DSPS & LD
2023-2024 Program Review

Disability Services & Programs for Students (DSPS) leads the campus community in its commitment to recognize disability as a valued aspect of equity and diversity, to embrace access as a matter of social justice, and to design environments that are more inclusive and welcoming.

Our program provides the institution with resources, education and direct services to students, to ensure individuals with disabilities have an equal opportunity to participate and achieve.

Each student supported by DSPS is disproportionality impacted by a unique set of challenges stemming from their disabilities, which are often compounded by their intersectionality with other disproportionality affected groups based on factors such as age, race, ethnicity, socio-economic status and gender.

Worked to get back to pre-pandemic numbers

During the pandemic, DSPS students had the highest dropout rate of any DI population, at 49 percent. DSPS has taken measures to better support students in the online learning environment by providing online services such as counseling, one on one strategies, and support through various modalities. We transitioned all of our processes to an online environment, while maintaining our in-person services, with equity in mind, to meet each student where they are at. This made it possible for students to apply, request services, and utilize services remotely through our DSPS web page and through our DSPS Canvas shell. We increased our outreach efforts by sending postcards, emails, and direct phone calls to all DSPS students not currently enrolled. We also worked more closely with our local high schools and community partners. We provided various presentations to the local high schools, ARC administrators, faculty, and staff. We provided specialized campus tours for prospective high school students with disabilities. DSPS established a social media presence on Facebook and Instagram. During the pandemic, our DSPS student head count at its lowest was 680 students, in Fall 2021. Since then, we have increased our student head count by at least 20 percent or more from the previous fall, and are now approaching our pre-pandemic numbers.

Improvements to Assistive Technology Lab

In our DSPS Assistive Technology Lab, we have updated each student station with new work stations that are more ADA compliant and multi-functional. Each workstation’s desktop can be raised and lowered electronically and the computer monitor can be raised and lowered into the work station for times when the student does not need a computer. Having experienced an increase in Apple/Mac users, we have added a Mac mini, so that students have the option of using a MAC or a PC. This not only provides the student the option of using a MAC or a PC but also provides them with more accessibility options and features. Technology and equipment have been added to the DSPS Alternate Media lab to convert it into a Flex space, so that the lab can also be used for workshop that students could attend in-person or online.

Improvements to Test Proctoring

DSPS has updated the workstations in each testing room making them more ADA compliant and multi-functional. Each workstation’s desktop can now be raised and lowered electronically, and the computer monitor can also be raised and lowered into the workstation when the student does not need a computer, to help reduce potential distractions. We have updated the computer and software in every testing room and can add a MAC option to ensure that we meet the accessibility needs and preferences of our students in an exam environment. We had received feedback from students that at times, it was hard to get the attention of our staff during an exam, thus we added a call button to every testing room so that students can easily get the attention of our proctoring staff. While we have disposable ear plugs to help reduce potential noise during an exam, we have received student concerns regarding background noises. Therefore, we have invested in additional noise cancelling ear muffs rated to block out noise up to 30 decibels to provide additional options to help ensure a more distraction reduced environment.   

Learning the needs of our students and providing services based on their needs

Recently there has been an increase in our Neurodivergent population, specifically our Autistic Spectrum population, which is now our third largest disability group at around 12 percent, if you exclude our “Other” category. Autism affects how the student interacts with others, communicates, learns, and behaves. In certain situations, an attendant would be appropriated to mitigate the impact of such educational limitations, however DSPS is only allowed to use their funding for academic based accommodations versus those related to custodial or therapy purposes. As a result, we partnered with a community resource, California Resources for Independent Living (CRS-IL) who works with Alta Regional to provide students with an Attendant. Since beginning this partnership in Fall of 2023, we have received positive feedback from students, parents, partners, and instructors. DSPS has also seen an improvement in the success of these students.

