<< TABLE OF CONTENTS >>

1. A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

2. BUT FIRST... A WORD FROM OUR SPONSOR!!!

3. UTOPIA, INCLUSION, UNIVERSAL CURRICULUM DESIGN: THREE GREAT IDEAS THAT WON'T EVER HAPPEN (Part 1)

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<< A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR A NEW YEAR IS UPON US, BUT SOME THINGS NEVER CHANGE!!! >>

To my great chagrin, all my wonderful plans for getting caught up on paperwork (including billing) during the Christmas holidays never came to fruition. Thus, I find myself well into January, still holding the December, 2001, issue of the DAIS Newsletter, and not much closer to sorting out who HAS and HAS NOT paid for the 2002 subscription year. My original plan had been to end this newsletter half way through an article, and tell the folks who have NOT renewed their subscriptions that they needed to do so before they would get Part II (how about THAT for a marketing ploy! grin). Unfortunately, I haven't finished going through all the purchase orders and divining who is in and who is out. So... Plan B!

Since I am convinced that anyone who HASN'T yet renewed for 2002

(especially with the special subscription deal which includes access to the DAIS Locked Files) is simply behind in THEIR paperwork and has every intention of renewing, I am going to go ahead and send this double December/January edition of the newsletter to everybody. Note that the end result of the merged 2001/2002 mailing lists may be that some of you get double copies of the newsletter because you are on both lists. My apologies!

Within the next 10 days, I WILL be contacting those folks whom my records show have not renewed their subscriptions to remind them how to do so. Moreover, those who HAVE renewed their subscriptions will receive information on how to access the Locked Files. Hopefully, by the time we are ready for the February edition, things will be caught up on both my end and yours!

In the meantime, this double issue of the Newsletter contains two articles. One focuses on a concept (Universal Design) and the other on a concern (where do we stand after the Toyota decision?). I hope you find them both interesting enough to have been worth your wait.

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<< BUT FIRST... A WORD FROM OUR SPONSOR!!! >>

SPRING TERM BEGINNING JUST AROUND THE CORNER

Registration for Spring Term classes through the DAIS Academy is now open. If you've taken a course through The Academy before, you already know what a wonderful and convenient learning opportunity it provides. If you haven't taken a course, then now is the time to find out for yourself. Treat yourself to the most useful and participant-centered professional development opportunity available for DSS providers.

SOMETHING NEW HAS BEEN (VALUE) ADDED!

Last Fall, I shared with you some preliminary plans for the DAIS ROPE -- Record Of Professional Education. I am pleased to report that the system is ready to initiate at this time. I will be sending out more information early next week, but if you want to take a look at the original plan, visit http://daisacademy.com/ceus.lasso. The system will allow DSS professionals to keep a running tally online of all of their professional development hours and continuing education credits (whether earned through DAIS or through some other mechanism). It also means that DAIS is now prepared to offer Continuing Education Units (CEU's) independently for courses from the DAIS Academy. The CEU's associated with the Spring offerings from DAIS (below) will be automatically assigned to those taking the classes. The additional fee for CEU's shown on the registration page is ONLY for those who wish to have CEU's verified from Baldwin-Wallace College instead of through DAIS. CEU'S PROVIDED AUTOMATICALLY THROUGH DAIS ARE FREE TO YOU.

SPRING COURSES

DAIS is offering seven courses this Spring (for full details, go to http://www.daisacademy.com and check out our Course Catalog):

1. Open Enrollment Institutions (Part 2) - An eight week course beginning the week of February 4. This is a continuation of the popular course entitled "Open Enrollment Institutions and the Student Who Doesn't Belong Here... or Anywhere Else!" (1.5 CEU's Available)

2. Understanding the Legal Mandates Without Becoming a Lawyer - A twelve week course beginning the week of February 4. (3.0 CEU's available)

3. Developing Written Policies and Procedures: Guiding the Implementation of a Support Program for Students with Disabilities at YOUR Institution. The course will be offered in an online class setting (with individuals from other institutions participating) beginning the week of February 11. NOTE: This course can also be structured as an "independent (institutional) study," to involve a group of individuals solely from your institution. The schedule, start-date and timing is set up to accommodate your institution's needs

