Accommodations Student Card: A Communication System for Advocacy

Are your students unaware of the accommodations they should be accessing?  Do they struggle with advocating for the accommodations listed in their IEP?  If so, the ‘Accommodations Student Card‘  could be an effective intervention (see above).

What is an ‘Accommodations Student Card?  An ‘Accommodations Student Card‘ is a communication tool that can support the development of self-advocacy skills.  It is simply a student card which details key accommodations that are listed in an IEP.  Some of these accommodations include having extra time for tests or access to a scribe.  See the above image to get a sense of the accommodations that can be listed.

How do students use the card?  Students with IEPs are given a copy of their personalized Accommodations Student Card by a teacher.  They are encouraged to use it to communicate with their teachers about their IEP and to advocate for the accommodations they need.  The use of an Accommodations Student Card can provide many benefits in the development of self-advocacy skills:

1. It can make students more aware of the accommodations they have a right to be using in the classroom.  Often, students are unaware of the accommodations that are written into their IEPs or forget to use them.  Additionally, many students do not even have easy access to copies of their IEP.  The provision of a card can ensure that students are more knowledgeable about their rights, and this is key to developing advocacy skills.
2. The card can serve as a visual support for students who have communication difficulties.  For students who may struggle with oral language, this card can be a valuable tool for supporting their requests and advocating for their needs.
3. The card can provide students with confidence and security when needing to advocate.  Some students may be apprehensive or fearful of asking for supports.  The card can serve as a form of official school documentation, which can provide a sense of safety and ‘rights’ when needing to make requests of teachers.

Instructions for Students:

1. Students are encouraged to carry the card on them at all times, or take a photograph of it on their mobile device.
2. Students are encouraged to connect with their teachers at the beginning of every year or semester and show them the ‘accommodations student card’ in order to ensure their teachers are aware of their IEP and accommodations.
3. Students are encouraged to use the card to advocate for accommodations as needed with classroom activities, projects, tests, and assignments.

Additional Benefits of Using the ‘Accommodations Student Card’

1. Teachers are very busy and may forget to implement supports.  The card allows students to easily communicate their needs and remind teachers of the supports that are needed.
2. The use of the card provides training for post-secondary studies, as many institutions provide students with a letter to communicate accommodations requests to instructors.  The use of this card will provide practice of a skill that is needed in a post-secondary institution.
3. By using the card regularly, students will further develop their self-advocacy skills, when connecting with teachers.

How to Set up the Accommodations Card?

Getting Started: Download the free template of the Accommodations Student Card and save it to your preferred location. It is simple to use.

1. Open the document and enter the appropriate demographic information.  If you are unsure what to type in a field, hover over it with your mouse and a label will pop up indicating what information to enter. You can even upload an image of your school logo in the upper left corner.
2. In order to add an accommodation to the card, simply click on the arrow beside each blue field.  A drop down menu will open and you can select an accommodation.  You may wish to make reference to IEPs or assessments when selecting the accommodations.
3. All of the fields can be customized.  If there is an accommodation or support that you would like to add that is not on the list, simply click on the field and begin typing.  You are able to add information to the card.
4. When the card is completed, save the card to your preferred location.
5. Print out the card and use the guidelines to cut it.  You may wish to laminate it or provide students with a digital copy.

Integrating the ‘Accommodations Student Card’ into a School Wide Communication System:

IEPs are often developed by special education teachers (in consultation with families) and shared with classroom teachers.  This document often becomes the sole means of communication about accommodations.  Research suggests that schools can benefit from further systems of communication regarding accommodations and supports.  The Accommodations Student Card can be a key tool in developing a school wide system for establishing supports.  It can foster more communication between teachers and students and highlight how the provision of supports is a shared responsibility.  The use of the card can foster self-advocacy development and serve as a simple backbone of a school-wide communication system about supports.  Educators may need some support with the implementation of a system.

How can educators be supported in using the ‘Accommodations Student Card’?

1. Continue to provide regular in-service about the importance of universal design for learning, differentiation, and the provision of accommodations.

2. Ensure that educators have the resources and technology to implement the accommodations in the card.

3. Provide educators with information about the importance of self-advocacy skills and how the card can be used to support self-advocacy.  If educators have a solid rationale for the implementation of a new system, they will be more likely to support it.

4. Encourage all educators to include information on the card and provision of accommodations in their course outlines.  If all teachers encourage their students to connect with them with the card, it will normalize the support and provide students with a further sense of security in using it.

Are there other communication tools for self-advocacy development?

LD@School Self-Advocacy Pamphlets: Another tool that can be adopted is the self-advocacy pamphlet.  Watch the video below for more information:

Learn more about Classroom Activities for Self-Advocacy Development