Confidentiality, disclosure, and self-advocacy are important concepts in accessibility. For students, identifying their strengths and challenges and knowing how their disability affects their lives is an essential first step toward a positive post-secondary experience. As a caregiver, you have a role in helping students understand these terms. So, what do they mean?

Confidentiality is the ethical and legal obligation to keep private information private. It's a promise not to share or reveal personal or sensitive details with anyone who isn't supposed to know. This could include medical records, personal conversations, or private data. It's a way of respecting and protecting someone's privacy and trust.
Disclosure is the act of revealing or making known information that was previously kept secret or private, such as details about a disability. Disclosure can occur in various contexts, such as sharing personal experiences, revealing facts in a professional or academic setting, or publicizing information.
Self-advocacy means representing and speaking for oneself. It involves clearly communicating needs, wants, and opinions. For students, this especially relates to disabilities and the accommodations they receive. As a caregiver, you will have the greatest impact by supporting students to build autonomy and self-advocacy.

Self-advocacy and disclosure will help students access the right accommodations to support their needs so that they can participate fully in their educational journey and, ultimately, transition successfully to the workplace.

Accessibility Services recognizes that many students are still developing personal autonomy and advocacy as they enter post-secondary. We're available to help and welcome opportunities to help students strengthen those skills.

At Lethbridge Polytechnic, we focus on the strategies and what is required, not the disability.

What instructors and staff need to know about a student's disability

Accessibility Services will not discuss a student's disability without their consent. Students are not required to disclose any information about their disability to instructors, staff, or classmates.

In some situations, Accessibility Services encourages input from instructors and staff on how to best support students. Such conversations revolve around the impact of a student's disability on their academic environment and strategies required to support their success rather than the specific nature of a disability. Accessibility Services focuses on finding the best accommodations suited for student needs and the class environment.