To measure the students’ ability to communicate with their instructors about their approved accommodations. The workshop is designed to provide students with practical tools and strategies that increase their confidence and effectiveness in using and discussing their accommodations with instructors.
Students often express anxiety and discomfort in engaging their instructors about their accommodations. They may be worried about expressing themselves (for example, if they have a speech or social anxiety disorder). They may be concerned about what their instructor may say or ask them about during these interactions. In DRS’s experience, students have said that they don’t want to bother their instructors. A 2020 study in the Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability found that 60% of students avoided disclosure due to feeling anxious; however, training on “minimal disclosure scripts” increased students’ likelihood of requesting accommodations by 35% (Grimes, Southgate, Scevak, & Buchanan, 2020).
Currently, students learn that they need to advocate for themselves after they are initially approved for accommodations. This involves a discussion with their DRS advisor on how to implement the approved accommodations.
This assessment will be implemented during a workshop planned as part of an orientation that will be offered to new DRS students in Fall 2026. The assessment will help evaluate students’ comfort level with requesting accommodations and determine whether the workshop supported the development of self-advocacy skills
Attached is a document with the specific learning objectives and a survey that includes Likert-scale and open-ended questions aligned with the objectives.
DRS will be holding an orientation this Fall for registered DRS students. During that orientation, students will learn how to engage their instructors about their accommodations. Faculty may be invited at some point in the design of the orientation. Students will complete a brief pre-survey at the start and a post-survey at the end using a 1–5 rating scale, short answer questions to assess learning of student learning objectives, and one reflection question regarding the workshop. The orientation will be offered in a hybrid format.
The orientation will also be recorded and posted in the DRS Community Canvas Course, so students who could not attend can watch online and complete the assessments on their own time.
On Wednesday, August 19, and Saturday, August 21th, 18 student participants, some with family members, attended the DRS Orientation and Self-Advocacy Workshop held in a hybrid format. The workshop incorporated support from both Academic Affairs and Student Affairs Divisions. All DRS staff presented/facilitated the workshop. Three residential faculty, Kortney Song, Gabby Carter, and Catherine Cochran, served in role-play taking on the faculty role while the students practiced their self-advocacy skills with scripted prompts. Students completed a pre-survey prior to the workshop to establish baseline metrics and an immediate post-survey following the role-play and action planning sessions to assess learning gains.
Pre and Post Survey Interpretation:
There were two questions asked through the pre- and post- survey that used Likert scale ratings with 5 representing Strongly Agree down to 1 representing Strongly Disagree.
Question: I understand how to communicate with my instructors.
The percentage of students rating their understanding as low (1–2) fell from 17.6% before the workshop to 5.9% afterward. The percentage rating their understanding as high (4–5) rose from 41.2.% to 76.5%. Within that high group, the percentage choosing the highest rating (5) rose from 17.6% to 52.9%.
Question: I feel confident explaining my accommodation needs to my instructors.
The percentage of students rating their confidence as low (1–2) fell from 35.3% before the workshop to 5.9% afterward. The percentage rating their confidence as high (4–5) rose from 52.9% to 76.5%. Within that high group, the percentage choosing the highest rating (5) rose from 11.8% to 47.1%.
Overall, the survey responses show gains in both understanding and confidence following the workshop.
Learning Objectives Interpretation:
The following are the results of the learning objectives of this assessment.
Objective 1: By the end of this workshop, students will define self-advocacy in their own words, identify at least 3 practical strategies for requesting and using college accommodations, and understand the importance of personally communicating their approved accommodations to instructors.
Students demonstrated their understanding of self-advocacy by sharing their own definitions orally or via chat. The students’ in-person responses were recorded on a dry-erase board to provide a visual representation of their ideas and reinforce key concepts.
Students identified several practical strategies they could use to communicate with their instructors, including:
- Emailing professors to discuss accommodations or concerns.
- Speaking with instructors after class.
- Following the contact and communication preferences outlined in the course syllabus.
- Scheduling an individual, in-person meeting with an instructor.
- Initiating contact by asking their instructor if they received the letter of notification
Students also identified actionable strategies for managing anxiety and other challenges related to self-advocacy. These included:
- Preparing an agenda or talking points before meeting with an instructor.
- Arriving early to allow additional time to prepare.
- Using fidget objects or other personal strategies to support focus and eye contact.
- Seeking assistance from DRS staff when additional support is needed.
- Check DRS Connect for when the letter was sent to their instructor before connecting with them
Overall, student responses demonstrated an increased awareness of practical ways to communicate their needs and use their approved accommodations effectively.
Objective 2: By the end of this workshop, students will practice creating a sample written action plan using a provided template and learn key elements they can use to develop their personalized plan privately at a later time.
Students participated in an action-planning activity using a provided template. The activity allowed students to practice identifying steps they could take to communicate their accommodation needs and address potential challenges with instructors.
Student feedback indicated that the action-planning activity and overall workshop were very helpful. Students did not identify any recommendations for improvement at the conclusion of the workshop. This feedback, combined with the pre- and post-survey results, suggests that the workshop provided students with practical tools and increased confidence to engage in self-advocacy related to their accommodations.
The DRS Self-Advocacy Workshop aligns with Estrella Mountain Community College’s Strategic Enrollment Management Alignment (CESM) Plan goal of increasing student participation in onboarding activities by 1% by June 30, 2026.
Please see the attached CATS Data Results with Graphs for a visual representation.
Postsecondary students with disabilities often experience anxiety and fear of negative faculty reactions when discussing approved accommodations. Left unaddressed, these communication barriers lead to the underutilization of essential accommodations that support academic success. To bridge this gap, Estrella Mountain Community College's Disability Resources & Services (DRS) implemented a hybrid self-advocacy workshop during Fall 2026 orientation, equipping students with practical tools and strategies. Student progress was evaluated using pre- and post-workshop 5-point Likert scale surveys. Findings demonstrated significant growth across both primary metrics: high understanding of accommodation communication rose from 41.2% to 76.5%, while high confidence in explaining accommodation needs increased from 52.9% to 76.5%.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| pre-and-post-workshop-survey-self-advocacy-accommodations.pdf | 54.66 KB |
| cats-data-results-graphs.pdf | 129.72 KB |