Accessibility in the Classroom: Etiquette

Overview

This page will address how to ensure your physical classroom environment and communications are accessible and appropriate.

 Tips

Do NOT ask people to disclose if they have a disability

It is an individual's choice to disclose if they have a disability or not. While some disabilities are apparent, many are not. On the first day of class it is common to address disability support services. You can do this without asking things such as "Who here has a disability?" or "Who uses the DRS office?" Instead, make a general announcement to the class that informs them about the resources available on campus should they need them. Check with your DRS office for a standard syllabus statement that includes their location, hours, phone number, and/or email address. Every quarter, the UW Bothell DRS office sends the latest version of the recommended syllabus statement to all faculty.

If requesting a notetaker for someone, do not identify who the notes are for. They may volunteer that information, but again, it's their choice to disclose that they have a disability. 

Do NOT ask people what disability they have

Even though you may receive an accommodation notice, you are not allowed to ask what disability the person has. People have a choice to decide if that information is relevant and if they want to disclose it to you. The DRS office is not required to share that information, and will only do so with the student's permission.

What you need to focus on is meeting the accommodation. 

Do NOT question the legitimacy of an accommodation

Each person with a disability is different. People with the same disability may have different types of accommodations (e.g. not all blind people read Braille, just as not all deaf people use American Sign Language). Accommodations are determined on an individual basis by highly qualified DRS staff that are trained and experienced in this area. 

The DRS staff are there to ensure students with disabilities have access to an education like anyone else. They are also there to ensure the accommodations requests are appropriate and do not alter the nature of the course. 

Remember, you do not know the extent of a person's disability or diagnosis, the DRS office does and they are experts at balancing the needs of students, faculty, and institution while ensuring all three fall in line with the law.

If you have a question about an accommodation, they can help brainstorm ways to meet the request - but remember, the specific reason behind the accommodation is sometimes private. 

Provide digital copies of course materials and handouts in advance

Even if you're teaching a face-to-face course, posting your materials on Canvas can save you tons of time and ensure students with disabilities can access the course materials. (It also solves the problem of students that miss class asking for you to send them the handouts.)

Students using assistive technology will need digital copies of materials in order to read them. Chances are you don't want to be stuck emailing digital copies during class. Posting materials to Canvas ahead of time can help ensure all students show up to class prepared and ready to learn.   

Don't forget to make sure these materials are accessibility formatted in order to ensure a smooth classroom experience for everyone!

When talking and presenting, face your audience

Some people in your audience may rely on reading lips. Facing your audience while you talk will help ensure that they can see what you're saying, and it projects your voice towards everyone - making you easier to hear. 

If you need to write on the board, write out what you need to, then turn around and verbally explain what you wrote (many people talk and write at the same time, which can lead to errors, and pauses in their speech, making it harder to follow).

Talk to your students/colleague, not their interpreter

If someone uses a sign language interpreter, direct your attention to the person who you're interacting with, not their interpreter. Don't say things like "Tell [student's name] that they need to..." Communicate directly to the person that is asking/answering the question.

Use people first language

Some people stumble and struggle with finding the appropriate language to discuss disability. Keep people first language in mind (a person with/who is ---). Defining a person by the disability is what we want to avoid (e.g. deaf person vs a person who is deaf). 

You also want to avoid language like "suffers from ---" or "victim of ---" or "confined to ---". This type of language focuses on what people can't do as opposed to what they can do.

Describe charts/graphs/images

When people present, they tend to assume that the audience will make sense of any visuals they include. If you're relying on images or graphics to support your lecture or presentation, take the time to explain the relevance of the image. Avoid saying things like "over here" when pointing to an element of the image. Instead, be more descriptive (e.g. to the left there is a list of course navigation buttons). 

Careful with phrases like "these results speak for themselves" when projecting data on the board - try to follow up a statement like that with the actual results. 

Be respectful

All in all, just be respectful. You'll stumble and make some mistakes, but don't get so hung up on them that the person with a disability now has the burden of making you comfortable (you know that dynamic: when someone says something inappropriate to you and you now spend the whole time making them feel ok about their mistake and minimizing the potential, or real, harm). 

Do your best and be open to learning more. 

Resources