Disability Services reached out to faculty and staff Wednesday to address how to accommodate the growing numbers of students with disabilities at the university.

At the request of the School of Business, Kathy Waggoner, assistant director of disability services and Julie Haugh, disability specialist, invited faculty to “brown bag” their lunch and attend the informational presentation.

Haugh said the presentation was an important opportunity to reach out to the faculty.

“Anytime you keep the lines of communication open, it benefits everybody involved,” she said.

Disability Services provides facilitation and assistance to students with documented disabilities, including, but not limited to, learning, sensory, psychiatric, medical and neurological disorders.

With more students with disabilities attending the university, Disability Services is working to assist the growing number.

“We’re doing a better job at identifying some disabilities,” Haugh said. “I think that it’s becoming more widely known that people with disabilities can go to college and be successful.”

Haugh said Disability Services continues to provide accommodations to both students and faculty in order to facilitate a good working relationship with all participants involved in the educational process, and speak to the faculty about what they and the students can be doing to work through disabilities and succeed at the college level.

Waggoner said that one of the key factors in accommodating the growing number of students is approachability.

“One of the things we do when we meet with students is we let them know that we are there for them,” she said.

One of the major changes that all students must cope with while transitioning to college is the level of responsibility that is placed firmly in the student’s hands.

The relationship that Disability Services has with the students can help them overcome that hurdle, by providing them with the tools necessary to succeed academically, according to the Disability Services mission statement.

With increased numbers comes the increased need for resources, Haugh said. Faculty and staff suggest a need for a testing center most often.

“That would probably be our first priority, given more resources,” Haugh said.

Mel Boydston can be reached at 581-7942 or mmboydston@eiu.edu.