electonic media are evident, requiring a student to spend longer in a dyslexia-hostile environment would be placing them at a disadvantage compared wth other students. [For some, even the Internet is a hostile environment as they find navigation very difficult, and training is required to enable them to learn how to develop navigation skills.] Being able to work at their own pace, free of distraction, and able to use Read & Write to help with reading web material and for spelling, provides an opportunity to make use of the Internet without being too disadvantaged. I think it is important to remember that the use of technology reduces the disadvanatge experienced by many dyslexic students, not eliminate it. As one presentation at York made clear, hefce figures on degree classifications reveal that dyslexic students are still under-achieving in comparison to other groups of students, including students with disabilites other than dyslexia. I have found LEA officers very open to recommendations backed by explanation. It is important that the DSA is not used as a substitute for insufficient HE funding. That is why it is contingent on the assessor to make a well arged case based on disability. Regards David David Grant, PhD., Chartered Psychologist dyslexia diagnosis - a specialist service for students 3 Rosebank Road Hanwell London W7 2EW Tel: 020 8579 1902 e-mail: [log in to unmask] ---------- >From: "Skeates,St.John DEAL Awards Tm" <[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Re: DSA & internet access >Date: Mon, Jun 4, 2001, 4:59 pm > >Which brings me back to one of my original points - if Internet access is >becoming essential to students regardless of their study discipline AND >disability then it begins to fall outside the scope of DSA. If students >following a Mathematics course were required to purchase a scientific >calculator I would not expect to purchase one from DSA for a student with >a disability. I fully appreciate the limited IT resources at many >universities but at which point does the provision of basic academic >needs (which is rapidly becoming the case with the Internet) become the >responsibility of the HEI as opposed to DSA? The argument that a dyslexic >student requires more time on a PC than university resources allow has >already been used when it comes to essay preparation, one of the main >reasons a PC is purchased under DSA. If we start to extend this argument >to Internet access, are the universities not absolving themselves of >their duty to provide adequate facilities for ALL their students, >disabled or otherwise. To what extent are non-disabled students being >disadvantaged through lack of IT availability, having instead to rely >more heavily on traditional library facilities? > >. It's also interesting >that this is yet another issue focused on the needs of students with >dyslexia - is the Disabled Student's allowance becoming the Dyslexic >Student's Allowance? > >St.John Skeates >Awards Section >Bedfordshire County Council > > > > -----Original Message----- >From: Mary Bown [SMTP:[log in to unmask]] >Sent: Monday, June 04, 2001 4:13 PM >To: [log in to unmask]; Skeates,St.John DEAL Awards Tm >Subject: Re: DSA & internet access > > > >With the "virtual Library" becoming more amd more important to students >in >HE regardless of their study discipline and the difficulty of accessing >some >of the university IT provision for the extra lenth of time needed for a >dyslexic student to do their searching I feel that for MOST students with >disabilities the use of the internet on their own equipment would be >essential. > >Mary Bown >Assistive Technology Officer >Hartley Library >University of Southampton > >>From: "Skeates,St.John DEAL Awards Tm" >><[log in to unmask]> >>Reply-To: "Discussion list for disabled students and their support >staff." >> <[log in to unmask]> >>To: [log in to unmask] >>Subject: Re: DSA & internet access >>Date: Mon, 4 Jun 2001 12:34:00 +0100 >> >>I'm not sure that making a decision based on the information contained >in >>an Study Aids and Strategies Report balanced against what is permissible >>under the Regulations is "cutting corners". I have voiced my concerns in >>individual cases on many occasions yet Internet access for dyslexic >>students is being recommended with increasing frequency, often with >>little justification or at least not one which addresses the points I >>made in my original posting. It is becoming an assumption that a >Dyslexic >>student requires Internet access, in much the same way it is assumed >they >>require a PC, Minidisk recorder etc etc. I am simply challenging that >>assumption, hopefully before it becomes embedded in DSA lore. >> >>St.John Skeates >>Awards Section >>Bedfordshire County Council >> >> -----Original Message----- >>From: Bryan Jones [SMTP:[log in to unmask]] >>Sent: Monday, June 04, 2001 11:57 AM >>To: [log in to unmask]; Skeates,St.John DEAL Awards Tm >>Subject: Re: DSA & internet access >> >> >> >>Every case is an individual that requires proper >>consideration. A heavy work load is not a justification >>for cutting corners which could be to the disadvantage of a >>student with genuine needs. I agree that awards staff are >>not their simply to rubber stamp Access Centre >>recommendations, but if there are concerns about the number >>of students having Internet connections recommended this >>should brought to the attention of the Access Centre >>Manager. >> >>On Mon, 4 Jun 2001 11:49:00 +0100 "Skeates,St.John DEAL >>Awards Tm" <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >> >> > Hence the use of the words "usual", "exceptional" and "circumstances" >>:) >> > >> > I NEVER just ignore anything and recommendations ARE given proper >> > consideration by approved individuals ie myself and my colleagues. >I'm >> > sure many here will testify to the fact that I do contact Access >>Centres >> > regarding recommendations which I feel unable to agree but heavy >> > workloads mean that this is not possible in every case. The >assumption >> > that Awards Staff are here simply to "rubber stamp" the >recommendations >> > made by Access Centres is a tad arrogant (and then some). >> > >> > St.John Skeates >> > Awards Section >> > Bedfordshire County Council >> > >> > -----Original Message----- >> > From: Bryan Jones [SMTP:[log in to unmask]] >> > Sent: Monday, June 04, 2001 11:18 AM >> > To: [log in to unmask]; Skeates,St.John DEAL Awards Tm >> > Subject: Re: DSA & internet access >> > >> > >> > >> > Re: not providing Internet access as recommended by an >> > approved assessor. >> > >> > I would have thought that the appropriate course of action >> > would be to query the recommendation with the assessor / >> > Access Centre rather than just ignore it. Accessing the >> > Internet requires reading skills, which is what many with >> > dyslexia find to be tricky. For some students, depending >> > on course