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Morning Laurie, I hope you are having significantly better weather there than we are here. Floods and all sorts! I currently have a student who is in a similar situation and we have secured funding for a portable writing slope. This fixes easily to any desk and can be raised to the preferred height. It is also very light and can be moved easily to alternative teaching rooms. Other wise, what about the use of a note taker or Digital voice recorder to take the notes while the student stands, although this could lead to the student feeling a little out of the general teaching experience. Simon Morris Disability Adviser Tel: +44 (0)1642 342279 Fax: +44 (0)1642 342289 [log in to unmask] ________________________________ From: Discussion list for disabled students and their support staff. [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Laurie Alsop Sent: 28 June 2007 08:34 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Advice Needed Dear UK Colleagues I am a Disability Officer at an Australian university and I have been a long time subscriber to your list but until now have not posted questions to the list. I would appreciate advice/suggestions about the issue outlined below. Issue is to do with a student who came from a smaller education institution to UNSW. The student has a back problem resulting in the inability to sit for even small periods of time. The previous institution provided a lectern to enable the student to take notes standing up in lecture rooms. All lectures for the duration of the course took place in one or two lecture flat lecture rooms adjacent to each other and lectern could easily be moved between them and stored safely when not in use. Student has requested the same adjustments from UNSW. However, our campus is large, lectures are set in multiple locations and locations can differ every session. Lecture theatres can be either multi tiered theatres and some flat rooms. There is no storage space available large enough for a lectern to be stored. The provision of a lectern is problematic for a number of reasons that have been raised, OHS issues, egress to and from theatres, safety for all students, issues of moving lectern (or similar equipment) between locations and security of storage. Whilst we are trying to resolve this issue, we have put in place a number of adjustments, including note taking, access to I Lecture system, provision of high tables in the disability resource centre, and accommodations for examinations and class tests which enable the student to stand when doing their exams, take rest breaks etc. If any of you have dealt with similar situations do you have any ideas about other accommodations could be put in place to assist until a systemic approach can be put into place, e.g. we are looking at lecture theatres being fitted with shelves that could be fixed, and raised and lowered to suit different students and would also meet OHS and safety issues. Cheers Laurie Laurie Alsop AM Equity Officer (Disability) Student Equity & Diversity Unit Ground Floor White House (Map Reference C15) Telephone: 61 02 9385 4734 Fax: 61 02 93856262 [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]> www.equity.unsw.edu.au <file:///C:\Documents%20and%20Settings\s8903509\Application%20Data\Micro soft\Signatures\www.equity.unsw.edu.au> Please note Our Unit is closes every Wednesday afternoon from 1pm until 5pm. Cricos Provider Code: 00098G --------------------------------------------------------- The information in this email and any attachments are confidential and are intended only for the use of the above named recipient. If you are not the intended recipient, any dissemination, distribution or copying of this email is strictly prohibited. If you have received this email in error, please notify immediately by return email. The University of New South Wales does not represent or warrant that this message or attachments are free from viruses or defects