Students with disabilities may face a set of challenges when developing a course of study to complete their chosen program. Course planning and scheduling can have a dramatic impact on a student’s ability to have a successful semester. Students with disabilities are encouraged to discuss their accommodations with their advisors. Below is a list of common advising considerations students with disabilities face.
- “Back to back” classes may need to be avoided when possible. This is especially true if a student requires extended time on exams or needs additional time to travel between classrooms/buildings.
- Students need to consider the length of the course and the frequency of meetings. A three-hour class can be onerous for a student with a disability, for various reasons, including challenges with attention and focus, processing large amounts of information, or sitting for extended periods of time. Classes that meet only once a week can also be challenging for students with chronic health conditions who need some flexibility with attendance at times.
- The time of day classes are held needs to be considered. Students may take medications that are only effective for a certain period of time or whose side effects are most pronounced at a particular time of day.
- Number of credits should also be considered. It may be more manageable for a student to take fewer in a given semester.
- Create a balanced course load. Does the student need to devote more time to writing, reading, or math? If so, try to avoid registering for multiple classes that emphasize the area of difficulty in one semester.
- Encourage students needing accessible materials to contact their instructors before the semester begins to ensure materials are available when the course starts.
- Accessibility of field placements, internships, or practicum sites should be discussed.
- Students considering study abroad programs should be encouraged to meet with Disability Support Services staff. We can help students plan to make accommodation requests from their chosen program.
- If you need an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter for a meeting with a student, please complete the ASL Request Form two weeks prior to the meeting.
