Disability Awareness Month

I wish people understood that disabilities are not always visible and do not define a student’s intelligence, effort, or potential. Students with disabilities often bring unique strengths, like creativity, resilience, and problem-solving skills, but we also face real barriers that require extra energy and support. 

Instructors can help by designing their teaching with accessibility in mind from the start using clear slides, captions, readable text, and flexible assignment formats. Simple steps such as offering extended time, normalizing accommodations, and encouraging open communication make a big difference. Most importantly, treating accessibility as an essential part of good teaching, rather than a special favor, creates a classroom environment where all students can thrive.

by Hasmik M.

1. What do you wish people would understand about ADHD, especially within education? 

• Those with ADHD have a different wiring of the brain, especially in areas related to executive functions like planning, organization, time management, and focus. 

• It’s not just a school issue—it’s a challenge everywhere: in relationships, at work, and in day-to-day tasks. So we are challenged in multiple realms.

• It can cause mental paralysis—feeling stuck and unable to start, even when you want to. This is often mistaken for laziness. It’s feeling stuck and overwhelmed by even simple tasks.

• ADHD often leads to sensory overload and overstimulation, making loud, busy, or unpredictable environments extra difficult.

• Shame is a common companion—especially when people assume the struggle is due to laziness or a lack of effort.

• Symptoms look different across individuals. For example, women and girls are more likely to experience internalized symptoms like daydreaming, emotional overwhelm, or perfectionism, making it harder to identify.

• Soft deadlines, flexibility, and clear structure can go a long way in helping students manage overwhelm and stay engaged.

• With understanding, flexibility, and the right support, students with ADHD can thrive and offer unique strengths to any learning environment.

2.  What can instructors do in the classroom/on Zoom/in Canvas that would help students with ADHD?

In the classroom (in-person):

• Offer soft or flexible deadlines when possible to reduce pressure and mental paralysis.

• Give verbal and written instructions—repetition and clarity help with processing.

• Break larger assignments into smaller, manageable chunks with check-in points.

• Allow movement when appropriate (standing, fidget tools, walking breaks).

• Provide structure, but stay open to alternative ways of engaging with the material.

On Zoom:

• Use visuals (slides, on-screen bullet points) to reinforce what’s being said.

• Record sessions so students can rewatch at their own pace.

• Keep sessions engaging and interactive—polls, breakout rooms, etc., to combat zoning out.

• Give a clear outline at the start of class and repeat key takeaways at the end.

On Canvas:

• Avoid overloading pages with long blocks of text—use headers, bullet points, and spacing.

• Set calendar reminders for deadlines and clearly label due dates.

• Offer short videos or audio clips for instructions when possible.

• Provide feedback with encouragement and clear next steps, not just corrections.

Anonymous Author

DSPS is an important service because the compassion and understanding of my disabilities as well as counselor knowledge have been indispensable in helping me achieve and maintain a 4.0 GPA for the first time in my life. In my first meeting with a DSPS counselor, she took the time to answer all of my questions, provide practical guidance and connection to campus resources, in addition to setting up my accommodations. The meeting helped quell my paperwork anxiety and instilled confidence for me to be able to truly succeed in my formal education. 

What's helpful for teachers to know when working with DSPS students:

• Please maintain our privacy 
• Not everyone learns the same-- for example, I have auditory processing difficulties and benefit from visual aids especially when there's a lot of information
• Please simplify assignment instructions whenever possible. I have executive function challenges so a lot of text can make me feel confused and overwhelmed. Clear bullet points are very helpful. 
• When students ask questions, please try to be patient and deeply listen. We've often felt shut down in school so when we're feeling brave enough to ask for help, it means we're feeling safer and want to participate. When we're feeling dismissed by teachers, our sense of shame grows, making it harder to engage and learn. 
• Please consider accessibility in terms of the cost of textbooks and learning materials as it can be difficult for many of us to maintain a steady income.  Also offering options to the school bookstore for hard copy and digital formats could be helpful for students whose disabilities may be exacerbated from screen time. 
• Last but not least, I know this is difficult to control, but considerations for an inclusive classroom environment include sound and light. Bright lights and noisy environments can make it hard to learn, especially for those of us with sensory sensitivities. 

Anonymous Author

• People assume that I always need help with everything. I may require some help with things more than others. I don’t always need help though. 
• Another thing I feel that people misunderstand about me is that I have no friends. For me it is harder to make friends, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t have any. 
• People assume is that I am stupid and dumb. I am, in fact, not stupid and dumb and I want people to realize that. I’ve been called the r word in the past and worse. I’ve had people say, “Don’t you get what I’m talking about?” and it feels like they’re calling me out specifically. 
  
  Things I find helpful include 
• Lower noise levels to make it easier to concentrate and focus on what the instructor is saying. 
• More than one explanation of an assignment/concept. 
• A visual to help explain an assignment because it helps me connect what’s expected. For ex, show a graph and explain the parts of it.  
• Group projects are good because I don’t feel alone, I’m not doing all the work by myself, and I can get a peer’s perspective. 

From Torrey Sandoz

• If there is one thing that I wish for the faculty to know about Autism is that it is very different depending on who you are dealing with.  
• I can only speak with my experiences with Aspergers and the fact how it makes things hard for me with social encounters.  
• An anthro class wanted us to relate what we were learning with our own experiences or our own culture. 
•  I was having a really hard time doing that. Especially when adding in emotional responses to our work. 
•  I have a really hard time doing that because all my emotional responses that I can think of tend to be one word responses, not longer or more in-depth.  
• Instead I find classes that have to do with culture or art more difficult or challenging. It’s hard to take other people’s perspectives and see or analyze events from their point of view. 
• For me where others would find mathematics hard, I would find it easy. I tend to have a very logical/analytical mind set where I tend to put things in a quantitative way. 
• For me, I find conversation less like something natural and more like a game or puzzle in which there is a logic I must follow to keep the natural flow of the conversation going without it becoming awkward. This will cause me to get tired out easily when I am around people.  
• I also I really bad dyslexia and find even though I feel like I have really high cognitive abilities, I tend to be slower at processing information.  
• As to what helps me, I find the extra time on test really helps because I can take it a bit slower and make sure I am processing everything correctly.  

Anonymous Author

• I am trying to let people know that people with disabilities can work and participate in activities. I work at a grocery store as a courtesy clerk part time. I have been involved in the Special Olympics as a young athlete volunteer since 2008 as an athlete (Gold and Silver medals) and volunteer. Volunteering at the Special Olympics competition means a lot to me because when I see volunteers helping, it makes us athletes work harder in the competition. I also bowl every Saturday in a junior bowling league. 

By Lorna Roy