Accommodations
In the 12-month 2008-2009 academic year, 707,000 students with reported disabilities enrolled in 2-year and 4-year degree-granting postsecondary institutions. The types of disabilities reported by these students were:
| Source: Students With Disabilities at Degree-Granting Postsecondary Institutions (NCES 2011-018), U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2011 | |
| Specific learning disabilities | 31% |
| ADD or ADHD | 18% |
| Mental illness/psychological or psychiatric condition | 15% |
| Health impairment/condition, including chronic conditions | 11% |
| Mobility limitation/orthopedic impairment | 7% |
| Difficulty hearing | 4% |
| Difficulty seeing | 3% |
| Cognitive difficulties or intellectual disability | 3% |
| Traumatic brain injury | 2% |
| Autism Spectrum Disorders | 2% |
| Difficulty speaking or language impairment | 1% |
| Other impairments | 3% |
A disability may or may not affect the participation of a student in your class. In postsecondary settings, students are the best source of information regarding their special needs. They are responsible for disclosing their disabilities and requesting accommodations. To create a welcome environment, include a statement on your class syllabus inviting students who require accommodations to meet with you. For example, "If you have a documented disability and wish to discuss academic accommodations, please contact me as soon as possible."
Flexibility and effective communication between student and instructor are key in approaching accommodations. Although students with similar disabilities may require different accommodations, it is useful for faculty to be aware of typical strategies for working with students who have various types of impairments and who will be engaging in various types of activities. With this basic knowledge you will be better prepared to ask students to clarify their needs and to discuss accommodation requests.