Rights and Responsibilities
Important Legal Concepts
Equal opportunity—Students with disabilities have an equal right to be in your class, to participate, and to learn.
Otherwise qualified—Students with disabilities fulfill the same requirements to be in your class or to be accepted into a program or school. They do not get a “bonus” by declaring their disability status. There is no affirmative action requirement.
Individual inquiry—Every student is different. What works for one, may not work for another. Do not assume you know until you ask.
Reasonable accommodations—Modification of the environment, of teaching techniques, or provision of auxiliary aids. To ensure equal opportunity, we must make some modifications to make participation meaningful. This is not a form of “special privileges”. Failure to provide reasonable accommodations is a denial of equal opportunities and thus a form of discrimination.
