The Impact of Disability | Origin: CM251
This is a general discussion forum for the following learning topic:
Students with Disabilities: Legal Obligations and Opportunities --> The Impact of Disability
Post what you've learned about this topic and how you intend to apply it. Feel free to post questions and comments too.
Linda Williams
My first thought upon learning about the many disabilities people have is how they have coped with functioning in our society. Fortunately, I (as well as many people) have been exposed to quite a few of these disabilities such as PTSD, Autism, Dsylexsia, ADHD LD and others. This is important because knowledge is necessary in understanding that these conditions are not the persons fault, they are not lazy or undisciplined, that they deserve our empathy and help in order to assist them in obtaining the same opportunity for an education as students without their condition. Those are just the first steps.
Students with disabilities may experience barriers due to physical, cognitive, or sensory limitations. Creating accessible hands‑on environments is essential. Include adapting lab activities, tools, and instructions so every learner can feel safe.
terminology
dysgrapia (writing); dyscalculia (math)
I learned that you must always trest everyone equally but for some you must also allow them a safe space to feel as though they sre the ssame as others, because they are. This includes accomodating them when needed.
In this segment, they discuss the wide range of experiences among people with disabilities, noting that some individuals may not even realize they have symptoms that overlap with the potential of meeting disability criteria. Additionally, disabilitiy is unique to each person rather than following a single, one-size-fits-all model.
Knowing and understanding the laws that protect people with disabilities are important.
PTSD is a fairly recent diagnosis
Disability needs support and accommodations so equal access to opportunity is made available to all.
I learned that disabilities can affect students in many ways, including learning, communication, mobility, and social interaction, but these impacts vary widely depending on the individual.
some disabilities are not visible it is important to stay informed
It is important to know the ways of accommodating to the needs of those with a disability and providing the proper support.
Comment on Alphia Parker's post: Very important that we do and pay close attention to our students at all times.
Comment on Xavier Sanchez's post:
Agreed. disabilities is already stressful to the individual so its absolutely necessary we make them feel welcomed, seen and important and the support system is conducive to their needs.
Disabilities can impact students in school in a variety of ways, depending on the nature of the disability and the support systems in place.
The goal for accommodations is providing equal access to opportunity, and to ensure that students have access to all the information and/or services they need. What students do with that information or those services is up to them. That is the objective as an ADA coordinator.
I was not aware that 35% of the students with disabilities at the college level are identified as having learning disabilities and another 20+% have been diagnosed with ADHD.
I found it helpful to reflect upon and review examples of different functionality--the fact that people with similar disabilities and even backgrounds often have widely different strengths, coping strategies or support needs.
Blindness is a critical condition because so much of what we "take in" comes from visual information, making learning difficult without the use of learning aids to convert the course curriculum into a usable format. Hearing disabilities are also a huge challenge as a lot of learning is done through lecturing and discussions. Helen Keller once said that being blind creates a barrier between people and things, while being deaf creates a barrier between people and people.
A disability may affect how a student accesses or processes the information. So they need the appropriate support to participate, to boost their self confidence and help them be successful.
