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Welcome to "DARE to Care: Disability Accommodations TRaining Environment." This project is an interactive multimedia simulative training program in which faculty learn to identify and handle disabled student issues in their on-campus and Distance Learning classes.
This project was developed by the Instructional Technology Development Center (ITDC) at Long Beach City College, and funded in part by a three-year grant from the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) at the U.S. Department of Education.

The project, including this Web site and the interactive training, is now the core training material used by the Disabled Student Programs and Services (DSP&S) office at LBCC to disseminate information, services, and resources as well as faculty professional development activities.

Specifically, this project provides a preparatory tool for faculty to address potential DSPS-related issues before they actually encounter them in class and learn how to handle similar situations in the real class experience. The project engages faculty in a series of computer-based interactive training modules that introduce, enhance, and reinforce fundamental concepts related to disabled student success by providing classroom awareness and access to students with disabilities. The project provides faculty with the opportunity to learn from errors they make while handling simulated scenarios, instead of aggravating a disabled student or not providing the best possible educational environment in real practice. During the virtual experience, faculty identify DSPS-related access barriers, review and analyze potential attitudinal options suggested by colleagues, and apply conflict management methodologies. Additionally, the training environment provides faculty with useful informational, communication, and instructional features.

The project provides a tangible product: an e-learning environment available both on CD-ROM and on the Internet for "anytime, anywhere, anyone" access. The program is designed for both delivery formats to ensure easy and friendly access for all part- and full-time faculty. Performance tracking is built into both formats and data gathered from both formats is used for comprehensive analysis in various milestones throughout the project.

The program aims at accomplishing the following: 1) providing faculty with interactive, multimedia courseware to make them more knowledgeable and comfortable including disabled students in their class activities and thus contributing to disabled students' success; 2) encouraging communication between faculty, disabled students and the DSPS office; 3) providing ongoing access to accurate and comprehensive information about disabled students and effective teaching strategies for all faculty members; and 4) facilitating faculty training sessions on using the project and applying it in their face-to-face and distance-learning courses.

Project evaluation plans include various methods, and consist of surveys, observation, and analysis of statistical data to measure the effectiveness of the modules, the number of faculty trained/engaged in follow-up activities or communication with the DSPS, the courseware impact on faculty learning and attitude, and the effectiveness of the training activities.

The project is being developed at the Instructional Technology Development Center (ITDC) at Long Beach City College (LBCC). LBCC is committed to the development and implementation of this project at both institutional and faculty levels. This project is expected to be fully institutionalized by December 2005 and become part of the on-going college-wide training and faculty development activities. The project has excellent potential for nation-wide distribution, as the content included is applicable to other academic institutions that serve disabled students.