No. Personally I would rather not know.Plus this will help me consciously not treat them any different, or call attention(not on purpose) to their disabilty. The less we know, the better off we are, as the instructor stand point....
I too agree. Trust is a huge factor. It should be left up to the student to choose what information they give to his/her instructors.
Russell,
I am not sure what "any and all information" translates to, and I am not sure why you think you need it. If there are inappropriate conclusions being drawn, it is as likely to be because the individual is stereotyping as because they were not given information. In fact, those that make decisions based on stereotypes are MORE likely to respond negatively to certain revelations regarding disability.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
Any and all information should be shared, without that information it could be a case of drawing a conclusion that a certain student is going to be "trouble"! It would be most beneficial to both parties to start off with a brief discussion of any challenges that lie ahead.
Without such information, the instructor may not give the extrz effort that may be required to help this student ecome successful in his carrer
Silvia ,
I agree. The student is the best judge of what he/she needs.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
This information should be enough to assist students as he request accommodations. It is best to hear it from the students himself as to what his needs are to better accommodate him.
Gina,
BINGO! That is exactly why disability-related information is guarded so closely. If you don't HAVE more information, you cannot use that "more information" in an inappropriate fashion.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
No, I don't think more information should be shared. The more information that is known the more a person tends to show bias or discrimination. The only time more information should be given is if it will allow the instructor to better accomodate the student or instruct them.
Kristia,
That's a really interesting idea! The thought that having too much information will lead to (essentially) discrimination -- because teachers will treat students with disabilities differently when they know more about their difficulties -- is not one I hear often. But it makes sense. It is kind of "self-fulfilling prophecy" argument that suggests that the best way to assure that students with disabilities are treated just like everyone else is not to consider them anything else to begin with. I LIKE it! (I may have to steal it! GRIN)
Dr. Jane Jarrow
I many cases in today's society the phrase 'less is more' could not be more warranted. I feel that when we have too much information we could have the potential to treat disabled students differently than we do with less information. We are teachers and most of us only want success for each student regardless of disability or not. What happens when we shift from providing fair access to altering success from the view point of 'they need extra help'? With the minimal information we may not be tempted to 'fix' the situation(s).
Christopher,
I agree with your conclusion -- faculty do not need to know the details of the disability, only the details of the necessary accommodation. But, just for the record, there is no violation of HIPAA here, because even if the disability is medical in nature, the identification of disability in the school (disability services) files is there for purposes of determining eligibility for services, not for purposes of medical treatment. That puts it outside the realm of HIPAA.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
No, I don't think that more information should be shared. As stated by others we don't need to know every detail about a students life. We need to know what the accomodation is and trust the disability service provider's judgement in the matter. In many cases providing additional information could be a violation of HIPAA if the accomodation is required because of a medical reason. Trust in the integrity and judgement of the Disability service provider is paramount.
Sara,
What kind of information do you think would be useful to have, Sara? If there is a logical reason for needing more information in order to better assure meeting the student's need, it would generally be forthcoming. But generally speaking, knowing the accommodations that are needed is enough.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
I think more information should be available upon request to a limit that does not violate the student's right to privacy like their medical records.
Camille,
That is exactly why the rules regarding privacy and the confidential nature of disability-related information are so critical.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
I think verification that the student is disabled and a list of accommodation is enough information that should be shared. I agree that the student has a right to privacy and some students may not be comfortable sharing any information that is more detailed than what is described above.
Kristina ,
It is precisely because the disability is not visible to the observer that the privacy of these students should be respected. They may need nothing from the instructor. They may need some consideration or accommodation, in which case the instructor should be provided with the information about what they can/should do. But to provide information about the disability, rather than about the instructor's role in addressing academic needs, is generally considered intrusive. It is not important for you to know whether a student needs extended time because of a learning disability, or ADHD, or depression. You just need to know to make the appropriate arrangements to assure that accommodation. It is not inappropriate to ask the student if there is more information he/she would like to share, so that you can discuss other ways you might help. But it is for the student to decide if they want to share, not for someone else to take the decision from their hands.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
Since a lot of disabilities are not as visible to the human eye, I think that more information should be provided to the teacher especially if they are going to be the ones interacting with them on a day to day, weekly basis. I don't think that it hurts to know more information about the student but it can definitely help the teacher have a better understanding on how to address certain situations that may arise.
The information about an individuals’ disability is very sensitive and should not be provided to just anyone. Documentation is generally provided to instructors for those individuals who may require accommodation but should not be given to everyone. This information is important and should only be provided to those who need access to it.
Dawnyell,
Yes -- students have the right to choose who they will share with. Perhaps more importantly, they have a need to know that those who have the information will guard it as private and sensitive. Disclosing disability status is an act of faith on the part of the student. It behooves the instructor to be mindful of that and be careful of their next steps.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