Neurodivergent students often struggle in developing relationships and having friends. These students have a much higher rate of experiencing bullying from others, and also have much higher rates of mental health disorders and committing self-harm and/or suicide. In an effort to create a space to foster relationships/friendships, DSPS has created a social group called the NeuroVerse Social Group that welcomes all students with disabilities but focuses on the needs of students from our Neurodivergent populations. This group currently meets every Tuesday from 2:00pm – 3:30pm, where students engage in activities and conversations. A NeuroVerse Canvas shell has also been created so that students can stay connected to the group even if they are not able to attend some or all of the meetings.

One of the biggest barriers to the DSPS program is obtaining the disability documentation students are required to provide to verify their disability. Not all students have access to their previous documentation or to a medical professional for diagnosis. DSPS does not diagnose disabilities; therefore, if the student is not able to provide documentation, then the student cannot receive services. For years all four DSPS offices have been advocating with the district office and our Health & Wellness Centers to add in to the contract that our tele-health provider could provide students with documentation of their mental health disorder, so they can qualify for the program. Recently, this has been added as a service for our students from Timely Care. This will be a great resource for students who have no other healthcare options in getting their mental health disability diagnosed.

Purchase of new assistive technology, equipment, and software

In Fall of 2022, DSPS from all four campuses collaborated with district office to ensure that not only DSPS students had access to adaptive technology, but all students and employees in the district have access, as this technology can benefit all. As a result, all Los Rios students and employees have access to the following assistive technologies: Read and Write, Kurzweil, JAWS, Equatio, Zoom Text, and Fusion. During these negotiations we also secured contracts for Dragon Naturally Speaking and Natural Reader for DSPS students.

Note-taking and Audio Recording of lectures are accommodations commonly provided to DSPS students. Traditionally, DSPS has provided students with audio recording devices and smart pens when requested. Last fall, we also added Otter.ai as an option that does not require a specific device and can be used on the student’s own device. We also recognized that we have students who would benefit from a lower-tech option, so we now provide students with Rocket books allowing for a more traditional Note-taking experience.

DSPS has been working with and receiving feedback/recommendations form blind/low vision students and employees to see how we can improve our service for this population. To address accessibility concerns relating online course content, we created a campus account with AIRA which is a service where a student can have a person help them navigate the student’s environment (Online or Physical). For example, having the AIRA representative read content from an inaccessible document or to provide audio descriptions of videos in a course. We are also working with the Design Hub and IT to build a tactile campus map that will also have an audio function so that low/vision blind students can have an accessible campus map that will provide an interactive experience to explore the campus. We have recently bought new braille and tactile graphics equipment, portable braille readers, and portable magnifiers assuring we are better able to meet the needs of this population.

American River College has been known in California as having one of the largest deaf student populations in Northern California. Unfortunately, this population was the most affected group by the pandemic. In an effort to better support these students, DSPS began inserting American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters into all of their online classes to have all videos are transcribed in ASL. Deaf students have found this to be so beneficial that we have continued providing this service to our deaf students post-pandemic.

Streamline and develop processes that remove the barriers to our program’s services

During the pandemic, we worked to ensure that our department processes could be made accessible remotely. To do so, we converted many of our paper forms, including our DSPS application into fillable PDF’s. We also created several Google Forms to facilitate our online service requests. While these processes are functional, DSPS would like to develop processes and online forms that are more user friendly and streamlined. We are working on getting away from the use of PDF’s as they can add extra steps to a process. We are working to get rid of Google Forms so that the students experience will be more unified and consistent in DSPS.

Developing relationships with campus and community partners

Continue to develop community partnerships and to strengthen current partnerships. For example, DSPS plans to work with Department of Rehabilitation (DOR) to reinstate a past practice where a DOR Counselor will be present in DSPS twice a month to better assist current and prospective DOR clients. DSPS plans to work collaboratively with our campus partners to ensure the best possible service/experience for our students. For example, we will be collaborating with Extended Opportunities Programs and Services (EOPS) to redesign our EOPS MOU process to be more streamlined and transparent so that the student is better informed throughout the process and receives services more quickly.

