During the fall 2006 semester, the number of students with disabilities at Montgomery College grew to more than 1,062 students or nearly 5 percent of our increasingly diverse student population. With increasing diversity comes a need to respond to a growing range of learning styles in the classroom to support student success. Every day we are challenged to be creative in meeting the needs of all students. Good teaching practices - such as using a multi-sensory approach in presentations, supplementing class lectures with handouts, clearly organizing and presenting course and class objectives, and being readily available for student conferences - optimize learning for all students. For students with disabilities, they are essential.

Every student brings unique strengths and experiences to higher education. While all students learn differently, the need for diversity in teaching approaches should not be confused with a student’s disability. The ways students with disabilities learn and respond may require reasonable accommodations in the ways materials are presented and testing and evaluation methods are used.

Providing accommodations ensures equal opportunities for success in mastery of course material; it does not mean compromising the content, quality or level of instruction. All students are required to meet a standard of competency in coursework; students with disabilities are no exception.

DSS hopes that the information offered in this guide will facilitate communication between you and your students. We invite your input and ideas as essential components of student success, and we look forward to working with you and your students with disabilities.