#UniversalDesign asks that you think about accommodations BEFORE you begin your course planning. I'm really passionate about UDL because I know how hard it is for students to secure accommodations and ensure they're followed. 1/9

There are huge barriers to securing accommodations. First of all, students need medical diagnoses. Yet we know women, students of color, and other minority students are less likely to be taken seriously by medical professionals. 2/9

Accommodations also cost a lot of money, even if you're privileged enough to have insurance coverage. It also costs time, access to medical specialists, and proper screening. Few people have access to that, so accommodations at best are a marker of privilege. 3/9

Students also need to know their resources on campus, but as we discussed yesterday, accessibility services are often hidden away. It takes time to set up services, and students need to predict what accommodations would benefit them most. 4/9

This is ridiculous - how can you know what you need till you're in class? And how can you know that a professor will guarantee those accommodations, even if they're legally guaranteed? The truth is that there are no repercussions for faculty who refuse. 5/9

And students who are discriminated against will always question if their grades are fair. They'll always wonder if they should drop the class. They'll always wonder if their teacher hates them for reporting a failure to provide accommodations. 6/9

Plus, even if you report your prof, there is little assurance that accommodations will be granted in the future. Disability coordinators can shame professors, but it's a tsk tsk kind of reprimand. Students in these situations feel stuck, and there's no good answer. 7/9

You can subvert that by providing accommodations and building them into your course from the start. As we've seen in the pandemic, students need kindness and flexibility. Courses with basic accommodations, like flexible deadlines and excused absences, lead to better outcomes. 8/9

We have the power to ensure that our classes are accessible to all students. If you haven't explored UDL in your everyday pedagogy, it's time you look into it. Throughout the day we'll provide you with resources that can help! #AcademicChatter #DisInGradSchool #NDEAM 9/9