Disabilities and Accommodations at UMaine/UMM

Disabilities are in large part a function of our environment and can span multiple systems: vision, hearing, mobility, cognitive abilities, mental health, as well as multiple time frames: situational, temporary and permanent, but also chronic.

Types of disabilities

Situational disability

A situational disability is the direct result of the situation. We can all experience situational disability. An example of a situational disability would be to not be able to access an image or video because of an internet bandwidth issue.

Temporary disability

A temporary disability is a disability that is not expected to be long lasting. Examples of a temporary disability would be to not be able to use a computer mouse or trackpad due to a broken hand, or to not be able to use a computer screen and focus for long periods of time due to a concussion.

Permanent disability

Permanent disabilities would be anything that has a lasting impact on ones abilities to perform in a specific environment. For example, a visually impaired individual may not be able to access information visually, but they will still be able to access information through other means: text, raw data, tactile representation, etc. If we only provide information through visuals, we are creating a barrier to accessing the information.

Note that a temporary disability may turn into a permanent disability, if for instance broken bones don’t heal properly, or if someone doesn’t make a full recovery after a concussion.

Chronic disability

Chronic disabilities are disabilities that are intermittent and depend on if and when a specific condition is flaring up. Chronic disabilities are typically associated with chronic medical conditions and with mental health. They are often unpredictable in nature. Examples of such conditions are Crohn’s disease, Depression, or bipolar disorder.

Students and disabilities on our campus

The proportion of UMaine students who have disclosed their need for accommodations has doubled in the last 10 years and it is expected to continue to rise.

The Google sheets linked below gives you access to a graph (tab 1) and data sheet (tab 2) comparing the number of students enrolled at UMaine who have documented disabilities with the total student enrollment at UMaine from 2012 to 2023.

Percentage of total students enrolled at UMaine with documented disabilities (2012-2023). The trend shows that it grew from less than 4% in 2012 to more than 10% in 2023.

Many more students who need one or more accommodations chose not to disclose or were not able to advocate for their needs. When you are proactive in making your courses accessible, you are helping countless of students succeed in your class.

Mental health and medical condition, including chronic illness, are the two fastest growing types of disabilities on United States campuses. This is true of our campus as well. The National Center for College Students with Disabilities reports that 19% of undergraduate students in the U.S. experience some type of disability.

At the University of Maine, students who were able to seek accommodations through Student Accessibility Services requested accommodations for the following, presented in order from most reported to least reported:

  1. Mental health
  2. ADHD
  3. Medical condition
  4. Learning disability
  5. Autism Spectrum Disorder
  6. Deaf or hard of hearing
  7. Blind or low vision
  8. Physical condition

Note that some students may have multiple accommodation requests.

Accommodation requests

Student Accessibility Services works with students who have a documented need for accommodations, which is the legal framework for students to request accommodations. However, not all students are able to obtain proper documentation. This can be due to differences in access to health care, administrative hurdles, lack of support system, etc. In addition, some students will choose not to disclose their disability, while others may not know that they need and are eligible for an accommodation.

At the University of Maine during fall 2021, 809 students documented their disabilities with Student Accessibility Services: 737 undergraduate and 72 graduate students. In addition, over 60 students consulted with Student Accessibility Services about issues that impact their student career, but were unable to provide documentation from a medical or health care provider. All together, these students represented over 7% of our total student population, and we know for a fact that not all students choose or know to disclose their need for accommodation.

Request for accommodations include, for example:

  • double time to complete tests and assignments
  • flexible deadlines
  • the use of electronic devices in class (assistive technology)
  • note takers or note taking software assistance
  • the presence of an ASL interpreter
  • accessible format for all course documents

Some accommodations require minimal changes in the course, while others such as providing all course documents in an accessible format can require a significant amount of work if the course was not designed with accessibility in mind.

Learn more about how to create documents in an accessible format in the quick start to accessible and inclusive course materials and experiences section of our website, or start with our step by step accessible syllabus challenge.

To learn more about accommodation requests, visit the section of the Student Accessibility Services website dedicated to information for faculty.

To discuss how to make changes in your course to make it more accessible, schedule a consultation with an instructional designer.

Examples of Assistive Technologies

Assistive technology, or AT, is a term used to describe tools and devices that assists individuals in their daily activities. The following bulleted list presents a sample of the assistive technology UMaine students may use to assist them with their course work.

  • C-Pen exam reader pen. A device that scans text and reads words aloud, the text does not need to be accessible, it scans the paper image of a word and pronounces it aloud.
  • Glean audio notetaker. Glean is a program more and more students are using instead of peer notetakers. At its most basic, it’s a cloud based digital recorder and at its most robust, it is a powerful study tool to help students capture information and learn.
  • Digital recorders
  • LiveScribe smart pens
  • Students with learning disabilities, ADHD and other types of disabilities who are sighted but have difficulty with reading may use free text to speech software such as NaturalReader, using Siri to read text aloud, or other screen readers
  • Blind students may use JAWS, NVDA or another screen reader that is specifically geared to users with vision problems
  • Free voice dictation software such as Siri or Google assistant in combination with Google docs or MS Word
  • DragonNaturally speaking voice dictation software

Note that not all students are able to use these tools or devices, or are able to acquire or become fluent in them in a way that would truly support their academic career.

This list was provided by our colleagues at Student Accessibility Services and is representative of the assistive technology used by UMaine students as of August 2022. CITL does not provide training or support for these assistive technology products.