20/04/23 1

- And what you need to know

20/04/23 2

What you already know

Needs assessment – what is its relationship

with Universal Design and why do it?

20/04/23 3

Turn to the person beside you and discuss

when you might have needed some

‘consideration’ over the past 5 years at

work due to ‘life events’.

Brainstorm

20/04/23 4

A systematic process for the collection of

information upon which to base an accurate

description of abilities, strengths and

support requirements of an individual

20/04/23 5

Systematic process to match a student or an

employee and all essential aspects of the job

Identifies potential gaps in performance

Identifies accommodations/supports required

Forms basis for planning ahead

Fulfills legal obligations

20/04/23 6

Medical Model versus Social model◦ Medical Model - A diagnosis is made and the person

is considered the problem

◦ Social Model - Where the environment creates the barriers, and these can be overcome by adjustments

◦ Universal Design - The concept of universal design arises out of and supports the broader philosophical framework of the social model of disability. The medical model might be compared with the pathological view of deafness,whereas the social model is in alignment with the cultural perspective.

20/04/23 7

Legislation

Assessment of Need

Reasonable Accommodation

20/04/23 8

3 Main Elements

1. Task or Job specification

2. Needs identification

3. Statement of needs report

20/04/23 9

Actual skills required

Communication skills

Cognitive Skills

Physical Demands

Environment

Other Influencing factors

Fatigue

Memory

20/04/23 10

Identification of gaps

Any difficulties being experienced

Effect of these difficulties

What specific accommodations are required

What strategies have worked in the past

What resources are available

20/04/23 11

Candidate details

Assessment of impact of disability against job specification

elements

Recommendations

Review as it is a continuous process

Confidential and Consultative

Facts not opinions in a Standarised format

Individualised

Accurate and Professional

20/04/23 12

Allowing note-taking at meetings

Verbal instructions where there is difficulty

following written instructions

Consider how someone needs to get from place to

place

Assistive technology can raise standard of

performance

Gives greater freedom and independence

Enables person to compete on an even footing

20/04/23 13

As part of the highly publicised

Social & Cultural Programme, - participants required for different events

Would you like to participate?

Turkish Belly Dancers required

Events to be organised in each canteen or communal area( across the service) at lunch timeExperience performing and/or dancing essential

Please contact the Diversity Department if interested

20/04/23 14

Core Skills

Suitability

Previous Experience

Supports Required

20/04/23 15

Applications – 22 year old girl who has studied modern dance for 3

years – she has preformed once before in a local event, and loves to perform and is keen to participate in the programme.

She has disclosed that she is deaf.

55 year old lady who loves music – especially unconventional music. She plays the piano and sings and she has no prior experience of dancing has been involved with her local drama group (as the secretary). She is very keen to learn dance and would love to participate in the programme.

She has a visual impairment.

31 year old lady, who has been involved in a poetry reading group and toastmasters – loves to take on a new challenge and is very anxious to do well. She enjoys music and claims to have an extensive record collection – she goes dancing socially but has not preformed publicly before.

She has brachial palsy.

20/04/23 16

Accommodation

The jobAssessment

of Need

The individual

Accomodation Approach

Access is achieved through

accommodations and/or

retrofitting existing

requirements

Retroactive Access

Special treatment

Access must be

reconsidered each time i.e.

is consumable

Universal Design The system/environment is

designed, to the

greatest extent possible,

to be usable by all

Proactive Access

Inclusive

Access, as part of the

environmental design, is

sustainable

20/04/23 17

An outgrowth of the UD model, Universal Design

for Learning (UDL) uses UD principles, to design

courses

“to be usable by all people, to the greatest

extent possible, without the need for adaptation

or specialized design”.

20/04/23 18

1. Equitable use

2. Flexibility

3. Simple and intuitive instruction

4. Perceptible information (effectively communicated

5. Tolerance for error

6. Low physical effort Note: This principle does not apply when physical effort is integral to essential requirements of a

course.

7. Size and space for approach and use

8. A community of learners

9. Instructional climate

20/04/23 19

Old Disability Support Services

Problems

The terms “support” and

“services” are more medical

model terms.

Imply that students with

disabilities need “support”

Keep the focus on the student

as the problem rather than the

focus on the environmental

barriers.

New Disability Resource Center

a resource to students and to

the campus community -

provide services to both.

Assist the campus community

in creating more usable and

inclusive environments..

Disability as an aspect of

diversity that is integral to the

community of learners

20/04/23 20

April 20, 2023mary.quirke@ahead.ie 01 7164396 21

20/04/23 22

Short term

Medium Term

Long term

http://youtu.be/falHoOEUFz0

20/04/23 23

The problem is not how to wipe out all

differences, but how to unite with all

differences intact”

- RabindraNath Tagore

20/04/23 24

NC State University

http://www.ncsu.edu/dso/general/universal-

design.html

University of Arkanas, Little Rock

http://www.ualr.edu/pace/index.php/shift/

20/04/23 25