- Respect privacy.
Faculty should remember the sensitivity of the situation and respect
the privacy of their students with disabilities. While knowing the particulars
of a disability may seemingly ease the accommodations process, a faculty
member cannot force the student to share more information than he/she
is comfortable with sharing. What faculty need to know are what accommodations
a student is eligible to receive and the impact of the disability on
the learning process, but not the particular nature of a disability.
Many students with hidden disabilities choose not to reveal specific
information in order to avoid unwanted stigma, negative connotations,
or societal misconceptions.
Video Clip: Stigma
Duration: 0.4 minutes
- Initiate a dialogue by sharing observations
related to the student's classroom performance.
If a faculty member suspects that a student in his/her class has a disability,
he/she does not have the right to ask a student if he/she has a disability.
However, the faculty member may talk privately with the student to discuss
observations regarding classroom performance and suggest campus resources
that include, among others, Disability Support Services (DSS). In response,
a student may then reveal that he/she has a disability; in this instance,
the instructor may talk to him/her about what accommodations might help
the student in the course. If the student is not registered with DSS,
the instructor may want to encourage him/her to register with the office
so his/her accommodation request can be reviewed. The faculty member
may want to let the student know that DSS can work with both students
and instructors to determine and coordinate appropriate accommodations.
Some disabilities may not manifest themselves until the early college years, and many hidden disabilities are under-diagnosed. If the student is not sure why he/she is having difficulty and there are no other obvious explanations, there may be an undiagnosed disability present. The DSS office may be able to assist students in exploring the possibility of a disability and can provide referrals to support services such as tutoring programs, writing center, counseling services, etc. as well as referrals for diagnostic assessment. - Ask questions about verification of disability and accommodations. If a student requires accommodations, the faculty member should not ask for information regarding what the disability is, rather only that your institution's Disability Support Services (DSS) office has appropriately verified it. Unless the student has given written authorization for the release of disability-related information, the faculty member only requires knowledge of what accommodations are appropriate and necessary in that particular class. (2 Law)
