Most of us have received those letters, indicating that some learners will require special accommodations. And students learn to fit the description. Reminds me of those learners in my classes who expressed surprise at obtaining a high grade on an assignment.

For instance, a musician in my ethnomusicology course, back in 2006, came to me with something of a complaint:

You gave me an A on this assignment!

Right. What's the problem?

I have a learning disability!

Erm... Not in my course, you don't! ;-)

Students like this musician had done exactly the work required to fulfill the requirements... which didn't match expected requirements (which are overwhelmingly scriptocentric).

Conversely, some learners assume they'll always get good grades ("I'm an A student!"), typically because their writing style matches academic expectations.

Surely, there's research on this labelling effect. Now, I'm not saying that it's the only effect coming from these letters (or from "dean's lists"). Accommodations can be particularly important in courses where there's a pressure to perform in a certain way. And it sounds like grade-based rewards are important in several social systems. I'm merely thinking of links between Howie Becker's best-known book and his unsung work.

Section 508 compliance is discussed to support instructors knowledge of section 508 and how to begin the process of ensuring instructional content is 508 compliant. Section 508 of the federal Rehabilitation Act governs access of media to all persons whether they have a disability or not. Including captions, audio description, and accessible video players are vital to compliance. Compliance with 508 is necessary given that data that illustrates the percent of employees that have need for accommodations to support their learning. This brief article seems highly related to Universal Design of Learning. Rating: 10/10

Adult learning disabilities

These are also best practices in teaching and learning, which says something about human cognition and motivation generally and how we think about people who need "accommodations." In other words, maybe we all need "accommodations" that serve our need for autonomy, mastery, and purpose.