Faculty Collaboration with Disability Services: Partnering for Inclusive Education
Here are a few key points to consider regarding collaboration with disability services.
I arrived at my current institution nearly 15 years ago, and I was quick to partner with the staff at, what is now known as, Student Accessibility Services (SAS). As the director of a large language program with an annual enrollment of upwards of 3000 students, the interaction and positive relationship with SAS have proven to be rewarding in many ways. Working with SAS and students who have accommodations has opened my eyes to several ways in which we can keep inclusivity in mind when designing courses and throughout the semester. Based on my experience, there are a few key points to consider regarding collaboration with disability services.
Meet the Team Members
Make it a point to walk down to SAS (or however it may be titled at your institution), introduce yourself, meet the team members, and gain an understanding of the roles of each individual at their center. Additionally, gain insight into the infrastructure in place that provides accommodations to our students. Learn what sorts of services are offered, what sorts of instruments or tools they have for students, how the technology has evolved, and learn of the many other aspects of their center. From my perspective, doing this has helped foster a positive working relationship with the SAS staff, and it has made a great impact on our students’ experiences in our courses.
Design Course Materials with Inclusivity in Mind
Before the semester started some years ago, I met with one of the team members at SAS regarding accommodations for a student with partial visual impairment. They walked me through what types of text served as impediments to students with visual impairments and what types of text modifications benefited them. After that experience, I set up a meeting and met with one of the team members with a copy of my course syllabus in hand. We walked through my syllabus and made all the modifications needed for it to be as accessible as possible. I was then able to take this learning experience and apply these modifications to other course materials.
Discuss Accommodations with Students
When you have a student with accommodations, meet with them. I can say that this goes a long way and demonstrates a level of personal interest in their academic success. I typically meet with students with accommodations for a few minutes after class, and I ask them “What can I do to make your learning experience the best possible?” And, I end the conversation with “If you think of anything throughout the semester that I can do to make your learning experience better, let me know.” I find that keeping this dialogue open with students with accommodations helps give them autonomy in their learning.
I can guarantee that your disability services office will appreciate your proactivity and interest in learning about their center.
Justin P. White is a Professor of Spanish, Second Language Acquisition and Linguistics, and Director of the Spanish Basic Language program at Florida Atlantic University. He routinely teaches courses on Second Language Acquisition, Bilingualism, and Approaches to Language Teaching.
