Step-by-Step Directions Accommodation vs. Universal Design
Sometimes, an accommodation one student needs is an educational support method from which all students can benefit
Through the years, I’ve repeatedly heard school staff tell parents that a particular support—like written step-by-step instructions—is unnecessary because “all students would benefit from it.” While that may be true, it misses a key point: if a student with a disability needs something to access instruction, it’s not optional—it’s required.
A Real-World Example
While this isn’t a step-by-step direction accommodation example, it’s an example of how a student was refused a goal because “all students would benefit from it”.
A student with an anxiety disorder and ADHD struggled to advocate for herself with a teacher she perceived as unapproachable. While she could advocate in classes where she felt safe, she shut down in one teacher’s class. She didn’t request help or ask questions, and didn’t request her accommodations. This wasn’t a matter of choice. It was fear.
Despite this, the school refused to include a goal to support self-advocacy in difficult situations, arguing that “everyone” struggles with difficult people and that the student “knew how to advocate.” As a result, the student didn’t receive her testing accommodations for most of the year in the class with the “unapproachable teacher”. Her mental health declined, and she began to hate a subject she once loved.
The student’s IEP team failed to understand that equity isn’t about what helps everyone—it’s about what a specific student needs to access his or her education. Denying support because others could benefit from the same goal or accommodation ignores the purpose of accommodations under IDEA and Section 504.
Accommodations vs Universal Design: Written Step-by-Step Instructions
Educators face a variety of learning profiles on a daily basis and are required to address the needs of student who have disabilities and who require accommodations under IDEA and Section 504.
One commonly requested accommodation is “written step-by-step instructions”, which can make a world of difference for students who have specific learning disabilities, ADHD, executive functioning challenges, anxiety that acts as a roadblock to starting assignments and assessments, and/or processing disorders.
However, some educators push back against providing this accommodation. The common concern is one of time: Creating written step-by-step instructions takes extra time and effort.
Yes and no.