Comment on Nancy Garcia's post: I like this!
It can be tricky to discern between over-accommodation and providing more than the baseline accommodation. What is fair? What goes beyond equal access. Does the accommodation give students with disabilities and "unfair advantage"?
Accommodations are meant to fit the needs of the students so that they have equal opportunities.
In some instances, it is better to wait for someone to ask for help.
The universal design to consider accommodations is something I wasn't aware was the reason for the closed caption feature on televisions.
It is good to understand that it is never inappropriate to offer assistance to a student with a disability, but also understand that we should let the student come to us and ask for help and let them decide if they need assistance or not.
Section 504 and the ADA demand equal opportunity for people with disabilities. Because it neither focuses on nor benefits only those with disabilities, UD embodies the intent of the federal laws.
Accommodations can be a source of contention if they are overused. Who would need to be brought in if some students complain that another student has too many accommodations?
Accommodations are a case by case evaluation when it comes to the approval process......use common sense.
When it comes to students with disabilities, educational institutions have a legal obligation to provide accommodations and ensure equal access to educational opportunities. These legal requirements are grounded in federal laws, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
Everyone has a right to learn
The needs of people with disabilities is widespread and always growing. Institutions should have be flexible policies and procedures to address concerns as they arise.
Thinking on this topic caused me to realize that the world is designed to meet the needs of people without disabilities, but what would it look like if everyone had the same disability? That is what equal access would look like. If everyone were in a wheelchair, how would building designs look? If everyone were blind, what accommodations would be made? That is what equal access means; not an unfair advantage, but equal access to everyone, regardless of their differences.
The process of accommodation/modification is about making sure that they have a chance to try what others have the chance to try if it is appropriate for them to do so. It is not about having a 'fair' or 'unfair' advantage.
Some accommodations requested by a person with disability may not be applicable. Such requests would not be approved.
Accommodation is beneficial and very helpful, not only to students with ADHD or LD, but also to every students who need it.
The accommodation process is essential in ensuring students with disabilities have equal access to education. It involves identifying the student's needs and then getting with disability services to implement accommodations that enable equal participation. I plan to apply this by helping ensure that students have the support they need and understanding how to facilitate effective communication between students, faculty, and support services.
Each disability is different to some extent even if two students are blind or deaf their level of deafness or how they learned to communicate with the disability is different and shouldn’t be seen as exactly the same.
Providing accommodation to a student with disabilities is an institutional responsibility. Make sure our institutions are following this practice
Understanding the needs of people with disabilities allows for more appropriate accommodation and equal access. Strategies for accommodation should be individualized as a one size fits all is not the answer. I had never heard of Universal Design and it was interesting to learn about.
