Be open and honest and don't use the student's disability against them. Present the information and let them decide.
Being kind and treating all our students with respect and care is key.
Comment Comment
...
My role is to make sure that students know that disability accommodations are available to anyone who needs/qualifies for them. My job is also to work with the student to submit a accommodations request to the proper channels.
I learnt to treat all our students the same even those with disabilities. Treating them with respect and care making sure not to discriminate . not to ask personal questions as to about their disability .
Exit Criteria should not be referred to when establishing Entry Criteria.
As with the rest of the continuing education module, this section continued to be though provoking on where "the line" is between appropriate and inappropriate, legal and illegal.
Congress estimated that there where 57 million people with disabilities in 1990 which developed the Americans Disability Act (ADA). However, the interesting component is that more votes of higher majority came before Legislation than any other bill in 50 years.
It is important not to stereotype or discriminate people with disabilities. You can not assume what the disability is. Accommodation and respect is the key to treat these people equally.
I learned how to approach students with disabilities since it is completely ok to acknowledge any physical abilities only if the questions pertain to how classroom instruction will be given.
Remember to tell students "what to do" instead of, "how to do it"
My role, as a dean of nursing, is to ensure we are following the law and treating students with disabilities as a "person", nothing less, nothing more. At the same time, we must be cognizant that we are meeting their needs "to access" the learning journey that gives them the potential for success.
Comment on Jodi Elston's post:
Jodi, I had no idea about half of these areas discussed in these module. What a vast area.. one of the most striking ones was the basic concept that we are not supposed to ask personal questions about the student’s disability..
While it is easy to focus on the student's disability, it's important to remember that the student wants to be treated like any other student.
Be tactful when finding out if a student has a disability.
That when a applicant is applying to college you shouldn't let their disability keep them from being accepted into the program.
I found that little bumper sticker on the back of the motorized wheelchair about how "I may not be perfect but ..." I think it said something about excellence? It is something my sister with muscular atrophy would have had on her motorized wheelchair.
The point is we, or maybe it's just me, can be very quick to judge based on diagnosis or appearances and that isn't fair to the individual with a disability. Back in the day, my mom would say my sister was "handicapped." Debbie hated that description. Physically challenged was her preferred label. These videos are very helpful in seeing the whole picture.
Comment on Shashank Atre's post: I agree. Having had a sister that lived most of her life in a motorized wheelchair, I learned a lot about discrimination and about how she just wanted to be treated as normal as her condition would allow.
The story about the technical standards, specifically the case of Casey Martin vs. the PGA in higher education is fascinating! It is a great illustration how attention and legal procedures are important in each particular situation.
It's important that the student self-discloses. If their disability is obvious, then ensuring to ask how we can best assist them and make the experience positive is important.
Treat everyone with respect regardless of the disability.