Develop a Peer mentorship Program

This year DSPS sent out the Chancellors Office Bi-annual Survey to DSPS students. When reviewing the feedback provided by students, we noticed a theme in what DSPS students are wanting, which is more one on one support. While DSPS currently provides many individualized services to our students, such as counseling, strategies, and access to our Assistive Technology Lab, we wanted to see how we could better meet the needs of our students. DSPS is working to develop a DSPS peer mentor program to meet this additional need with hopes to improve success rates. DSPS would recruit student mentors from ARC and students from our local 4-year institutions. We recently hired a Student Support Assistant (SSA) to assist in maintaining this program along with other duties related to the position.

DSPS Cultural Center

In addition to providing accommodations and services, DSPS would like to also act as a disability cultural center by providing information about the disabled community. We plan to work with the Design Hub to convert portions of our department to share information and educate our campus about the disabled community and its history.

Disabled Students in Dual Enrollment

High Schools and post-secondary institutions follow different disability laws, therefore there are some differences which can create challenges when working with a disabled high school student who is also taking college courses through Dual Enrollment. For example, high schools are required to identify individuals with a disability and provide them with a free public education that is tailored to their individual needs. At the post-secondary level, accommodations and services are voluntary, therefore the student must request accommodations and services and provide documentation of their disability.

The Los Rios DSPS Coordinators have begun collaborating with Los Rios Dual Enrollment leads and have formed a committee that meets monthly, to rewrite the disability services portion of the Dual Enrollment MOU to provide clarity in roles and responsibilities, to ensure that Dual Enrollment students with a disability will be provided with the necessary accommodations/services.   

Full-time Learning Disability Specialist

DSPS currently does not have a full-time Learning Disability (LD) Specialist, as we have had in the past. As a result, this places a disproportionate impact on our students with disabilities. Students with Learning Disabilities are the second largest population we serve, at 21 percent. Learning Disability Specialists have specialized training to be able to review learning disability documentation, assess students for a learning disability, and provide accommodations and strategies specific to LD related educational limitations. LD Specialists can also certify a student who has an Intellectual Disability (ID), and depending on their licensure, could assess for Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADD/ADHD). LD Specialists also ensure that LD students have the necessary documentation needed for transfer to 4-year institutions, licensure, and other standardized examinations.

The University of Georgia Education Policy & Evaluation Center (UGA), in their Review and Evaluation Study of the California Community Colleges Learning Disabilities Eligibility Model (September 2009) reported that 51% of the student survey participants had not been identified as LD or received any services for their learning disabilities prior to attending a college in the California Community College (CCC) system, concluding that, “many students entering postsecondary institutions in California will not have documentation to access accommodations necessary for their academic success.” This means that there are likely many students on our campus unaware of their Learning Disability, therefore are struggling without knowing why, nor are they being provided with necessary services.

This situation creates a dilemma in terms of student access to accommodations and support services. Those who have adequate prior documentation or who can afford a private evaluation by an LD Specialist or Psychologist to verify a learning disability at a cost of $1000 to $5000, are then eligible to receive the assistance/accommodations they need to maximize their success.

Data shared in a past white paper from the California Community College Chancellor’s Office (CCCCO) LD Field Advisory Committee, showed that when MIS data was compared between LD students and non-DSPS students, it was found that LD students had a higher persistence rate and completion rate than the general student population. This data supports the conclusion that when LD students are provided with DSPS services, LD students performed as well or better than their college peers.

Continued support of professional development

Things in the disability community are constantly changing due to new court cases and laws, changes in students’ needs, and changes in technology. DSPS encourages all of its faculty and staff to stay current on information and strategies related to disabilities and the disabled community. It is critical that DSPS faculty and staff be provided with the most up to date information and training to not only ensure that we provide the highest quality of service to our students, but also ensure that we are providing services in accordance to disability law and guidelines.

Highlighting the A in DEIA

We need to ensure that accessibility is included in our conversations on campus regarding diversity, equity and inclusion, to ensure we are working towards the California Community College Chancellors Office commitment towards Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA). Accessibility work cannot be the sole responsibility of one department. It requires the effort of every administrator, faculty, staff and student to make a campus accessible.