4. The USE and ABUSE of Guidelines in Disability Support Services - A four week course beginning the week of February 4. (.5 CEU's available)

5. Four Court Cases that HAVEN'T Changed Our Work - A four week course beginning the week of March 4. (.5 CEU's available)

6. The Final Frontier? Study Abroad Programs and Students with Disabilities - A four week course beginning the week of March 4. (.5 CEU's available)

7. Confidentiality, Disability, and Higher Education (NOT the same old song and dance!) - A six week course beginning the week of April 1. (.75 CEU's available)

So take a few moments for yourself during this hectic day, and go visit the DAIS Academy website (www.daisacademy.com) where you can read detailed course descriptions for these classes, and access registration information with just the click of your mouse

As always, if you have any questions... please know you are welcome to contact me at JaneJarrow@aol.com or by telephone at 614-481-9450.

I look forward to seeing you in class!

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<< UTOPIA, INCLUSION, UNIVERSAL CURRICULUM DESIGN: THREE GREAT IDEAS THAT WON'T EVER HAPPEN >>

"Utopia - an ideally perfect place, especially in its social, political, and moral aspects."

In the early 1500's, Sir Thomas More wrote a famous book about the travels of a fictional hero and his chance discovery of Utopia -- a place in which everything and everyone was perfect. Over time, the term "utopian" has come into general usage as an adjective that describes any pie-in-the-sky, idealized dream of a better life, better method, better place to be (physically or metaphorically!). The understanding, from the beginning, was that Utopia is the place we would all LIKE to live, but that no such perfect place exists -- or ever could. It should be noted that Thomas More wrote his book to be a satire of the times. HE didn't take the whole thing too seriously -- and therein lies the problem.

Long time readers of this newsletter have heard me rant about what I believe to be the inherent dangers of the "Inclusion" movement as implemented in the K-12 system in this country. Essentially, my argument has been that Inclusion -- as an EDUCATIONAL philosophy/practice -- runs the terrible risk of leaving capable learners who happen to have a disability with less-than-full academic preparation for the rigors of postsecondary study. I still believe that is true... but I am starting to believe that my wrath has been misplaced. I have been shaking my finger at a Special Education system gone astray, who have diverted a plan meant to provide equal opportunity through their misunderstanding and misapplication of the philosophy. Lately, I have been formulating a new hypothesis...

TANGENT: (Sorry, but I can't figure out how else to give you information that helps to explain my thinking in this matter without sharing some personal experiences that I have found illuminating)

Shortly before Christmas, I spent a LONG (make that LOOONNNNGGG) weekend working with my daughter, Cottie, on schoolwork. She is 11 years old, and in 5th grade. She is a very bright little girl with fairly severe physical involvement as a result of Cerebral Palsy. She is a wheelchair user, and (only recently) can print legibly, but only with a lot of effort and very slowly. Her computer skills are great, and she largely uses sign language for expressive communication, although she has normal hearing. Over the course of two days, I worked with her through four hours of homework. She is working at grade level, doing the same assignments as her classmates (albeit with various accommodations), and she is successfully following the typical 5th grade curriculum. She spent 4 hours doing homework (with my help). I SPENT SEVEN AND A HALF HOURS preparing the materials for her to do that 4 hours worth of home work!!! Some worksheets needed to be reformatted to allow her enough space to see the question and to work her answers. Study materials for an upcoming test had to be formulated in a way that complimented her learning strengths, in a format she could manage as independently as possible. One major history assignment had to be managed in a VERY different fashion to achieve the same goal through an entirely different route. Part of my frustration is that the teachers/school personnel really don't have the vaguest idea how to analyze the assignments and figure out what to do to make them work (and workable!) for my daughter. But even if they DID understand what needed to be done, there is NO WAY that I believe it would be logical or appropriate for me to expect the classroom teacher to put in 7+ hours of work to prepare these items for Cottie's use, in addition to the hours that she is working in lesson planning for the other 22 kids in the class.

