Common Disability Types, Issues and Services

Most students with disabilities at SU have "invisible" conditions, such as learning disabilities and chronic health disorders. Staff and faculty frequently interact with students who have disabilities without knowing that the students' disabilities are interfering with their ability to process information. Some of the methods discussed in the following pages rely on patience, flexibility, and active listening that can be generally applied to providing the best service to all students, while ensuring appropriate responses to students with disabilities.

The ideas presented here are not meant to substitute for interaction between faculty or staff and student, but to facilitate communication and discussion. Each student with a disability has individual strengths, limitations and compensatory skills. More specific information can be obtained from the student, the accommodation memo sent by Disabilities Services for each student who requests accommodations, the Disabilities Services office and the resources included in this site.