William,
How do you know that ANY of the students who come through your program will ever get a job in their chosen field? Why do you worry about that only for students with disabilities?
Dr. Jane Jarrow
When any student comes to the school our obligation is to explain the requirements of the job and the training and made sure he was aware of job requirements before he signed up. With the internet access now a day we see more and more people with disability doing things that it was not expected. It’s up to the person to put his effort to do what he wants if he thinks he is capable.
It is always a good practice to be open with a student. If there is a significant chance that a student will not have employment opportunities they should be advised as well as encouraged to do additional research.
ROSANGELA,
I agree. The obligation to be honest and direct in discussing both the requirements and expectations of the field are not any different for students with or without disabilities. Moreover, their right to make informed decisions about what they choose to pursue is ALSO no different.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
Jessica,
Being honest with students about expectations is a necessary step in providing good counsel and advice. The trick, as you note, is to let them know what problems you foresee, while providing them the opportunity to explore further -- without restricting their right to choose.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
I agree. My job is to give them the facts about the program and share some statistics. I will encourage and motivate to do the best they could and also contact career services
Sheritha,
That's great. Just a thought, though. Make sure your colleagues in Career Services are as open to allowing students to test their own potential, and are not going to shut the student down when they get there!
Dr. Jane Jarrow
I FEEL TWO WAYS ABOUT THIS. ONE IS I DISAGREE BECAUSE IT IS PUTTING A LIMIT ON WHAT THEY CAN ACHIEVE. THE OTHER IS I SEE THE POINT IN ADVISING THEM ON THERE CHANCES OF SUCCESS.
Ryan,
There is a difference between giving an honest appraisal of the job opportunities and the practical problems you see that the student may face and counseling the student out of a given field ("you shouldn't go into ____ because you'll never got a job"). The first is acceptable. The second is not.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
A college or university owes a student with a disability equal access and with that the same counseling provided for each student. There are students without disabilities who are enrolled into programs in which they may or may not be employable upon completion of the program. Employability is not synonymous with disability. There are individuals with disabilities who go on to achieve wonderful advancements in various fields because of the innovation and individuality their insights provide. Sometimes people couch "honesty" as a way to assert their opinions onto another person. Each student should be provided with the reality of degree program requirements and possible employment outcomes regardless of the disability.
Susan,
Well said! You have just given a very cogent explanation of both how bias impacts students with disabilities and what equal access to opportunity is all about! Good for you.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
The college owes it to the student to make sure they have all the information on what will be expected of them in the field. The college would not be doing the student a favor by telling them they will be unsuccessful. As a person with a disability, they've probably heard it before. The student knows that they can be truely capable of.
The college owes it to the student to make sure they have all the information on what will be expected of them in the field. The college would not be doing the student a favor by telling them they will be unsuccessful. As a person with a disability, they've probably heard it before. The student knows that they can be truely capable of.
Chelsea,
I agree. Students with disabilities, just like all other students, are the best judge of both their own capabilities and their own motivation. The college owes a realistic picture of the field, and then owes it to the student to get out of their way and let them try!
Dr. Jane Jarrow
I agree every college should go over what the percentage of career outlook is for each career choice.
I am not sure what a "percentage of career outlook" is, David, but if it meant presenting any DIFFERENT information to students with disabilities than to any other student planning on that major, it would be a mistake. If this is simply a statistic that you provide to EVERY student, I withdraw my concern.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
Please withdraw your concern, the comment was meant for EVERY student to gain the knowledge of what the job openings are in the workforce. Had nothing to do with disabilties. I would not want to enroll into college for airplane mechanics in an area which has no airport or any form of aviation.
David,
I understand your intent, I think, but I am still hazy on the practice. If the college teaches airplane mechanics, then they must think there is a market for those skills, even if it is not in the immediate geographic area. I think what you are suggesting is just that students (all students) be given a realistic picture of the job market. I agree.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
This is a good question. While we want to be fair to students with disabilitites,how far do you go to extend that scope. While I understand this concept, I feel that there should be consideration in all ways
Candis,
I am not sure what you are suggesting here. There are no limits to equal access. It either IS equal or it isn't. Can you explain?
Dr. Jane Jarrow
