Accessibility Updates

About Melissa Berry

Melissa Berry serves as the director of institutional equity and compliance for Missouri State University. She is also chair of the President's Council on Disability.

Serving Students With Autism

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On Sept. 14, the office of the provost and student affairs co-sponsored a professional development opportunity promoting accessibility in our campus community. Two consultants from the College Autism Network, Dr. Lee Burdette Williams and Dr. Bradley Cox, facilitated a joint session entitled: Serving Students With Autism — Strategies for Inclusion, Engagement and Success.

Three takeaways from the presentation

  • Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a hard-wired, brain-based difference, not a disease or disorder to be “cured,” but differences to be understood and supported.
  • The common characteristics of ASD are not moral failings.
  • Students with ASD want to learn and succeed, and have overcome tremendous odds to be in college in the first place.

For additional information on the presentation and neurodiversity, review the attached PowerPoint presentation.

Council update for summer 2018

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The President’s Council on Disability stayed busy with projects over the summer and will continue this fall.

Accessibility Policy

On June 22, 2018, the Board of Governors approved a governing Accessibility Policy. The policy is intended to serve as an overarching policy statement, upon which operational policies are based. The university will continue to develop policies and procedures designed to eliminate barriers to access and to provide equal and inclusive access for all members of the university community.

Web Accessibility Subcommittee

The Web Accessibility Subcommittee met several times over the summer to discuss plans for improving university websites. The committee proposed priority recommendations for FY19:

  • Increased accessibility training for web editors of university departmental websites
  • Accessibility scanning and quality assurance for public websites, beginning with critical webpages

These recommendations were approved and implementation planning is ongoing this fall.

Blackboard Ally Subcommittee

The Blackboard Ally Subcommittee began review of an exciting new software product offered by Blackboard in the fall of 2017. This Blackboard software supplement, called Blackboard Ally, aims to increase accessibility of course content and is a resource to faculty members who use Blackboard. Specifically, Ally generates alternative formats, provides instructor feedback on how to improve accessibility of course content, and provides the university with the ability to run institutional reports on accessibility in course materials. Vetting the software was a big undertaking and included input from a wide range of constituents including faculty, accessibility trainers and experts, and information technology administers. The Council’s recommendation to procure Blackboard Ally is supported by Academic Affairs, the President, and Administrative Counsel. Implementing Ally will also be a big job and is currently in the early planning stages. Stay tuned for additional news related to planning for Blackboard Ally!

Accessibility improvements

As students returned to campus for classes this fall, several improvements to accessibility could be seen from communication about resources, to parking, to accessibility in buildings.  The improvements include:

  • Inclusion of information about areas of refuge and shelter information in all course syllabi.
  • Parking lot maintenance which included the addition of 37 accessible parking spaces in the following parking lots: 4, 18, 19, 27, 39, 40, 42, and accessible spaces within the newly constructed lot 45.
  • The Hill Hall renovation improved accessibility throughout the entire facility including the entrances.
  • Automatic bathroom door openers were installed at Plaster Student Union for the second-floor men’s and women’s restrooms.
  • The NPHC (National Pan-Hellenic Council) Plots project, which is currently underway, will include an accessible ramp.
  • While all projects are designed to meet accessibility standards, below is a list of significant renovations that were completed this summer beyond those stated above:
    • Magers Health and Wellness Center
    • Mechanical Engineering Renovation at Plaster Center
    • Locker Room Addition at Greenwood Laboratory School
    • Renovation of Woods House
    • Hass-Darr Hall on the West Plains Campus (currently underway)

Council update for March 2018

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The President’s Council on Disability meets monthly. Below are updates from our recent meeting.

Policy updates

On Feb. 12, 2018, the Administrative Council approved updates to the existing Service Animal Policy (Op5.05-7), and implementation of an Emotional Support Animal Policy (Op5.05-8). The university acknowledges the importance of emotional support animals in providing specific services directly related to individuals’ disabilities, and emotional support animals as a reasonable accommodation to residents with disabilities when appropriate. The revised and new policy better outline the university’s commitment to providing an accessible and supportive environment. You may review the policies in their entirety by visiting the university policy library.

Statewide leadership

Justin Lozano, the director of the university’s own Disability Resource Center, has been selected as the vice president for the Missouri chapter of the Association for Higher Education and Disability (MO AHEAD)! MO AHEAD is a statewide organization focused on strengthening the professionalism, expertise and competency of those working with students with disabilities at institutions of higher education across the state of Missouri.

