Friday, September 28, 2012

Partners in Education: Service Dogs on Campus


On March 15, 2011, the Department of Justice’s revisions to the Regulation Implementing Title II of the ADA took effect. Part of these amendments and revisions regarded the definition of a service animal which is now defined as a dog that has been individually trained to do work or perform a task for the benefit of an individual with a disability. The rule states that other animals, whether wild or domestic, do not qualify as service animals. Dogs that are not trained to perform tasks that mitigate the effects of a disability, including dogs that are used purely for emotional support, are not service animals.

At Rogue Community College a service animal is considered an accommodation issue and requires an individual to have a valid accommodation plan in place if they expect to have their service animal on campus on a regular basis. The first step in implementing this plan is to contact the Disability Services office and setup an appointment to meet with the Disability Services Coordinator. Examples of work or tasks that a service dog may be seen providing, but not limited to: assisting individuals who are blind or have low vision with navigation and other tasks, alerting individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing to the presence of people or sounds, pulling a wheelchair, assisting an individual with a seizure, retrieving items, assist with balance and stability, and alerting an individual to the presence of allergens to name a few.

When you meet a person on campus with a service dog please remember that the dog is working. The Delta Society has five rules of interaction:

1) Speak to the person first. Do not aim distracting or rude noises at the dog.

2) Do not touch the service dog without asking for, and receiving permission.

3) Do not offer food to the service dog.

4) Do not ask personal questions about the handler’s disability, or otherwise intrude on his or her privacy.

5) Don’t be offended if the handler does not wish to chat about the service dog.

Rogue Community College’s current ADA policy for service animals can be found here . If you have any questions regarding service dogs on campus, please direct them to the Disability Services staff on either campus.

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Back Pain, Conditions, and Treatments—Oh my!


According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), back pain is the second most common neurological ailment in the U.S.  Almost every man and woman will suffer from some kind of back pain during their life.

As the body ages, our bone strength, muscle elasticity and tone begins to decrease. The duration of this pain will vary. For some, acute pain may last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. For others, the condition may become chronic, which is measured when pain persists for more than 3 months.

Some conditions commonly associated with back pain are: bulging disc, sciatica, spinal degeneration, spinal stenosis, osteoporosis, skeletal irregularities, fibromyalgia and spondylitis. These conditions can be uncovered in a variety of methods such as: X-ray, discography, computerized tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), electrodiagnostic procedures, bone scans, thermography, and ultrasound imaging.

Treatments that aren’t surgically related are used to restore proper function and strength to ones back and prevent recurrence of the injury. Some treatments may include the use of cold and hot compresses, bed rest, exercise, medications, chiropractic care, acupuncture, biofeedback and traction.

Monday, September 10, 2012

Fonts: Free Download for Open-Dyslexic Font

Open-Dyslexic is a font created by Abelardo Gonzales to help dyslexic readers. To download this font for your computer, it can be found here on dafont.com

Online Communities: Friends of Quinn

If you're a person living with learning differences or a family/friend of someone and looking for resources and support, Quinn Bradlee, author of, A Different Life has founded a great site online. What you'll find:


  • Blog
  • Place to ask questions,
  • LD Facts
  • Life with LDs
  • Forums 
  • Videos


There's a little bit of something for everyone, visit Friends of Quinn online today.