Back to Inclusion... I believe the intent of Inclusion is to allow all students to be in the most normalized and typical setting as possible, getting as much from the learning experience as they possibly can, just as we hope children without disabilities will maximize their educational opportunities. And I believe that for children with SOME disabilities, it probably works just that way, because what they are academically capable of mastering is limited, so it is not a problem that their academic experience doesn't put the same demands on them. I am convinced that Inclusion can function successfully when the children with disabilities (and their parents) have high goals for their successful integration into life and society, but relatively limited goals for academics. If the teachers can bring these students along, within the typical classroom, giving them individualized attention suited to their needs to make them feel good about themselves, and to keep making progress academically, then all is cozy... EXCEPT when the expectations are altered so that "making progress" means "better than when they started" and not "achieving at grade level."

I realize my daughter is a special case. There aren't many who are as bright as she is and with the MANY components of disability that effect her learning environment. But what becomes crystal clear in working with a child like her is what may show only more subtly with children who are struggling to learn with less visible disabilities. Inclusion is a Utopian dream. It is what we would like to see happen, but it isn't practical in the big picture. It CAN'T work for some populations.

TANGENT #2: The week before Christmas, Cottie brought home her bi-weekly

"Time-for-Kids". ( Remember the old Weekly Readers we had when we were in school? This is the modern equivalent. It is a mini-news magazine created for grade school kids by the Time Magazine™ folks.) The cover story was on (drum roll, please)... Inclusion! The caption read, "Side by Side. In more and more schools, kids with disabilities learn together with other kids." I was really pleased -- until I opened the magazine and read the article. While it made reference to kids with a variety of disabilities, all the examples (and all but one of the pictures) were of children who were retarded. The two quotes that sent me over the edge were these:

"...Becca is glad that Tesia, who has Down syndrome, is in her school. 'Her smiles and hugs always make my days better,' says Becca."

(Under the heading of "How You Can Help") "Volunteer. Talk to your teacher about becoming 'reading buddies' with a child who needs help. Get involved with groups that help kids with disabilities."

I am pleased to report that my daughter didn't figure out she was one of the "kids with disabilities" they were talking about in the story until she looked at the pictures at the end and saw one little boy in a wheelchair. I am NOT pleased to report that this article was the featured piece for discussion in Cottie's 5th grade class the next day, along with countless classrooms across the country. The article was clearly written to "normal kids," encouraging them to consider becoming friends with "one of THOSE children" because it would be so nice to have them share your experience. No thought to the possibility of the child with a disability actively competing academically and socially or that they were capable of experiencing education in the same way as their nondisabled peers (or, for that matter, that they might be READING the silly article!!!). Another classic quote re: a child with Down syndrome -- "after four years in inclusion classes, Maurine's language and social skills have improved." After four years, that's all they can report? AAARRRGGGH! (I wish I could share with you the email post of... um... displeasure that I sent off to the editors of Time for Kids. They are probably still waiting for their screens to quit smoking!)

OK. So Utopia was never intended to be a real place, and Inclusion is a nice idea that sounds great in principal but can't work in practice (at least not for ALL, as it is touted to do). Want to hear my dirty little secret? I don't believe that Universal Curriculum Design, as the term is generally thrown about at the postsecondary level, is any more realistic, practical, or do-able!!!

Before I dig myself in too deep here, I had better go back and clarify some perceptions that I hold regarding what the concept of Universal Curriculum Design is supposed to mean and how it is typically applied at the postsecondary level. As I was researching this article, I found that there were ALL SORTS of references floating around out there to what seems, generally, to be the same idea but which different people believe portends different things. I saw the terms Universal Curriculum Design and Universal Design of Instruction (or some variant of those words) used interchangeably, but I also saw them used as two different things. For my purposes here, I think I would prefer to lump them together...

UNIVERSAL CURRICULUM DESIGN (UCD)/UNIVERSAL DESIGN OF INSTRUCTION (UDI) - Designing the curriculum of the course (INCLUDING the methods, materials, setting, and instructional goals) to be immediately accessible to all potential users/learners.

I have several problems with the practicality of this idea in higher education today (NOTE: I am speaking about whether it can work, not about whether it is, philosophically, a fine idea/ideal!). Want to know why? Read Part II of this article in the second half of this double edition of the DAIS Newsletter, now waiting in your email box!!!

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(End of Part 1 - Part 2 appears in Vol. VI, No. 1)