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Welcome to the Determining the Functional Limitation of Your Disability Presentation
In order to understand functional limitation, let’s take a minute and get everyone on
the same definitional page.
First, disability, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, is a physical or mental
impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities of such individual.
Second, Major Life Activities, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, include
(but are not limited to) performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, walking, standing,
lifting, bending, speaking, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, and communicating.
Therefore, based off of these two definitions, functional limitation is the impact a disability
has on a person's ability to perform major life activities.
For example, the functional impact of being blind is not being able to read standard print;
blind is the disability, reading is the major life activity.
In order to determine functional limitation, begin by asking yourself questions such as
‘what barriers are you experiencing’ or by determining in what ways, if any, your
disability impacts:
Listening? Reading? Keyboarding or typing? Writing narratives? The manipulation of objects?
Your speed of reaction or bodily movements? Sleep? Social interactions? Research in a
library or via the Internet? Mathematical calculations? Or, your ability to meet deadlines?
Once you have made your determination, ask yourself ‘what could assist you in overcoming
these barriers?’
You could also begin by thinking about your past:
What problem situations can you attribute to your disability?
How have you modified tasks or environments to compensate for your condition in the past?
What adaptive devices or assistive technology has been helpful to your success?
Or, what support services have been helpful in the past?
When thinking about your disability:
Can you name your disability? When were you diagnosed with the condition?
Are there any cyclical or episodic flare ups? Are there any known triggers – for example,
environmental, emotional or otherwise? Do you have ongoing medical treatment for
your condition? If yes, what is the treatment and what impact does it have on your ability
to function?
So, how exactly does Empire State College find out what accommodations might be appropriate
for students?
By determining accommodations on a case-by-case basis and working with students with disabilities
to develop or sharpen their ability to understand and discuss their disability and functional
limitations with others, Empire State College is able to assist student with disabilities
in making informed choices about their accommodation request.
See if you can complete the following sentence: Difficulties with BLANK means BLANK accommodations
may be helpful in overcoming those barriers.
For example, difficulty with handwriting means use of a voice input program on the computer
as an accommodation may help overcome that barrier. Difficulty with attention to tasks
means that extra time to complete assignments and exams or following a specific time frame
for task completion as an accommodation may help overcome that barrier. Difficulty with
remembering or memory means that repeating directions verbally after listening or reading
them or making audio recordings of directions, notes read out loud, etc. for play back as
an accommodation may help overcome that barrier.
If you are still having difficulties, talk with your center's disability representative.
He or she can talk with you about your disability and any accommodations that you have used
in the past, if any.
If you are still having difficulty determining which accommodations may be appropriate for
you, your request for accommodations will be forwarded to the Office of Collegewide
Disability Services and you will be asked to provide documentation of your disability.
Staff in the Office of Collegewide Disability Services will review your documentation and
recommend reasonable accommodations.
If you have any questions related to Disability Services, please contact your center disability
representative or Kelly Hermann, the Director, or Danielle Dottolo, the Collegewide Disability
Specialist in the Office of Collegewide Disability Services.
They can be reached at 1 800 847-3000 x2201, through the New York State Relay Service at
1 800 421-1220, or via email at Disability.Services@esc.edu