I have found it helpful to include a section about access in my syllabi titled “Access in Our Classroom.” This section is distinct from the mandated section about accommodations required by each university. The use of two separate sections helps students know that legal accommodations and collective access can mean different things. I have copied the language I use in my syllabus on the right. Feel free to take inspiration from it, adopt it, and/or tailor it to your own needs.

“In my classroom, you are not required to have any documentation to require accommodations. However, this may not be the case in other classes. I encourage you to register with [name of disability services at your institution] if you have a documented disability because you have a legal right to access the accommodations that you need. As a professor with a disability, I understand that this process can be burdensome. Let me know if you would like help or information.

We all have different bodies and minds and need different things to learn. If you have ideas, suggestions, or requests to make the class format, the calendar and deadlines, the readings and/or any other element of this class more accessible, I would love to hear them and discuss them with you. We can discuss these questions anytime throughout the semester. It is never too late to talk about this. I am committed to holding space for these questions in the classroom in an ongoing way.

Here are some examples of things you might want to share with me:

• I find it easier to process information by speaking and listening, rather than in a written handout (or vice-versa).

• I pay better attention in class if I have access to Power Points before class.

• I get anxious about speaking in large groups and prefer working in small groups or in a pair.

• I need to keep my hands busy during class and like to knit, doodle, use a stimming gadget, etc.

• On some days, I need frequent bathroom breaks during class.

• I do not have disposable income to spend on textbooks and other reading materials.