People learn in different ways. While there is no right or wrong way to learn, most of us learn best when a variety of styles are used. This is especially important with people with disabilities- working with people that are deaf or blind are the most obvious examples. Yet, people with different cognitive abilities- including Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and people with intellectual impairments- can be successful in financial literacy programs with some accommodations.

Here are 3 tips to help increase the success of all participants:

1.) Ask about Accommodation Needs
Not all people with disabilities "look" or identify as having a disability. Many people with learning disabilities- like dyslexia- may have never been diagnosed or experienced discrimination in school, which may make them reluctant to request accommodations. Some people are not aware of the wide range of inexpensive modifications that may help.

WID's Access to Assets program has designed two intake questions that can help:

Assessment question #1: Some people have difficulty completing tasks in their daily living because of physical, mental or emotional conditions. Which of the following tasks, if any, are difficult for you to accomplish on your own in your daily life because of an underlying condition?

Assessment question #2: In this program you will need to understand and complete required paperwork, attend required meetings and complete assigned activities. If you need assistance with any program related activities, please indicate all of the types of assistance that you require.

2.) Alternative Formats
On all announcements of classes (flyers, e-mails, websites, etc…), be sure to say that alternative formats are available upon request. A reasonable amount of time for requests should be stated. For example, if you send out the announcement two weeks before the first class, all requests for alternative formats should be made five days in advance. All efforts to meet requests should be made, yet if your program cannot meet the request, notify the participant and indicate that your program will try to make other arrangements. Contact Thomas Foley tom@wid.org for more creative suggestions.

Here are a few examples of the most common alternative formats that are inexpensive and easy to provide:

• Large print materials with a font size of 18 or larger
• Audio-taped materials
• Materials on CD or sent by e-mail
• Meeting reminders
• Holding the meeting in a quiet place to enable concentration
• Extra time for reading
• Note-takers (can be a volunteer from the same class)

3.) Present Information Using a Variety of Modalities
Information about learning styles is helpful for everyone especially for people with learning disabilities. Knowing about learning styles will help develop coping strategies to compensate for weaknesses and capitalize on strengths.

When mismatches exist between the learning style of the student and the teaching style, the student may become bored and inattentive in class, do poorly on tests, get discouraged about the courses, the curriculum, and themselves, and in some cases change to other curricula/programs or drop out of the program.

To overcome these problems, teachers should strive for a balance of methods (as opposed to trying to teach each student exclusively according to his or her preferences). If the balance is achieved, all students will be taught partly in a manner they prefer, which leads to an increased comfort level and willingness to learn, and partly in a less preferred manner, which provides practice and feedback in ways of thinking and solving problems.

Here are three common types of learners:

Visual Learners:

learn through seeing....

These learners need to see the teacher's body language and facial expression to fully understand the content of a lesson. They tend to prefer sitting at the front of the classroom to avoid visual obstructions (e.g. people's heads). They may think in pictures and learn best from visual displays including: diagrams, illustrated text books, overhead transparencies, videos, flipcharts and hand-outs. During a lecture or classroom discussion, visual learners often prefer to take detailed notes to absorb the information.

Auditory Learners:

learn through listening...

They learn best through verbal lectures, discussions, talking things through and listening to what others have to say. Auditory learners interpret the underlying meanings of speech through listening to tone of voice, pitch, speed and other nuances. Written information may have little meaning until it is heard. These learners often benefit from reading text aloud and using a tape recorder.

Tactile/Kinesthetic Learners:

learn through , moving, doing and touching...

Tactile/Kinesthetic persons learn best through a hands-on approach, actively exploring the physical world around them. They may find it hard to sit still for long periods and may become distracted by their need for activity and exploration.