What Are Technical Standards & What Are Technical Standards & Why Do We Need Them?Why Do We Need Them?

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINAUNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA

GREENSBOROGREENSBORO

Jen Palancia, Associate University CounselMary Culkin, Director, Disability Services

Jolene Henning, Director, Athletic Training Education Program

IntroductionIntroduction

• Jen Palancia• Who• What • When • Where

• Mary Culkin• Why• Examples

• Jolene Henning• How• Resources

Who?Who?

• All academic departments, including Department Heads/Chairs; You.

• With assistance from• University Counsel• Office of Disability Services• Other academic programs• Accreditation Agencies• National Associations

What are Technical Standards?What are Technical Standards?• All non-academic criteria essential for participation in an

educational program including, but not limited to • physical, • cognitive, and• attitudinal abilities

• In addition to academic requirements• Notice of core curriculum, skills, proficiencies and

competencies in the academic program• Should be directly related to licensure, certification,

accreditation requirements• Focus on the skills and activities required to achieve the

intended educational outcome (i.e. issue is whether student can assess patient’s vision, not whether student can see the eye chart)

What Are Technical Standards?What Are Technical Standards?

• Myth: It is a legal mandate by ADA• Fact: ADA does not require; consumer

demands to understand skills required for admission and will learn in program

• Myth: It only applies to disabled students• Fact: Applies to all students; an abled

student may have problems effectively communicating or creating rapport

How does disability law apply?How does disability law apply?

• UNCG complies with ADA & Section 504--does not discriminate solely based upon a person’s disability

• “Otherwise qualified” meets academic and technical standards required with or without a “reasonable accommodation”

• Cannot make assumptions about ability/disability; student right whether to self report unless request an accommodation

Disability Law & Technical StandardsDisability Law & Technical Standards

• Do NOT have to alter “essential aspects” of curriculum (documented in technical standards)• Don’t have to provide accommodations for

essential aspects• If student cannot perform without

accommodation, he/she is not otherwise qualified & can be denied admission/ matriculation/graduation without legal liability

When?When?

• Now.• Most effective proactively for students,

faculty and administration• Mary will explain more in “Why”

Where?Where?

• Within every academic department• Jolene will describe in “How”

Why Develop Technical Standards?Why Develop Technical Standards?

• Department communicates/publishes its program goals/objectives/expectations and essential aspects of curriculum

• Students use standards to:• Make an informed decision whether to apply/declare major

based on interest & ability• Facilitate self-reporting disabilities & allow us to effectively

support them to accommodate non-essential aspects of curriculum

• Faculty use standards to:• Assess applicants & student progress/evaluation• More effectively advise students (declare a major; course

selection)• Remove a student who is not otherwise qualified

Why?Why?

• Proactive preparedness for academic and licensure success

• May prevent enrollment of student not otherwise qualified to complete program; avoid lost year(s) of matriculation & finances

• Creates legally defensible parameters to prevent/avoid disability discrimination claims

• Preserves academic freedom without impinging student civil rights

Example 1Example 1

• Blind University of Wisconsin-Madison Medical School Student graduated in the top sixth of his class this month

• Without sight, he had to learn how to identify clusters of spaghetti-thin nerves and vessels in cadavers, study x-rays, read EKGs and patient charts, examine slides showing slices of the brain, diagnose rashes – and more.

Accommodations Made to Meet Technical Accommodations Made to Meet Technical Standards for Medical StudentStandards for Medical Student

He used a variety of special tools, including raised line drawings, a computer that simultaneously read into his earpiece whatever he typed, a visual describer, a portable printer that allowed him to write notes for patient charts, and a device called an Opticon that has a small camera with vibrating pins that help his fingers feel images.

Example 2Example 2

• Student has Cerebral Palsy and has poor fine motor control.

• She must pass a computer test in her curriculum.

• Curriculum also requires an internship in which she teaches minimal computer skills to children.

Proficiencies v. Technical StandardsProficiencies v. Technical Standards

Even though student passed computer test, she may not be able to teach skills in her internship because the test did not measure those skills.

Proficiency:• Students are required to pass a computer

competency test in order to matriculate in the program.

Technical Standard:• “Able to demonstrate minimal technology skills

when working in a teaching environment.”

Accommodations Made To Meet Accommodations Made To Meet Technical Standards for Education MajorTechnical Standards for Education Major

She used a variety of adaptive technology to include:• Speech input software • Screen readers• Adaptive keyboard/mouse

How to Develop How to Develop Technical Standards?Technical Standards?

• Goals & objectives of program• Essential aspects of curriculum• External requirements• External resources

Things to Consider…Things to Consider…Goals & objectives of your program

• TS are NOT academic requirements but the goals and objectives will give a starting point for discussion

• ATEP Example • Program Goal/Competency:

• Provide emergency care for a spinal cord injured athlete

• Specific skills instructed/evaluated in academic program

• Primary survey, secondary survey, spinal stabilization, use of emergency equipment, verbal commands

How Does This Translate Into How Does This Translate Into Technical Standards?Technical Standards?

• Essential aspects of your curriculum• ATEP Example – spinal cord injured athlete

• Technical standards• Mental capacity• Postural & neuromuscular control• Sensory function• Coordination to perform physical exam• Safely & efficiently use equipment• Communicate effectively• English language• Maintain composure

Look Outside Your ProgramLook Outside Your Program

•National accreditation requirements•CAAHEP requirement for student health

•Must be evaluated by a physician

•Licensure & certification exam requirements•Will a student be given the appropriate accommodation for a national exam?

•Code of Ethics•Standards of Professional Practice•Other institutions with similar programs

Next Step…Next Step…

• Academic departments review curricula• Identify goals & objectives of each curriculum• Identify essential aspects of each curriculum• Draft technical standards (with use of resources)• Publish technical standards (i.e. website)• Have students sign standards (i.e. see ATEP)• Review standards regularly in conjunction with

evolving needs (i.e. accreditation, professional, technology)

Questions & Comments?Questions & Comments?