Create a welcoming classroom climate

"I asked students on the very first day of class to let me know if they had any types of impairment (either documented or undocumented) which could influence their participation in the class. Many students who experience communication anxiety and test anxiety came and talked to me-this was a great way to open up the class for dealing with communication anxiety."

— Faculty member

Setting a welcoming tone up front allows students an opportunity to tell you what their needs are. Here are some ways to set a welcoming tone:

Establish ground rules. Students with hidden disabilities, especially psychiatric disabilities, often are okay with having the instructor know about their disability, but they are afraid of being harassed by their peers. A good way to create ground rules is to elicit them from the class.
Avoid singling out students. If you need to talk with a student, for example, about alternate testing arrangements, do it in private.
Recognize the authority of personal experience. Know that the student with the disability is usually the one who best understands the disability and how it impacts learning.
Attend to the physical needs of all students. Telling them where the bathrooms are and allowing occasional breaks in longer classes lets them know that you have an interest in their comfort.
Share your own experiences. As much as your comfort level allows, let students see that you are vulnerable. Vulnerability is a quality that students with disabilities have identified as important in people they decide to trust.
Honor diversity and cultural differences.
Develop an inclusive syllabus statement and highlight it verbally the first day of class. This is a powerful way to communicate to students with disabilities that a class will be accessible to them.

Suggested University of Minnesota syllabus statement regarding disability access.

"It is University policy to provide, on a flexible and individualized basis, reasonable accommodations to students who have documented disability conditions (e.g., physical, learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing, or systemic) that may affect their ability to participate in course activities or to meet course requirements. Students with disabilities are encouraged to contact Disability Services and their instructors for a confidential discussion of their individual need for academic accommodations. Disability Services is located in Suite 180 McNamara Alumni Center, 200 Oak Street. Staff can be reached by calling 612-626-1333 voice or TTY."