An exploration of instructors’ accommodation discourse on the first day of class

Abstract

ABSTRACT Globally, invisible disabilities are among the most commonly reported types of disabilities among college students. International data suggest that students with disabilities in higher education are often reluctant to disclose their disability status in order to access accommodations and academic support from their institutions. Few studies have examined institutional disclosure processes that contribute to students non-disclosure decisions. The first day of class is an opportune time for instructors to invite students to disclose their accommodation eligibility. Guided by the multiple goals theoretical framework, 30 first-day-of-class videos from a large, public university in the United States, were collected and analyzed. The findings suggest that when instructors talk about accommodations for students with disabilities on the first day of class, they largely prioritize the students’ task goals (e.g. completing documentation and assignments) and often avoid discussing the unique relational and identity needs of students with invisible disabilities. The implications of these findings are discussed.