Gertrude Q. Gregorio, Dean Adaptive Learning Division
12345 El Monte Road, Los Altos Hills, CA 94022
650-949-7104,
GregorioGertrude@foothill.edu
Description:
The practice is designed to create greater awareness of the needs of
students with disabilities and provide support to instructors in how
to best meet these needs. The Adaptive Learning Division of Foothill
College is a comprehensive service for students experiencing
physical, psychological, and learning disabilities. Among the
services the division provides are alternative media including
close-captioned videos for the hearing impaired and electronic texts
for the blind, note takers, loaned personal listening systems,
alternative test taking environments and equipment, and a shuttle
service.
In order to ensure disabled students receive an optimal educational
experience, staff has made a concerted effort to increase campus
awareness. They want to be seen as a resource to faculty for serving
students with disabilities. Instructors are encouraged to come to
them for assistance. The division actively informs instructors of
their services through division in-services, and a disability
counselor attends faculty meetings. Because many students with
disabilities take basic skills and lower level math courses, the
division is trying to integrate their services with basic skills and
partner with the math department to offer students assistance before
they experience failure.
To reach out to the large number of adjunct faculty, the college web
site contains information on their services. The division conducted
an all district orientation on opening day that included an outside
key note speaker and break-out sessions. The division was also
instrumental in forming a section 508 Committee to review district
purchasing with disabled students in mind.
The division has a very large community-based component. They work
closely with the Department of Rehabilitation and provide classes in
the community. The website provides information to the community at
large, as do notices in campus publications. Further outreach to the
community is accomplished by attending events for high school
students and parents to inform them of services available on campus.
The services are primarily funded through the DSPS (Disabled
Students Programs and Services) categorical funding from the state.
Staff feel the primary key to success is to be seen as working in
collaboration with the rest of the college, not imposing on them.
Foothill was able to be more effective once they physically
consolidated services and changed their name from "Special
Education" to "Adaptive Learning."
Periodic review and prioritization of services also helps them to be
more effective.