By Vicki Ungvarsky
Equity versus equality – what is the difference? Equality is when one gives every individual the same resources with the hope that they may all succeed. Equity is when one considers each person’s strengths and weaknesses and provides them with individualized resources for their own unique needs and “even the playing field,” as Eric Shelton phrases it. Shelton is the Student Advisor with Student Accessibility Services (SAS) at the Western Campus and co-advises at the Brunswick Campus. On April 2nd, Shelton discussed what this department provides for students with disabilities.
Across all Tri-C campuses, SAS provides accommodations, modifications, and resources to approximately four thousand five hundred students with disabilities per year, according to Shelton. The most common disability types seen are learning disabilities, sensory limitations often comorbid with autism and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, psychiatric conditions, physical mobility conditions, and chronic health issues. The biggest problems SAS encounters with some students are that they do not want to stand out as different, and/or either do not know the department exists or that these services are a right. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), mandates access to higher education for those identified as disabled. A student must submit something in writing with the official diagnosis on it to receive SAS services. This usually comes in the form of a letter with the company overhead and signature on it. For students in the College Credit Plus Program, an Individualized Education Plan, Evaluation Team Report, or 504 Plan may be submitted. If a student does not have written proof yet, a disability verification form may be signed by their doctor. SAS also has a partnership with Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) and may refer the student to them. OOD may refer them to a professional to get tested so Tri-C has the proof to provide services.
Typical accommodations provided by SAS include extended testing time, assistive technology, sign language interpreters, disability advising, advocacy, and referral to appropriate college programs and community agencies. Shelton listed examples of the assistive technology students have access to. Tri-C has programmed every student computer with the Kurzweil 3000 screen-reading software, as well as providing disabled students licenses so they can have the program on their personal computers. Glean software allows students to digitally record lectures so they can take notes and ZoomText which is word-magnifying software. Talking calculators are also made available. For the hearing-impaired there is equipment such as conference microphones they can connect via Bluetooth to their hearing aid or cochlear implant so they can sit anywhere in a classroom and hear in normal range. The possibility of taking exams and other tests in the Learning Center is another accommodation. Shelton states, “The benefit of testing in the Learning Center is a distraction-reduced environment.”
On top of resources, SAS advocates for students with disabilities. Shelton states that when any student registers for classes and notifies them of a documented disability, an accommodation letter goes to their instructors and professors. On the exceptionally rare occasion that faculty do not follow what is stated in the accommodation letter, SAS may intervene on the student’s behalf. Also, each syllabus is supposed to have information about SAS on it and a broad announcement is to be made at the beginning of the first class of the course.
The Stephen Michael Luff Memorial Scholarship is available to disabled students attending Western Campus who are taking at least six credit hours and earn a minimum grade point average of 2.0. As of April 2nd, 2025, over twenty-four students had received this scholarship, and more were being added to the list. Upon entering room B102 in the Liberal Arts building at the Western Campus, Mandy Gawne’s desk is on the left. There is a plaque on the wall behind it that lists all the recipients’ names.
It is important to note that while each campus has its own SAS advisor, any advisor can help any student at any campus.
When asked why inclusivity is important, Shelton stated that individuals with disabilities, “are human first. No one wants to be overlooked. Students with disabilities can teach you that there’s nothing a student can’t do as long as there is an even playing field.”
