SDS/DC Meeting Questions - 1/25/24

Are there any resources that SDS provides soon-to-be graduates about how they can access disability serves/accommodations in their post-grad plans? If not, is this something that can be worked on?
What do the current accommodations regarding students with auditory impairments look like (how is closed captioning implemented)? Is it feasible to make it a standard within the majority if not all of classrooms in which professors use Powerpoint lecture slides to require live captioning (already built into Microsoft Powerpoint)? If this isn’t feasible on a large scale, can this be made an accommodation or is it already an available accommodation? (Not only does this address and accommodate students with hearing loss but also those with auditory processing concerns)
What steps does SDS take to accommodate students with conditions that cause situationally dependent flare ups that make it hard for them to do things like take an exam or complete major assignments? Is there procedure for emergency accommodations in the event students are not fully set up within the accommodation process/system so that if they do face a medical emergency and/or flare up that they don’t have full accommodations for, they aren’t penalized for their situation? (Is there a way to go about this without creating an SOS case which may take longer than the deadline the student has to complete the major assignment/exam?)
- Follow-up: Improve the process of getting accommodations so students can receive them potentially more quickly
- Additional follow-up: what does the process of getting accommodations look like for students with undiagnosed disabilities (maybe due to the complexities of unsolved chronic illness, etc.)?
What is being done to address the inconsistency in room reservation during finals season? Can we find more permanent spaces for overflow of multiple students taking the same class final with accommodations? Was also informed about a lack of clocks present in testing rooms just during this past semester in rooms like Remsen. Can this issue be addressed as well (providing proctors with a digital clock for SDS proctored finals/exams not in Shaffer)?
Schedule more regular meetings monthly
Are there any updates on the development of the JHU Accessibility App?
- How do we know if an accessibility feature (i.e. door opener) is not functioning and who do we contact to fix this? — Reporting inaccessible route/aspect/etc.
- Is there a way to report inaccessible parts on campus?
What steps does SDS currently take to make acquiring accommodations surrounding housing a more streamlined and stress free process for students? Can communication between SDS and Housing Operations be improved so that students aren’t placed in random housing placement due to their unrelated accommodation when this isn’t what they wanted?
In what ways is SDS working to improve the current campus infrastructure to better accommodate students with mobility impairments including but not limited to improving the absence of proper/completed ramping around campus (& generally working to find a solution to the lack of accessible pathways in certain areas around Homewood)?
What is the procedure on making sure that actions like snow plowing doesn’t impact disabled students’ access to things like ramps and dropped curbs on campus?
Some students expressed concerns about the communication between SDS and the counseling center and streamlining the communication between these two departments so that students going to the counseling center are more aware of the opportunity to seek out accommodations.
- What steps does SDS take to make sure that students who may be facing various mental health or other concerns are aware of your services in this space?
Are there any steps that can be taken to make some of the SDS exam room seating more comfortable? Have heard from some students that they find the setting too distracting/a bit uncomfortable at times due to some of the staff/students conversing as well as the physical chairs being a bit old [NOTE: not totally sure about this one since these are just things I’ve heard]