Portfolio Assignment 5 - Community Experience

I visited with an employee at the BYU Accessibility Center. This office works to help those who have disabilities.

Mission Statement

The University Accessibility Center seeks to provide students with disabilities equal access to all opportunities at BYU and to create an environment that facilitates learning and assists students in reaching their full potential.

To visit their webpage, view https://uac.byu.edu/. 

This was very relevant to me, as I had a recent injury that has limited my mobility and energy and has required I work with this office to some extent. I also have an additional condition which requires me to use services from the BYU Accessibility Center. These circumstances, combined with the experience of having a physical limitation in a university environment has given me a lot of empathy for those who have physical, mental, or emotional limitations. I hadn't realized how one seemingly small part of the human puzzle can have such a large impact on everything else: work, school, relationships, and even how I go to the grocery store.

This has given me a new perspective on how I treat students with disabilities in my classroom, in my school, and in my community. I am committed to using principles of Universal Design around me, and to promote participation and access for all people.

I have taken the BYU Teaching to Students with Disabilities course and learned a bit about accommodations that can be made for students. I don't think I completely realized that those same students who needed accommodations in Elementary, Middle, and High school, would still require accommodations in the university setting and beyond. Their conditions don't just go away once they graduate high school, many may even become more troublesome in a university setting. As a teacher, I would like all my students to feel comfortable and respected in my classroom and classes regardless of their disabilities. It was interesting to visit the BYU UAC and learn about all the disabilities that can impact my peers and future students, and the accommodations and resources that are available.