requirements, the nature of their dyslexia and >> > the technological aids required, access to the internet >> > will be justified. To reject a recommendation out of hand >> > that has been given proper consideration by approved >> > individuals and (one hopes) following discussion with >> > relevant parties is a tad arrogant. >> > >> > >> > On Fri, 1 Jun 2001 15:20:00 +0100 "Skeates,St.John DEAL >> > Awards Tm" <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >> > >> > > Nothing is EVER that clearly stated in the regs :) >> > > >> > > However, as the implementation of DSA support is largely at the >LEA's >> > > discretion and subject to each individual LEA's interpretation of >the >> > > regs, they are (legally) entitled to request a report from an >Access >> > > Centre for any or all support paid for out of DSA. In fact here at >> > > Bedford, we only except recommendations from Access Centres >following >> > an >> > > assessment of needs irrespective of whether it is for Internet >>access, >> > > computer equipment, specialist tuition etc etc. Yes, I know it is >an >> > > unpopular policy in some quarters but we still find it is the only >>way >> > to >> > > maintain a (relatively) consistent approach. >> > > >> > > And now time to be even more unpopular................. >> > > >> > > On the subject of providing Internet access, we will not usually >fund >> > it >> > > for a dyslexic student unless there are exceptional circumstances >> > despite >> > > the fact it may be (and frequently is) recommended by an Access >>Centre. >> > > Our reasoning is that alternative support such as book and >>photocopying >> > > allowances, OCR, extended library loans etc should address the >needs >>of >> > a >> > > dyslexic student without the need to provide Internet Access. The >> > > provision of a PC at home should also allow a student to focus the >> > > limited time they may have available on University PC's for >Internet >> > > research if necessary. Once again, it must be remember that DSA is >> > there >> > > to supplement academic support - not replace it. It is even >possible >>to >> > > reason that Internet access is no longer a need arising from the >> > > disability, as it appears increasingly to be an essential tool for >>ALL >> > > student's. We do, however, always provide an Internet ready PC and >>have >> > > no objections to a student funding the actual connection >themselves. >> > > >> > > Having said all that, we do not object to providing Internet access >>to >> > > students who have restricted mobility in any way. Clearly in such >> > cases, >> > > access to library facilities may be severely limited and therefore >an >> > > alternative must be provided. >> > > >> > > I'm off to put on my asbestos long-johns :) >> > > >> > > St.John Skeates >> > > Awards Section >> > > Bedfordshire County Council >> > > >> > > -----Original Message----- >> > > From: Dowling, Claire [SMTP:[log in to unmask]] >> > > Sent: Friday, June 01, 2001 2:24 PM >> > > To: [log in to unmask]; Skeates,St.John DEAL Awards Tm >> > > Subject: DSA & internet access >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > I have been informed by a couple of LEA's that they are unable to >> > accept >> > > a >> > > recommendation from a University for a student to have internet >line >> > > rental >> > > paid for out of DSA. The student has to be assessed by an access >> > center. >> > > They are agreeing to other equipment etc recommended by the >>University >> > > Adviser i.e. me. >> > > I have been told that the regulations clearly state that for >internet >> > > access >> > > to be considered the student must have had an access center >>assessment. >> > > Can any one put some clarity on this, as I am a bit confused that >>other >> > > recommendations can be considered but not this. >> > > Regards >> > > Claire Dowling >> > > Student Services >> > > University of Teesside >> > > Borough Road >> > > Middlesbrough >> > > TS1 3BA >> > > >> > > Phone: 01642 342285 >> > > Fax: 01642 342289 >> > > >> > > >********************************************************************* >> > > This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and >> > > intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom >they >> > > are addressed. >> > > >> > > If you receive this e-mail by mistake, please advise the sender >> > immediately >> > > by using the reply facility in your e-mail software. >> > > Please also destroy and delete the message from your computer. >> > > >> > > Any modification of the contents of this e-mail is strictly >>prohibited >> > > unless expressly authorised by the sender. >> > > >********************************************************************* >> > >> > Bryan Jones >> > Equal Opportunities Adviser >> > London Guildhall University >> > >> > Tel: 020 7320 1137 >> > >> > ********************************************************************* >> > This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and >> > intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they >> > are addressed. >> > >> > If you receive this e-mail by mistake, please advise the sender >>immediately >> > by using the reply facility in your e-mail software. >> > Please also destroy and delete the message from your computer. >> > >> > Any modification of the contents of this e-mail is strictly >prohibited >> > unless expressly authorised by the sender. >> > ********************************************************************* >> >>Bryan Jones >>Equal Opportunities Adviser >>London Guildhall University >> >>Tel: 020 7320 1137 >> >>********************************************************************* >>This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and >>intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they >>are addressed. >> >>If you receive this e-mail by mistake, please advise the sender >immediately >>by using the reply facility in your e-mail software. >>Please also destroy and delete the message from your computer. >> >>Any modification of the contents of this e-mail is strictly prohibited >>unless expressly authorised by the sender. >>********************************************************************* > >_________________________________________________________________ >Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com > >********************************************************************* >This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and >intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they >are addressed. > >If you receive this e-mail by mistake, please advise the sender immediately >by using the reply facility in your e-mail software. >Please also destroy and delete the message from your computer. > >Any modification of the contents of this e-mail is strictly prohibited >unless expressly authorised by the sender. >*********************************************************************