8th January 2025

It might be difficult for students with disabilities to decide whether or not to disclose it to their prospective university. Universities should embrace the social model of disability to be more inclusive of all students, including those with impairments. It's also critical that kids with disabilities have the confidence to speak up for themselves and seek assistance. Read on to examine the reasons examine the reasons behind universities' propensity to promote disclosures, and how you can help your students write them.

The Importance Of Self-Advocacy In College Transition

The achievement of students with disabilities in postsecondary settings is greatly influenced by their capacity for self-advocacy and communication of their needs. Talking about their particular disability and requirements for reasonable accommodations may be very helpful, even if it is not required.

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At the postsecondary level, the campus disability assistance office usually sends a letter of accommodation to instructors before the start of a new semester. The names of the pupils and the adjustments that the administrators have authorized for them are all listed in this letter. Although professors aren't always given the ‘why’ behind these accommodations to protect their privacy, they are more likely to remember and make sure that accommodations are made when they have access to that information and can relate students' disabilities or functional limitations to the need for accommodations.

Students may feel uneasy about striking up this kind of discourse. At the start of a semester, an introduction email may help close the knowledge gap and make the first exchange between a student and a professor less unpleasant.

How To Help Students Write A Disability Disclosure Letter

Here the framework that follows provides an overview of the essential components that can be most helpful for the students:

1. Introduction

Students need to take the time to introduce themselves to their professors. They can mention things like their hometown, sports, extracurricular activities, major, career goals, etc.

This gives the student a chance to personalize their email and establish a rapport with their professor, who will get to know them better.

2. Statement Of Disability

Students can go on to a statement regarding their impairment in this area. The student should also explain how their handicap may impact their performance in the professor's class. This is maybe even more crucial than the disability declaration itself.

Since different students are affected by disability in different ways, this is a highly personal part of the introduction email. Professors are better able to comprehend the particular demands and difficulties of each student in their teaching and learning environment.

3. Summary Of Accommodation

The student should then provide a summary of the list of acceptable adjustments that have been authorized by the administration for the forthcoming semester. For the professor to comprehend the ‘why’ behind the concessions they are required to make in their classroom, this link is essential.

Professors are far more likely to make sure that they provide those scaffolds—and prioritize a high-quality educational experience for the student—when they recognize the connection between a student's disability, how it affects their functional performance, and the significance and impact of the suggested accommodation.

4. Closing

The student should express gratitude to the professor for reading their email in the last paragraph. This will help to establish a more pleasant relationship. The student can then propose follow-up discussions or devise a communication strategy that will enable them to answer any queries the professor might have.

Put another way, this letter serves as the beginning of a conversation that may last the whole semester.

Bottom Line

Although it's not required by law, instructors with Special Education Courses are better equipped to increase a student's chances of equal access to educational opportunities—and an overall better educational experience beyond high school—when they are aware of the student's disability, functional limitations, and need for accommodations.

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Written By: Rimpa Ghosh