While we encourage students to discuss their needs with their instructors, this is not always done. If you have questions about whether or not a student needs an accommodation, the first person to ask is the student.
Using terms such as “students with disabilities” rather than “disabled students” puts the emphasis on the person rather than the disability.
An ideal way to encourage students with disabilities to discuss needed accommodations is to include the following statement on the course syllabus and to repeat it during the first class meetings. “If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, if you have emergency medical information to share with me, or if you need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an appointment to meet with me”.