Bear Power program

The university is launching Bear Power (Promoting Opportunities for Work, Education and Resilience)! Bear Power is a two year, five-semester inclusive college program for individuals with intellectual disabilities. The program that was created to offer a post-secondary education opportunity to students with intellectual and developmental disabilities transitioning out of high school. For program and application information, please visit the Bear Power website. To inquire about becoming a Bear Blazer student volunteer, or to order Bear Power T-shirts, visit the Bear Power blog.  Watch for Bear Power Billboards around Springfield at these locations: Sunshine/U.S. 65, Chestnut/Glenstone, Battlefield/Lone Pine, U.S. 65/Division, and Kansas Expressway/Battlefield!

Accessible textbooks

In alignment with the five major areas recently announced by President Smart tied to affordability, the MSU Affordable and Accessible Textbook workgroup, in collaboration with the bookstore, has generated a number of new and innovative options for students.  Our primary focus has been working with major publishers and companies that are producing electronic materials which follow the latest guidelines tied to accessibility.  Every college has participated in this initiative and students in our large section classes have already enjoyed the benefits of more affordable and accessible textbooks. Three members of the workgroup will be attending a meeting of chief academic officers in Columbia on March 8 to learn more about other efforts underway, with a specific focus on open access resources that are now readily available for use by students on many college campuses.

Council update for February 2018

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The President’s Council on Disability meets monthly. Below are updates from our recent meetings.

Council restructured

In an effort to better address recent developments in the national landscape in the areas of accessibility and enforcement, the President’s Council on Disability was restructured in September 2017. The new council serves as a centralized committee designed to monitor overall accessibility and compliance. The council is comprised of subject matter experts in relevant areas who serve as champions for accessibility in each of their respective areas. The council presently meets monthly and will continually evaluate, identify risks and priorities and make recommendations. To review the council’s revised mission and member list, please access the University Committee Handbook description.

Professional development videos available

The Disability Resource Center, web and new media, and the office for institutional equity and compliance sponsored an employee group ticket to the 2017 Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD) Accessing Higher Ground Virtual Conference. Staff and faculty members who are interested in information about viewing select webinars are invited to email their contact information to Sara Clark, director of web and new media.

Website updated

On Feb. 1, 2018, the university rolled out its new accessibility website. The website was developed to serve as a central repository of accessibility information for campus members and visitors. From parking lot closures and building notifications to accommodations and faculty resources, this website will serve as a one-stop place to get accessibility information. Use the website sections Using Campus Resources, Advancing Accessibility and Policies and Guidelines to explore the new website. If you know of accessibility-related information that is not included on the website, please contact Melissa Berry, director of institutional equity and compliance, or contact Sara Clark, director of web and new media.

Syllabus statement revised

In collaboration with the President’s Council on Disability, on January 9, 2018, the provost’s office revised the suggested wording for the required syllabus statement on disability accommodation. The Syllabi Policy Statement requires faculty members to include certain informational statements on syllabi, including a statement about disability accommodation. The new suggested wording better reflects the University’s processes related to requesting accommodations. The new suggested wording is noted below.

If you are a student with a disability and anticipate barriers related to this course, it is important to request accommodations and establish an accommodation plan with the university. Please contact the Disability Resource Center (DRC) (https://www.missouristate.edu/disability/), Meyer Library, Suite 111, 417-836-4192, to initiate the process to establish your accommodation plan. The DRC will work with you to establish your accommodation plan, or it may refer you to other appropriate resources based on the nature of your disability. In order to prepare an accommodation plan, the university usually requires that students provide documentation relating to their disability.  Please be prepared to provide such documentation if requested. Once a university accommodation plan is established, you may notify the class instructor of approved accommodations.  If you wish to utilize your accommodation plan, it is suggested that you do so in a timely manner, preferably within the first two weeks of class. Early notification to the instructor allows for full benefit of the accommodations identified in the plan. Instructors will not receive the accommodation plan until you provide that plan, and are not required to apply accommodations retroactively.

Expanded support hours

To improve customer service for students and faculty, the Disability Resource Center and the Testing Center have expanded testing hours. The expanded hours provide students who utilize exam accommodations greater flexibility to take their exams later in the day, at the same time as their class, and when they have Saturday Finals. For more information, please contact the Disability Resource Center.

Report an accessibility issue

Notice a barrier on campus related to accessibility? The university has a new mechanism by which to report accessibility concerns. The new Report an Accessibility Issue online form is housed on the accessibility website.