What Is MY Role? | Origin: CM251
This is a general discussion forum for the following learning topic:
Students with Disabilities: Legal Obligations and Opportunities --> What Is MY Role?
Post what you've learned about this topic and how you intend to apply it. Feel free to post questions and comments too.
My role is to help students be successful and give them the information they need to succeed.
Comment on Samuel Gonzalez's post:
Your reflection captures something the module emphasized strongly — that knowing the scope of our role is essential to serving students with disabilities well. Treating them the same as we would any other student, while setting aside preconceived notions, honors their full humanity rather than reducing them to their diagnosis.
Your point about not letting personal experiences with disabilities affect the quality of support is wise. Even well-intentioned assumptions based on someone we knew with a similar condition can lead us astray. Each student's experience is unique, and our job is to respond to the person in front of us — not the picture we carry from elsewhere.
Your recognition of the scope of an IT support specialist mirrors my own situation as a College Director. I am not qualified to make accommodation determinations or promise specific support. My role is to know who handles those decisions and route students efficiently to that person. Proper referral is itself a meaningful service.
The discipline of staying within scope protects both the student and the institution while ensuring the right expertise is applied to the right question.
The "What Is MY Role?" module clarified the boundaries between helpful engagement and overreach when working with students with disabilities. The principle that resonated most was that my role is to refer, support, and ensure access — not to assess, decide, or counsel beyond my scope.
The admissions guidance was particularly instructive. Asking about disability is illegal during the initial admissions process, but asking whether a student needs accommodations for an interview or campus visit is appropriate. The distinction matters. Restrictive advising — telling students with disabilities they "should not" pursue certain fields based on assumptions — is itself a form of discrimination.
The confidentiality principle was equally important. While Section 504 and the ADA do not technically grant a legal right to confidentiality, disability information is highly sensitive and must be protected carefully. Sharing such information beyond those with legitimate need can expose institutions to discrimination claims.
The "whole person" reminder stood out. Students with disabilities are students first — their existence does not center on disability. Treating them as people, not as conditions, honors their full humanity.
In my context at an Early College Center, this module reinforces that my role is to refer families to CVCC's Disability Services rather than make accommodation determinations myself. Walking students to the right resource is far more helpful than describing it from a distance.
The most enduring lesson is this: knowing my limits is part of doing my job well.
I learned that my role is to help make learning fair and accessible for all students. Laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act require schools to provide accommodations. Accommodations help remove barriers, not lower standards. I plan to follow accommodation plans and be respectful of different student needs.
MY role as a teacher is to offer equal treatment to all people and not treat anyone with a disability any different than any other student.
You need to know your role and professional responsibilities. Do not overstep the boundaries of your role, but instead refer the perspective student to the appropriate individual who can assist them with their questions regarding their need for accommodations.
I've learned to support students with disabilities, offer support through the appropriate channels.
My role is the help the students
I’ve learned that my role is to support students by providing access and helping them succeed, not just removing barriers. I plan to apply this by understanding each student’s needs, following proper documentation, and using accommodations and Universal Design to make learning easier for everyone.
Linda Williams
It is important that students with disabilities are treated equally as those enabled to have access to equal opportunities and accommodations.
Whether a student with disabilities meets the technical standards required by the program can only be asked once the student has been admitted-- not before.
My role is to follow the accommodation process, respect student privacy, and ensure that approved accommodations are implemented consistently and safely. Work closely with disability services and adjust instructional methods and lab environments so all students can participate.
I worked with many students with disabillities.
Individuals have unique traits, interests, and abilities, and these can be respected and honored. As a staff member, it is not my place to pry into personal information but rather, understand students’ rights, understand the institution’s obligations, and be able to speak to technical standards as appropriate.
The key is access for people with disabilities.
Students with a disability should have equal access as others and anyone who wishes to help the student, should understand their role and refer the student to someone who can assist them. Otherwise, it could be a potential liability.
I learned that as an instructor or staff member, my role is to ensure students with disabilities have equal access to educational opportunities while maintaining academic standards.
Everyone has the right to opportunities and success regardless of the disability
Everyone has the opportunity to succeed.
As an Instructor, your role when teaching students with disabilities is both instructional and supportive.
