When responsibilities are shared amonst all the stakeholders (including class mates, staff at the school, other teachers, etc) everyone can benefit from the experience, as well as helping the learner with different needs.

The school can:

• Have a policy on Disability and Inclusion
• Ask in registration forms if new students have different needs;
• Appoint a member of staff that students can contact at any time to talk about personal situations: some will want talk about special needs after starting a course, when they develop trust.
• Make sure that the buildings and the website and online materials are accessible
• Offer disability awareness training to staff
• Arrange guidance for teachers with learners with special needs
• Provide materials in different formats (large print, easy with enlaged photocopying)
• Prepare alternative exam conditions when students give evidence of their disability
• Maintain the same standards for all students, giving diplomas and grades according to abilities. 

The teacher can/needs to:

• Listen to the student, in private, to develop trust
• Ask the student how they have studied before: what is their prefered way?  
• Suggest new ways for the student to try
• Identify tasks that colleagues can help with: sections to be read (in digital format, with MP3 recorders), handouts in different formats, provision of information...
• Involve other students: this shares the task and also gives class mates experience and understanding in how a disabled person learns/ studies/ lives: this involvement can change the attitudes of many future teachers/ doctors/ engineers/ parents of disabled children...
• Expect all students to progress and aim for high standards

The student can:

• Understand the learning process
• Explain different needs to the teacher and the school
• Show how they learn effectively
• Develop better learning skills
• The student is responsible for their success: all students, whether disabled or not) have the right to choose to be lazy...