Accessibility and labs

Labs are a place for students to experiment and put the theory into practice. Many of the barriers faced by students with disabilities in hands-on settings are not insurmountable. In fact, attitudes and lack of knowledge are often bigger barriers to overcome than the technical or pedagogical challenge of making a lab or “hands-on” experience accessible.

Negative attitudes

Probably the number one barrier is the belief that someone with a disability cannot perform in the space, in this field or in this career.

Regulatory barriers

Whether they were set by the institution or the profession, regulatory barriers are often more a habit than a hard rule. Can they be reconsidered with the use of reasonable accommodations? What does the future professional in the field need to be able to do themselves and what do they need to understand and interpret but not necessarily do themselves? What is the skill that we are trying to evaluate? Is it the doing or is it to be able to understand how we get the data and how we use it? And are there other ways to perform the same task, other tools to use, other techniques to employ?

Lack of mentors and role models

Representation is important. One of the main barrier in projecting oneself into a field or a profession can be the absence of mentors and role models that clearly convey the message that “you belong.” There will always be individuals who are trailblazers and who will pursue their dreams no matter how much they are told that they will never be able to reach their goal. Yet, it is not reasonable to expect that off of all of our students. Constantly having to navigate around barriers can have a significant impact on one’s mental health.

Issues with prior beliefs biases

As instructors, we may hold a strong belief that a specific hands-on experience can only be performed or lived a certain way, but if we were to be open to a change in perspective, we may discover that there are indeed alternatives we had not considered. Talk with your student and partner with them to find out how they too can succeed and meet the requirements to fulfill a given activity or assignment.

Issues with self-advocacy

There are many reasons for individuals to lack appropriate self-advocacy skills:

• your student had a whole team helping them navigating the K-12 system, but their support system did not carry over and they don’t know how to establish a new support system in higher education
• your student only became disabled recently, or their disability evolved and they are learning to navigate the world in their new situation
• your student is temporarily disabled and was never prepared for the situation your student comes from a culture or a country where there is no organized system for disabled individuals. They are used to being their own advocate, outside of a system, and don’t know about what is available to them here but they know how they were able to overcome barriers in the past
• the “hands-on” experience presents a new challenge to your student and will require the use of some new to them technology, assistive technology, or strategy, and they need time to procure and learn to use it

Concretely, what can I do to help my disabled students succeed in my lab?

• Have a discussion with your student to find out what they can do with and without assistance, and what tools or processes would help them to participate equitably in the lab
• Examine your curriculum and consider making adjustment where it makes sense based on the reality of the field and the proficiency level expected of students who are graduating from the program
• You’re not alone! Your lab manager and lab technicians as well as Facilities Management may be able to help make your lab more accessible. Your student may also have some ideas of what would work for them, and both Student Accessibility Services and the Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning can also help you brainstorm how to adapt your activity so as to provide a reasonable accommodation.