Disclosure is the process of a student revealing he/she has a disability requiring accommodations to gain equal access to the curricula. Disclosure:
- requires student self-advocacy:
the student has to communicate his or her learning needs, interests, and rights
and make requests for accommodations based upon expressed needs.
- involves a student "making informed decisions and taking responsibility for those decisions." (VanReusen & Bos 1994). College courses provide an opportunity for students with disabilities to hone their advocacy skills by explaining their need for reasonable accommodations to their professors in order to meet mutual learning goals. Faculty members, on the other hand, have the opportunity to support students in gaining appropriate accommodations and equal access to education.
How a faculty member responds to a student's disclosure and request for reasonable accommodations constitutes a significant portion of that "outside the classroom" learning that all students gain in college. The receptiveness of a faculty member to the accommodation and learning needs of a student with a disability influences:
- the classroom learning environment
- the student's ability to succeed in a particular class
- the larger campus and societal climate toward individuals with disabilities, which can play a factor in students' professional and personal success.
