DISABILITY SUPPORT MODERATORS

We are addressing the needs of youth with disabilities to enter and succeed in forms of education by smooth transition process supported by the youth-oriented NGO. In this project we are tackling several needs, as following:

1. Identification and applying
As a first step the youth with disability are looking for opportunities for providing accommodations and to make specific requests addressed. Therefore, the youth faced quite chaotic situation to whom s/he should look for support in this process of selection proper subject and preparation of the necessarily documentation, where frequently alternative formats are needed both in formal and non-formal provision.

2. Examination and evaluation
Youth have the responsibility to present documentation of their condition(s) for consideration of possible accommodations and to request adaptations of the examination process if needed. The evaluations conducted are performed at the youth’s expense, which is also not supported by the government. We should not forget that the youth may need an alternative form of examination (for example: if the person with severe visual impairment, s/he may request the examination to be in oral form). This process will be also facilitated by the moderators.

3. Documentation
Training organisers have the right to ask for current and comprehensive documentation that clearly details: the diagnosis, the functional limitations and the need for accommodations. In that case the youth need to disclose even hidden disabilities in this stage. In addition, the documentation presented in the majority of the cases do not present clearly details about the youth’s substantial limitations. Merely having a diagnosis (e.g. learning disability, ADHD) does not necessitate accommodations. Similarly, the use of successful mitigating measures (e.g., medication, corrective lenses in the case of a vision impairment) that eliminate the functional impairment means that accommodations are not appropriate. In other words, learning differences or “relative weaknesses” compared to one’s abilities in other areas are not necessarily disabling.

4. Reasonable Accommodations
Accommodations should be designed to ensure equal access and “level the playing field” versus guarantee academic success. Specific examples include providing an interpreter for a deaf youth to allow him/her to understand the material being presented and giving extra test-taking time to a youth with a learning disability to make sure that he/she has sufficient time to read an exam. In contrast, accommodations would not be provided to ensure that a youth gets a certain grade on an exam.

5.Self-Advocacy
In youth NGO, by default it is expected that the youth must be able to communicate their needs and request services. However, still parents should have the opportunity certainly to voice their concerns about a youth. All these stages should be supported by specific and competent person like the disability support moderator, we believe.

This disability support moderator will be able:
– to welcome youth with disability and to present the learning opportunities
– to discuss the ways how the youth with disability can implement the examination process and if this process will need an adaptation, which should be therefore approved by the Management board.
– to collect, review and clarify to the youth NGO staff what are the strengths and limitations, caused by the disability to this particular youth.
– to negotiate with the youth and therefore with the Management board reasonable accommodations needed
– to be an advocate for the youth in his/her communication with youth NGO staff and where needed to resolve possible conflicts and issues with peers.