Health Impairments

Health impairments affect a person's body systems. Cancer, seizure disorders, and multiple sclerosis are examples of health impairments.

Access Challenges

• Some types of health-related disabilities, such as AIDS or kidney failure, may not require special design considerations to allow access to a Web-based course. However, they may require unexpected accommodations.
  
  
• Animations that flicker between 2 and 55 times per second may induce seizures in people who are susceptible to them, so they may not wish to access sites with such features.
  
  

The How-To section of this Web site describes how to overcome these access challenges.

General Accommodations

• Additional time to complete assignments may be required when a condition prevents participation in class for an extended period of time.
  
  
• Students may not be able to hold regular textbooks. The university's disability services office usually coordinates with the student, faculty, and other offices on campus (for example, the textbook office) to obtain books in alternative formats.
  
  
• Assignments that involve visiting external sites (businesses, museums, etc.) may not be possible for some students.
  
  
• Accommodations may be required during testing. For example, exams may need to be administered in two or more sessions, a scribe or other assistance may be required, and/or an oral or computer-based exam may be preferable to a written exam.
  
  

Ask a Student UMUC Student Sharon White answers questions about the types of accommodations required by students with health impairments. What do you like or dislike about online courses? What types of accommodations do you need?

Scenario

The Situation: You receive a letter from your university's disability services office. Daniel, one of the students in your Web-based course, has a health impairment. He may require some adjustments to the course schedule and assignment due dates because of medical treatment for his condition.

The Challenge: Mid-way through the course, Daniel informs you that he must undergo intense medical treatment that will make him unable to participate in the course for one month.

One Solution: Work with Daniel to develop a schedule for completion of the work. Arrange to provide him with an "incomplete" grade as appropriate. For missed group work, allow him to complete an equivalent individual assignment. You can also contact your university's disability services office to discuss the situation.