Accomodation for ADA : How does Instructor Know?
In both situations with two students with the need for accomodation, I was not aware that disabilities existed. The first few weeks of school they communicated their situation to me.
Currently,our school does not have a Disability Services Office. On the first day of class, I also ask the student to let me know if they have any special circumstances that they would like to share with me privately. I try to make the invitation very generic, including transportation issues etc, as not to embarrass the student. Unfortunately, the students with disabilities assumes they will be treated differently by professor or fellow students. As a result, they are hesitant to share information willingly.
Cindy,
There are some ways that you can reach out to students in such a way as to make them feel "safe" in approaching you. You might try a statement on the bottom of your course syllabus that says something along the lines of "If you have a disability and may need some accommodation in order to fully participate in this class, please feel free to come and discuss this with me privately during my office hours." The students who don't need it will read right past that statement. For the students who are trying to figure out if you are approachable, it could make a lot of difference.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
I think including a statement is a good idea. I'm going to include a similar statement to my classroom guidelines I distribute on the first day of every class.
Crystal,
I think that is a great idea. I think that you will find that the statement "paves the road" or at least primes it, and students will feel more comfortable knowing that you are sensitive to their needs.
Sarah Smoger
Good point. Not only are some students shy but are also afraid of being judged. When it comes to students with disabilities you would also need to carefully adapt with their personality as well as their disability. Knowing a little more about the student and their disability is the baseline of what comes next.
