Courtney,
I have to disagree. It seems are suggesting that the person with a disability would/should be treated differently if there was a lawsuit pending; if the only reason that accommodations are being made is out of fear of legal action, then there is a whole lot of re-educating that needs to be done from the beginning -- and it has nothing to do with the student's disability!
Dr. Jane Jarrow
Yes, more info should be shared in the event that employee or faculty has a case with them they will know better how to handle the situation.
Lori,
It is for that very reason that we do NOT share more information. We don't want or need individual faculty deciding that, in their best judgement, a student does or does not need a given accommodation. There are lots of reasons -- and lots of laws -- that provide guidance as to what is provided to students with disabilities. Faculty aren't privy to all that information, so they shouldn't be empowered to get involved in the decision-making
Dr. Jane Jarrow
Yes, more information about the DISABILITY should be shared. I don't think that faculty and staff should question an accommodation that has been given to the student, unless those staff are familiar with the disability and see the accommodation as being completely unneccessary.
Deborah,
That's true. The question is whether you understand WHY that is all that is needed. If that is all that you, as an instructor, would be asked to respond to, then that is all the information you need.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
I don't think that more should be shared, because if it gives a list of accommodations that is all that is needed.
Catherine,
I agree. In fact, there are very few who need to know about the NATURE of the student's disability at all. What they need to know is what the impact of disability is on the student's performance, and what they need to do differently because of it.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
No, to protect the student's privacy there should be a limit to the number of individuals that have access about the nature of the student's disability.
Michele,
Be aware that there ARE no IEP's at the college level. The IEP is unique to the K-12 system (and are focused on success, not access). You'll have to find a different benchmark to use.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
Enough should be shared to make people fully aware of what they are dealing with...like an IEP
Jessica,
I agree. In this case, "too much information" is just that. When more information is shared than is needed, it tends to get used inappropriately or end up in the wrong hands.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
No. The information should be confidential. The information provided by the disability service provider is the appropriate information needed to work appropriately with the student.
William,
I think that is probably true -- students are willing to open up to instructors who are perceived as accessible and willing to explore possibilities. In other words, people who believe in them!
Dr. Jane Jarrow
No need to share unless the plan is not working. Besides, once a student trusts you, they tend to share abundantly.
I think only information that is necessary for the completion of the students course should be shared with their instructors. The student should have the right to keep their personal information personal if it does not directly impact their education.
stacy,
I think that is a wise policy and I am sure the students appreciate your sensitive approach.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
Because of the sensitive nature, I think the only information that should be required is that the student has a disability and what accomodations will be needed. I tell all students in the beginning of the semester that if they need any assistance with the class that they can speak to me in private if they wish to. They shouldn't be forced to disclose any personal information, but if they feel it would benefit the faculty in knowing certain details, they should be allowed to discuss them.
Meredith,
I agree -- and so does the law! We treat disability-related information as private (not *secret*, but private) and it should be shared only with those who have a "need to know." In this case, WHAT someone needs to know will be different, depending upon their role in interacting with the student.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
I think it is helpful for the individual who is in charge of determining and arranging for accomodations to know information about a student's disability so they can make an accurate determination and also so they can be a support system for the student and someone they can feel comfortable confiding in. However, beyond that I think that professors and other faculty and staff need only be provided with information as it pertains to them and how they need to accomodate the student. For example, a professor might only need to be told that a given student will receive an additional 30 minutes on a test. If the student chooses to confide in that professor as to why they are receiving the accomodation, that is their choice. Sharing the information with just the individual in charge allows for maximum privacy for the student.
Rosemary,
I agree. That is exactly why the rules regarding confidentiality exist -- because if you do not know that someone has a disability, you cannot use knowledge of disability inappropriately!
Dr. Jane Jarrow
