Teaching Disabled Students in College

Introduction

It is critical to utilize terminology that emphasizes the student above his or her handicap in order to establish an inclusive classroom where all kids are welcomed. Disability designations may be stigmatizing, perpetuating incorrect assumptions that kids with disabilities are less capable than their peers (Coughlan et al., 2016). In speaking, it is only appropriate to bring up the impairment when it is relevant to the context. This paper was written with the aim of exploring the correct approach to teaching disabled students in educational institutions.

Main body

Individuals may have impairments that are visible or not. For example, people may not be aware that a student has epilepsy or a chronic pain illness unless she decides to reveal it or an event occurs (Sultan et al., 2016). These hidden diseases might be complex for students to reveal because many individuals mistakenly believe they are normal because they appear fine (Järkestig Berggren et al., 2016). In other situations, the youngster may make an odd request or perform an action that appears to be disability-related. For example, if you ask the kids to arrange the chairs, one student may be unable to assist due to a ruptured tendon or a recurrent and repatriating ailment such as Multiple Sclerosis. Alternatively, a student may request that courses be recorded because she has dyslexia, and it takes more time to record the courses.

When individuals first arrive at the institution, they are responsible for engaging the appropriate office and seeking modifications. This may be the student’s first opportunity to speak for himself. Every institution has its own method for filing papers, as well as the types of documentation that are required (Adyrkhaev, 2016). The student must produce proof from an authorized healthcare practitioner demonstrating the diagnostic of the current condition and, among other things, the sorts of accommodations sought as part of the needed papers (Narwal and Sharma, 2018). All health information given will be kept strictly secret. On an as-needed premise, only authorized accommodation arrangements are addressed with teachers and administration. It is vital to remember that this procedure takes time and that particular arrangements, such as a translator, must be arranged within a specific time frame.

The revelation of a handicap by a student is always optional. Students with impairments, on the other hand, maybe concerned about giving sensitive health information to a teacher. Students are frequently required to confront negative perceptions about their disability held by others and even by themselves (Langørgen and Magnus, 2018). Students with special needs are no less capable than any other individual; they receive, analyze, retain, and respond to knowledge in a different way (Harvey, 2018). Furthermore, individuals with physical impairments confront harmful and inaccurate assumptions, such as the assumption that people who use a wheelchair must also have a mental handicap.

One of the most prevalent worries among teachers concerning modifications is if they alter the essence of the program they are teaching. Accommodations, on the other hand, are intended to provide all students with equal access to learning in the classroom. When educating a student with a handicap, it is essential to keep in mind that many of the ideas of universal design may be applied to any individual (Hubble and Bolton, 2021). The concept of universal design is a means of creating class content, content, and education that will benefit all students. Instead of customizing or adapting a program to a particular audience, the universal design focuses on creating surroundings that are available to everyone, regardless of aptitude. While people focus on these design principles when creating a syllabus, they discover that the majority of their course readily fits all participants.

People tend to obey patterns of behavior. For teachers, this means that if they are not careful, they will start teaching the same way every year. This is convenient for them but can lead to a rigid curriculum that may not work for all students – and traditional classrooms are already curriculum-focused rather than quickly adapting to the different needs of individual students. Instead, students must adapt to the curriculum.

Summary

In summary, labeling disability can be stigmatizing, perpetuating the incorrect assumption that children with disabilities are less capable than their peers. People can have visible or invisible impairments. For example, people may not know that a student has epilepsy or chronic pain unless she reveals it or an event occurs. When people first arrive at an institution, they are responsible for bringing in the appropriate office and making changes. This may be the student’s first opportunity to speak for himself. It is always optional to identify a student with a disability. On the other hand, students with disabilities may be concerned about giving the teacher confidential health information. One of the most common teachers’ concerns about modification is whether it changes the nature of the curriculum they teach. On the other hand, accommodations are designed to provide all students with equal access to classroom learning. People tend to obey patterns of behavior. For teachers, this means that if they are not careful, they will teach the same way every year.

References

Adyrkhaev, S. G. (2016). Modern technology of physical education of disabled students in conditions of inclusive education. Pedagogics, psychology, medical-biological problems of physical training and sports, 20(1), 4-12.

Coughlan, T., Ullmann, T. D., & Lister, K. (2017). Understanding accessibility as a process through the analysis of feedback from disabled students. In Proceedings of the 14th International Web for All Conference, 1-10.

Harvey, J. (2018). Contemporary social theory as a tool to understand the experiences of disabled students in higher education. Social Inclusion, 6(4), 107-115.

Hubble, S., & Bolton, P. (2021). Support for disabled students in higher education in England.

Järkestig Berggren, U., Rowan, D., Bergbäck, E., & Blomberg, B. (2016). Disabled students’ experiences of higher education in Sweden, the Czech Republic, and the United States–a comparative institutional analysis. Disability & Society, 31(3), 339-356.

Langørgen, E., & Magnus, E. (2018). ‘We are just ordinary people working hard to reach our goals!’Disabled students’ participation in Norwegian higher education. Disability & Society, 33(4), 598-617.

Narwal, K., & Sharma, S. (2018). A Study of Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence and Academic Stress of Visually Disabled Students. MIER Journal of Educational Studies Trends and Practices, 8(2), 190–196. Web.

Sultan, B., Malik, N. I., & Atta, M. (2016). Effect of social support on quality of life among orthopedically disabled students and typical students. Journal of Postgraduate Medical Institute (Peshawar-Pakistan), 30(3), 254-258.