Wait, What are disability accommodations?
Some students have physical or mental difficulties that impact their ability to succeed in college. Common examples include (but are certainly not limited to) ADHD, autism, traumatic brain injuries, blindness, and deafness. These students require special services, or accommodations, to ensure that they have a fair academic experience. Your college likely has a wide range of accommodations available, from extended time on tests and/or assignments to seating accommodations and copies of lecture notes. Specific services are offered to a student depending on their disability.
How Do I get accommodations?
Obviously, the process differs between colleges. The following is the accommodations process at my school, UT Austin: You submit documentation of your disability to the Disability and Access office that follows their detailed documentation guidelines. Then, they get back to you to set up an appointment. During this meeting, you go over what your difficulties are and they will propose the appropriate accommodations. Then, you sign a form and you’re good to go! You receive “accommodation letters” to submit to your professors before each semester and are expected to discuss the appropriate arrangements with them in the first couple weeks of class.
My tips for success
I feel like disabilities and accommodations aren’t discussed very much on campus, so arranging the services you need can feel intimidating and foreign. Don’t worry girl, I’ve been through it and I’ve got your back. Here are my 2 big tips for the process:
#1 Be proactive
This is the most important thing when it comes to securing and using accommodations!! First of all, be sure to register with your school’s disability services office as soon as you have the necessary documentation prepared! Note that this documentation usually must come from a licensed professional, and may additionally have to be recent. Official documentation from a doctor can take a very long time to get, so be aware of your college’s requirements and start the process as early as possible. The same applies if you’re hoping to get your services set up for the fall semester. Your school’s disability office may have a long line for appointments around this time, as traffic tends to be worst then with so many new students trying to arrange their college accommodations before their first semester.
I learned these things the hard way. In my experience, the documentation for my learning disability was required to have been done within 5 years, and what I had was 10 years old. I was not aware of this rule, especially because I had received 504 accommodations throughout my K-12 schooling without issue. Once I was informed of this (much too late), I had to rush to get an appointment at an already heavily booked assessment center, go through the lengthy process of getting new documentation, and then wait for my far-out meeting with UT’s disability office. I completely missed out on the accommodations I deserved for my first semester because of this. So don’t make the same mistakes that I did, research the process as soon as possible and get things going!
This also applies to using accommodations in the classroom. Don’t expect your professors to contact you about your accommodations. Be sure to contact them as quickly as possible in the semester, per your university’s guidelines, and discuss any accommodations you will be needing. The sooner you come up with a plan with your teacher, the more prepared you will feel for the semester.
#2 Advocate for yourself
If you know me, you know I’ve always been a shy, introverted person, so this one was tricky for me. Growing up, I was used to my mother always arranging things for me, and working with my school to make sure I got the help I needed. But in college, you’re on your own. I don’t know if anyone can relate, but coming into university I felt so nervous and intimidated whenever I had to talk to my professors. Social anxiety much? But the thing is, you have to!! Not only when you are first arranging things with them. If you ever feel like you aren’t getting the services that you need, go and talk it over with your professor. A lot of them are quite used to having students with special accommodations and will be flexible. And if they aren’t, contact your disability office for assistance. Don’t ever feel like you are inconveniencing your teacher by asking them to help you, whether it’s with setting up disability services or anything else academic. After all, it’s their job to help you succeed!
BTW: Confirm with your college’s disability services office, but they will almost definitely never inform your professor of the nature of your disability. You are not required to disclose that to your teachers, you can just discuss your filed accommodations with them.
I hope that these tips help guide you in your academic pursuits! Remember that you are not alone and you have the right to be accommodated fairly.