Ole Miss has seen a sharp increase in the number of students with disabilities this year, according to the Office of Student Disability Services (SDS). The number of students with disabilities registered in the SDS has already reached more than 600, a 12 percent increase from the same time last year.
An estimated 650 students were already verified and are now officially enrolled in regular classes, a jump from last year’s 580, according to SDS Director Stacey Reycraft.
“We’re expecting at the end of semester, we may have close to 700 students,” Reycraft said.
She added that the population has been slowly growing over the years, but comparisons between the fall of 2012 and the fall of 2013 show an enormous bump.
Reycraft said that the rise may be due to the 2008 amendments to the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act, a law prohibiting discrimination against people with disabilities.
“They broadened the definition of disability, and they sort of made it less difficult to be approved for accommodations,” Reycraft said. “I think we’re seeing some students who previously wouldn’t have requested accommodations because they didn’t believe they were qualified for it.”
Accommodations are provided through disclosure and request by students with disabilities who have passed the eligibility requirements. These accommodations range from extended time for test-taking and assistants for note-taking to assistive computer technology, such as Dragon NaturallySpeaking, a program that inputs spoken words into word processing software.
A number of freshmen have been applying for verification with SDS, with 158 already approved for accommodations last week. With the increase in the number of students with disabilities, SDS faces the challenge of providing accommodations for the applicants.
“We’re required by law to have a lot of one-on-one contact with students,” Reycraft said. “Definitely some human resources would be beneficial. Some resources regarding the organization like the online information management system – that would be a fabulous resource. That would really cut down on a lot of paperwork.”
SDS currently has five full-time staff members and a number of work-study students. For the first time, graduate assistants are also working in the office, with three currently on board. A number of volunteers are also around to help with note-taking and assisting the students.
Last July, SDS was transferred from the Division of Academic Affairs to the Division of Student Affairs. Brandi Hephner LaBanc, vice chancellor for student affairs, said the move makes the responsibilities easier to handle, having partnered with the office and Reycraft several times before.
“I feel like we’ll really increase the number of advocates in our campus because we’re more knowledgeable about it, because we’re working with them all the time,” LaBanc said. “The more awareness there is about issues where students have specific needs, the more likely we can elevate the conversation and that should be a good thing.”
Leslie Banahan, assistant vice chancellor for student affairs, said their division is aware of the strain on all the units due to the university’s growth over the last five years, and they are “working to develop a plan to add much-needed resources,” such as space and staff.
Students with disabilities at Ole Miss include those with learning disorders, attentional disorders, physical disabilities, psychological and neurological illnesses, and blindness and deafness.
“Students who have ADHD and have learning disabilities, they make our largest population,” Reycraft said. “But our fastest-growing population is students who are blind or have low vision, and students who are deaf or hard of hearing.”
In addition, a large number of freshmen have chronic illnesses, such as lupus or sickle cell anemia, according to Reycraft.
Southern studies sophomore Bradley Braswell, diagnosed with cerebral palsy, said he has always felt at home at Ole Miss.
“They leave no stone unturned when it comes to helping the students in any way they can,” he said. “They want to give you the best tools to be successful in any endeavor.”
Ole Miss alumnus Adam Brown was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, a chronic illness that causes physical disability, when he was three months old. According to Brown, before coming to Ole Miss, he attended other universities in the early 2000s because the school was not as accessible as it is now. Brown entered Ole Miss in 2008 as a journalism student with a minor in classical studies and graduated last year.
“I saw all the changes; there are now more places for people with disability in the campus,” said Brown, now sports editor of news website HottyToddy.com. “I was glad to see that the campus has worked on stuff, and it’s really gone above and beyond in some cases.”
While attending Ole Miss, Brown founded the organization Advocates for Students with Disabilities, which was active from 2009-2011. SDS provided him with needed accommodations in the classroom.
Brown and Reycraft now work together as vice chairperson and chairperson, respectively, in the Mayor’s Commission on Disability Issues in Oxford. This committee looks into the ADA compliance of establishments and programs in the city.
Oxford, in general, has come a long way regarding accessibility for persons with disability, according to ADA city consultant Judy Pettit. Serving in the commission since 1997 and working with the city for three years, Pettit is in charge of the Title II Transition Plan. This plan ensures that all city-owned buildings, as well as goods and services offered, are accessible and compliant with the ADA standard.
Her recent work involved new student housing, such as The Retreat and Hub at Oxford, ensuring that they also have the proper accommodations for disabled students.
“We still have work to do; there’s still things to be done,” Pettit said.
She mentioned curb ramps and signage specifically.
Brown said the commission is currently working on a plan that involves certification for businesses, which would state that they are accessible to the handicapped.
Brown said he never saw his disability as a challenge. Rather, he saw it as an opportunity to help others and make people, with or without disabilities, aware of the conditions of the handicapped.
“My best advice is just go about your day-to-day routine and always make sure that you talk to your professors, your resident assistants and to SDS because they are there to help you,” he said. “They will make sure that you will get everything you need and make sure your education is top-notch and that you enjoy your stay (at) Ole Miss.”
