Disability Services At TCNJ
The experiences of neurodivergent students in higher education living
At The College of New Jersey (TCNJ), students with disabilities rely on the Disability and Accessibility Services to ensure they can fully participate in campus life. But for some, navigating these services can feel like an uphill battle. This investigation takes a closer look at the resources and support TCNJ offers, exploring whether students are getting the help they need and how accessible those services really are.
With more schools prioritizing inclusivity, the question is how well TCNJ is meeting the mark. For neurodivergent students, the availability of accommodations, accessibility of campus buildings, and the ease of accessing support can make or break their academic experience. This investigation will delve into those aspects, uncovering both the strengths and gaps in the system, with the hope of shedding light on how the college can better serve its diverse student body.
As an abled-bodied person, one would never consider the struggles of opening a door. This is one of the many predicaments Megan Guiry fights to find a solution for as the Director of Accessibility Resources at TCNJ. She is in contact with students everyday with varying abilities to help guide them through the college process and fill holes where the College underperforms
Guiry said she has seen more students seek accessibility services over the years, especially for mental health disabilities like anxiety, ADHD, and ADD. Before coming to TCNJ as a Accessibility Specialist, she was in Support Services at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. Guiry attributes this increase to COVID-19 when students were socially isolated and faced the mental anguish of a pandemic.
""Always adapting. Always. Our biggest thing now is we get out there and we see exactly what the challenge is," Guiry said.
The College of New Jersey has a student body of approximately 7,400 people and growing. There is no clear number on how many students with disabilities are in attendance, but according to The National Center for Statistics, 20% of undergraduate students have some form of disability. This may be higher due to students failing to self-report or unknowlegable of their disability.
Data from The Campus Pulse
Data from The Campus Pulse
Among the issues TCNJ faces with helping students with disabilities is making the public aware of the resources available. In a survey by the Campus Pulse, a voluntary form measuring the campus
community’s experiences and perceptions, only 22.63% of those surveyed said they were very aware of Disability Support Services. Nearly half of the respondents, 47.87%, were at the most slightly aware of this resource.
Guiry said they are working with faculty to be more aware of signs that a student may need more help so that the Accessibility Resource Center (ARC) can actively reach out to students. They have a CARES Referral program where anybody can submit a form on behalf of another student who may need help. After a referral is submitted, ARC will reach out to this student.
Faculty have been receiving more training on connecting with and accommodating students with disabilities. Guiry said they will work with faculty before someone may even step into a classroom so the professor is well-aware of this individual's unique situation.
"The awareness is definitely growing, particularly with faculty. The more students are in their class with visual and low vision or hard of hearing, or even just with needing extra time and all of that, the more aware the faculty become," Guiry said.
Services
ARC
ARC has a team of specialist that guide students through their special circumstances. However, there are other programs benefitting students with disabilities. Included is the Lions Plus Program.The Lions Plus Program is a fee-based support service for students with documented disabilities who seek assistance beyond standard ADA accommodations. It offers regular one-on-one coaching and monthly group workshops to help students build skills in time management, organization, self-advocacy, and social development, with limited spots available on a first-come, first-served basis.
"My whole life I felt as if I had to work harder than others especially when it came to studying"
Students who have participated in this program said it helped transition them from high school to college where there is more independence. Furthermore, most said without the program, they would have a harder time completing school work.
Best Buddies
Acclimating socially was the biggest struggle students with disabilities reported in an independent survey I conducted. One student said many people have biases and assumptions about neurodivergent people, so it is difficult to connect with others.
"Able-bodied people will never be able to understand what it’s like to be disabled because this world is made for people without disabilities."
Best Buddies is a student organization on campus to help students with disabilities form relationships with the community. Student mentors are paired with members to simply be their friend. Mentors and members stay with each other through all 4 years of college. In addition, Best Buddies holds meetings that teach basic social and developmental skills.
Facilities
One of the most utilized services is exam accommodations, where students can take tests with extra time or in reduced-distraction environments using dedicated testing spaces within the ARC offices. The center is currently working toward establishing a dedicated testing center to expand this capability as their staff grows.
Students also have access to assistive technologies. These include screen readers with customizable features, and Glean, a recently piloted note-taking application that records classes and uses AI to generate transcripts. Glean also offers live captioning capabilities, helping students who are hard of hearing.
"I don’t know what accommodations are available and what might actually be helpful."
Recently I had someone email me saying that they witnessed a physical barrier in the EAM building. On the inside, there's a push button for the automatic door, but it's above a ledge. So a student in a wheelchair may not be able to reach that push button. So I walked over to take a look at it. I was like, what can be done? I was like, oh, yeah, this really is a barrier, a physical barrier. It's a lot of getting out there and seeing exactly what the student is experiencing and how can we put in accommodations or put accommodations in place to give them access. Another thing is something that you may not think about is a student who is visually impaired, who needs to do laundry, and knowing what buttons are what on the laundry machine, and making sure that we have braille or other raised indicators on the washing machine that way.
Additionally, the center coordinates housing and dining accommodations, including provisions for emotional support animals, service animals, specialized fire alarm systems (such as strobe lights and bed shakers for students with hearing impairments), and accessible room placements.
What's
Next?
Guiry said the challenges are always changing since every student has a unique experience. She said today's generation is much more accepting and accommodating than those before her.
"I think TCNJ truly does rise above in terms of support... And just the true caring nature of everyone here is just amazing," Guiry said.
