The Importance of Accommodations
Chris Taggart
The most important thing for a classroom is for all of the students to feel safe, and feel like they matter just as much as the person sitting next to them. Unfortunately, disabilities, whether they be physical or mental prove to be barriers in achieving this level of equity within that classroom. Now in a perfect world, it would make sense to live by the motto “treat all students equally”, however, what would actually fix that saying would be changing the words to “give every student an equal opportunity to succeed”. This can be achieved through a combination of differentiation and accommodations in order to create that equity. Students learn at different paces, and even something as simple as the layout of the classroom is a measure of accommodation that could go a long way in making sure a student feels comfortable in their learning environment.
All students learn differently. Some students enjoy visuals, others learn by taking notes, and some do better when they can look things up at their own pace. Due to this, it does not make a whole lot of sense to only teach a class in one specific way and assume everyone will learn everything at the same exact pace. On top of the different styles of learners, some people may have a harder time understanding the information than other students, and may struggle with doing the same homework or assignments and getting them in on time. This is why something such as differentiation is so important, as it allows for students to all learn generally the same material and concepts, just at more of their own pace. What is important for teachers to understand with differentiation, especially with how it relates to disability, is to make sure not to single out any students, or specify which options are for the more advanced students versus ones that may struggle more. According to the article “Labeling Students with Disabilities Has a Downside” by Jill Berkowicz and Ann Myers, there is a problem with labeling students as disabled. Now it has been done for a reason in order to help students get the help that they need, however the bigger problem comes from the negative connotation of the word “disabled”. This connects back to the idea of differentiation because students may feel bad being assigned the “easier” reading, so making sure to avoid those labels is important for all students to learn the same content at their own pace.
A big part of making a classroom comfortable for students with disabilities is providing accommodations. Most students with a diagnosed disability will have some sort of IEP in place that lets the teacher know exactly what they need to do to accommodate this particular student in the classroom. For students with physical disabilities however, it is often under the direction of the teacher to make the student feel comfortable. What is important to note here is that not all physical disabilities have to be permanent; it could be as simple as a student on crutches because they were injured playing a sport. One thing that may seem minor but actually is very helpful is rearranging the classroom so that the student with the disability can navigate around the room easily without making a scene. Chances are it would be particularly embarrassing for a student in a wheelchair to have to move chairs and desks around just to get to their seat, as it makes them the center of attention because of their disability. Going back to students with mental disabilities, it is very important to provide accommodations because many of these students do not learn at the same pace, or in the same way as their peers. It is important for the teacher to provide the correct material needed for the student to be able to keep up with the rest of the class and be given every opportunity to succeed.
All students deserve the opportunity to succeed in the classroom. This comes down to the difference between equality and equity. While the easy way out is to teach every student the same way, it does not actually give everyone the best opportunity for success. Whether it be through differentiation or accommodations, these strategies allow for students to learn the same material in a way that allows them every opportunity to keep up and learn at the same time. It is very important to be conscious of students with disabilities without singling them out, so being able to differentiate and accommodate well is important to make everyone feel comfortable learning.
Sources:
Berkowicz, J., & Myers, A. (2017, Novermber 30). Labeling students with disabilities has a downside. Education Week. Retrieved from http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/leadership_360/2017/11/labeling_students_with_disabilities_has _a_downside.html
