We are moving. Look at this Disability Office Job Posting

[wackattack69]

Accommodation Specialist, Disability Services

Part-time/28 hours per week/





DUTIES AND REQUIREMENTS:

Position serves as paraprofessional assistant to the Director of Disability Services to provide supportive services for students with disabilities. Shall be responsible for assisting students with class assignments, study skill development, and testing in academic/vocational courses. (28 hour per week position). Required Knowledge and Skills: a good background in working with persons with disabilities; excellent arbitration skills to disseminate anger and frustration and turn into cooperative learning experience; need to be open and honest, and willing to incorporate the principle of "tough love" in dealing with persons with disabilities; ability to work as a team member to assist in the efficient operation of the entire division; typing and word processing skills (accuracy imperative); above average reading and writing skills; excellent oral communication skills -- listening and speaking; organizational, filing, and general clerical skills; patience and ability to relate pleasantly to upset people; ability to be tactful and to maintain confidentiality (a high priority in the division); and the ability to work as a team member to assist in the efficient operation of the entire division. Preferred Experience: previous work in an educational setting preferred and previous paraprofessional experience with disabled students in a high school or college setting preferred. Required Educational Background: Associate's degree required. The applicant may be requested to authorize the College to procure a consumer report(s) for employment purposes.
I am appalled at the "tough love" that apparently, must be applied to disabled students. Obviously, we have crossed this off of our list, but I had to share.

[ninjaroll]

My response is contextualized on the last sentence that this is a position at a postsecondary institution when it self references "the College."

No argument that this is a badly written job description, though I think it's possibly not as bad as first impression and probably not at all applicable to LTFA.  This position is for a 'para' an aide to assist at the collegiate level what are most likely incoming students who are transitioning from the IDEA. 

Accommodations at the college level become reasonable as they do for employment because postsecondary is considered voluntary.  I know many of you who come to FAS are inexperienced with the IDEA ID/DD (intellectual or developmental disabilities) but this is really par for the course no matter where you go.  Though we have teachers here, good ones who understand and are empathetic to disability, really schools are built to address the 20th-80th percentile of average to above average achieving students.

That a postsecondary has ANY para available to students is almost beyond a reasonable accommodation.  They are expected to advocate for themselves while showing ever increasing independence.  Some students qualify for FAPE into community college but there are other worse things like sheltered workshops.  The level of monitoring of ID/DD individuals either in or beyond K12 would disgust most of you. 

However, if this is not postsecondary there are resources available to get it addressed - possibly.

[wackattack69]

 Thank you for replying. You are correct, in that I have zero experience in DD care/careplans, etc.
I read this to assume it was for all students with a disability. Thanks for clarifying.
Incidentally, this is also what it says -
Hourly rate of pay: $9.55----that is sad, to me.

[ninjaroll]

Any time someone bothers to both look and care what happens to ID/DD community is a win.  One of the more challenging issues is lack of visibility to the struggles in education, life as a potentially independent adult. It's a net positive you brought it to the attention to others and cared.

[Macabre]

I have a friend who used to be on staff at DS' middle school but who now works in the Disabilities Services office at a private, nonprofit college.  I plan to hit her up for info before too long as we are thinking about college. 

Thanks for the post!