More disability data

While DSPS’s primary function is to ensure access it would be helpful to have additional data on the success rates broken down by disability so that we can also work to ensure success across all disabilities and functional limitations as well. In keeping in line with the Chancellors office commitment to DEIA, it would also be helpful if students with disabilities was a data point added to the course data information that is provided to instructional departments, as it relates to their course’s success and disproportionally impacted students.

Competitive wages for ASL interpreters

DSPS is asking for the support of the campus and district to increase the wages of our American Sign Language (ASL) Interpreters. The pay for our advanced level Interpreter position has not increased in over 20 years. Currently, our permanent Certified ASL Interpreters receive $49.93 per hour (hourly rate calculated from our salary pay scale). Our temp pool rate is between $18.00 – $27.00 per hour (Beginner-Intermediate). Our Advanced Level rate is $32.00 - $35.00 per hour. To give some examples, the typical pay rate for temp interpreters at other colleges or agencies range from $45.00 - $50.00 per hour. As a result, we cannot retain our interpreters as they leave for better paying positions once they are certified at the advanced level. We rely more on agencies which costs significantly more, as we pay $65.00 - $85.00 per hour. This also make is harder to ensure consistency and quality of services for our deaf students. Finding interpreters who are qualified and have experience interpreting college level course material can be difficult, thus compensation for such staff must remain competitive. The implications for not meeting our legal requirement to provide communication access would be far more costly than the requested staff increases.

Improving Access to ARC Application DSPS Student Data

Unlike in the K-12 system, DSPS cannot seek out students with disabilities as we follow different disability laws. This means that in order for students to receive DSPS services they must request them. The problem is that not all students are aware of our program and are not used to asking for assistance as this is different from their HS K-12 experience. Therefore, DSPS takes every opportunity to ensure students are aware of our program and what it can provide. On the ARC application, there is a section that asks students to select any services they are interested in knowing more about. One of the options is DSPS. The issue is that when students select one or more of these options, that information is not provided to the selected department(s) without separate requests one at a time. This creates a disproportionate impact on our students because they asked for help (Informed the campus of their needs) and then never received information on how to apply. Students may interpret that the campus or DSPS does not care since there was never a response. We have asked to be provided with this information for several years so that we can follow up with those students who inquire about our services. DSPS would like to request access to this information.

Continue to support the position of the Universal Design Specialist (UDL) position

?DSPS’s primary function is to ensure access to courses and courses and programs through accommodations and services in accordance to section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and ADA. Our funding in accordance to the Chancellors office can only be used for accommodations specific to the educational limitations of someone with a disability. We portion of a class or program are not accessible we are the safety net that helps to ensure that the campus is compliant with disability law. Section 508, states that all online information needs to be accessible. While DSPS works to advocate access for all content that is not our primary duty. Therefore, its important that we have the UDL position, as that person can assist the campus in ensuring that our courses are accessible for all students even those without a disability. 

Number of students currently being served by DSPS

Prior to the pandemic DSPS students made up about 5 percent of ARC’s student population. During the pandemic DSPS students suffered the highest drop put rate of any DI population at 49 percent, dropping our numbers to around 3 percent. We went from 1,477 DSPS students at out or high in 2015 to 680 DSPS students at our lowest in Fall 2021. As mentioned earlier, DSPS has worked hard to get DSPS students back to ARC and have almost fully recovered from the pandemic and are nearly at pre-pandemic numbers of 5 percent. While this is good news, there should be concern about the other 15 percent of our student population who may be walking .

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 21 percent of undergraduate students reported having a disability. Based of ARC’s current student head count by term of 24,065, here is what our numbers would look like at the various percentages: 2,400 students at 10%, 3,600 students at 15%, and 4,800 students at 20%. Currently, DSPS serves about 1000-1200 students depending on who’s numbers you use. This concerning because this would indicate that up to 15 percent of all enrolled students on our campus have a disability and are not using DSPS for unknown reasons, that could eliminate their disproportionate impact.