Educational settings have a duty to accommodate students with disabilities, and, as per the unique needs of the student and their educational program, this could encompass potential accommodations, such as the following (Ontario Human Rights Commission, n.d.):
- Providing class materials in Braille
- Physical adjustments in buildings (e.g., ramps)
- Additional time for test taking
- Note-taking by a volunteer
This list is certainly not exhaustive, but it highlights some examples of what accommodation might look like in an educational setting. Notably, for post-secondary institutions specifically, any accommodation cannot change standards and requirements for a particular educational program; that said, so long as those requirements are met, accommodations should facilitate a student to meet those required program standards (i.e., adapted ways to achieve those required standards) (Ontario Human Rights Commission, n.d.).
To learn more about disability, accessibility, and accommodations, please refer to our Accessibility and Accommodation toolkit.
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework for teaching and learning that provides flexibility and accommodations to every learner, despite their abilities and needs. It is a great way for faculty to accommodate students with chronic health conditions as a first step and great way to reduce the stress a student may feel if they are experiencing flare ups.
What are some ways faculty can embed UDL?
1. Flexible Curriculum Design
“One of the best layouts in undergrad that I experienced was a prof who automatically incorporated flexibility into participation/attendance grade, where you could self-select which tutorials to attend (as long as you met the minimum) and/or could miss some classes without the need to get accommodations”
– Student with a chronic health condition
Curriculum designs like the one described above can greatly help students with chronic health conditions because it reduces the administrative burden. It can be an additional mental load for students to go and seek out accommodations (especially if diagnosis is not certain). Therefore, having flexible opportunities to participate in class can help students greatly. Optional assignments or providing choice in what is counted for the f inal grade can help students when they are dealing with episodic symptoms or unpredictable bad days.
2. Recording Lectures
Recording lectures can be beneficial for students with chronic health conditions as they do not have to worry about missed classes or stepping out of class for a moment if they have flare-ups or find focusing in class challenging. It is also valuable for students who attend the class to be able to revisit the lectures if they want to.
3. Providing Examples of Assignments, Tests and Exams
Providing examples of assignments, tests and exams can be a way to reduce a student’s stress and anxiety if they understand what is expected from them early on. They can test their knowledge with no repercussion to their grade and help them understand the nature of the questions that might get asked so that they know how to best study. Additionally, they can understand if they would require additional accommodations if tests or assignments are long. This can be especially helpful for students with chronic health conditions who may not have a lot of time between their appointments, other classes, and studying.
4. Removing Attendance Based Grades
Attendance based grades can be a challenge for students with chronic health conditions to achieve as they may miss a class or many classes depending on the severity of their health condition at a given time.
