Introduction

During Fall Quarter 2004, the number of students with disabilities at the Ohio State University Newark and Central Ohio Technical College grew 16% compared to the number registered with the Office for Disability Services in Fall 2003. The students with documented disabilities represent nearly 4% of our increasingly diverse student population. The national average is closer to 6% of college populations. With increasing diversity comes a need to respond to a growing range of learning styles in the classroom to support student success. Every day we are challenged to be creative in meeting the needs of all students. Good teaching practices - such as using a multi-sensory approach in presentations, supplementing class lectures with handouts, clearly organizing and presenting course and class objectives, and being readily available for student conferences - optimize learning for all students. For students with disabilities, they are essential.
Providing accommodations ensures equal opportunities for success in mastery of course material; it does not mean compromising the content, quality or level of instruction. All students are required to meet a standard of competency in coursework; students with disabilities are no exception.