by Laura Minges
Special to Juco.com

In the last ten years, the subject of educational accommodations for students with disabilities has received greater attention than ever before. While this has increased the number of schools offering services to disabled students, it has also resulted in two very strong assumptions. The first of these is that students who receive accommodations should succeed as a direct result of the accommodations given. The second is that anything a disabled student needs to achieve success is an accommodation. These assumptions lead to the conclusion that accommodating disabilities is both a complex process and a cure-all.

As a student with both a physical and a learning disability, I believe accommodations are neither complex nor infallible. Following is a brief overview of common accommodations, as well as reasons why accommodations are not effective for all students.

Generally accepted accommodations include assistance with the mechanics of writing, use of a computer and/or enlarging machine, untimed testing, permission to tape record lectures, use of a calculator, and/or an assistant who reads exam questions to the student. Most colleges also have programs that allow students to find and hire note-takers and sign language interpreters. These are all very good ideas, and it would seem that those receiving them should uniformly succeed. Surely, if not, it is due to a lack of motivation on the part of the student, right?

Wrong. If you talk to disabled students, you will find that this is not the case at all.

NOTE: In the interest of privacy, names have been changed and identifying details have also been changed or withheld.

David is a college freshman with severe dyslexia and dysgraphia, a condition in which people cannot communicate their ideas through handwriting. He attends a local community college and receives assistance with tests through the office for students with disabilities.

David's dyslexia causes him to have severe difficulties in language processing. In addition, his dysgraphia interferes with the connection between his mind and his motor functions when he attempts to write. This means that even though he has assistance in reading exams and writing dictated responses, it takes him quite a while to formulate responses. He also finds it difficult to understand test questions, even when given in a verbal format.

Asked what he wished educators understood about his struggles, he says, "When the disabled student service office helps me, it is rare that I receive enough time or support to complete my tests. Naturally, they cannot keep me in their office all day, and they do not understand that a certain level of review is not 'giving me the answers.' It's helping me deal with concepts immediately before and during a test, so that I do not experience unnecessary failure when I become confused."

Clara is a blind student at another college who relies on books on tape. Asked how this system works, she says, "It is very frustrating. Tapes often have to be ordered months in advance, before I even register. My school, like a lot of schools, does not provide a tape library, so it is arduous work making sure I have the material. Sometimes I cannot obtain it for a month or more. Then I fall behind."

These quotes illustrate the fact that, while school-based accommodations are viable and important, failure to achieve should be seen as neither an illogical consequence nor an anomaly. Considering the amount of time a student spends in the classroom versus the amount of time they receive exam assistance, books on tape, or other accommodations, it is easy to see that accommodations are not everything they appear to be.

While I do not mean to imply that accommodations have no impact in any situation, I have seen and heard so many cases in which students are blamed for failure when they clearly worked very hard to master course material.

I offer the following suggestions to help you achieve when you feel standard accommodations are not enough.

1. Hire an assistant to attend certain classes with you for the purposes of note-taking, breaking down course material, etc. While note-takers can often be provided, they are not necessarily punctual and may fail to arrive. If you cannot hire someone, announce in class or on a student bulletin board that you are looking for a note-taker. Also, take advantage of free tutoring services on campus.
2. Encourage your school to begin a library of taped textbooks for blind and dyslexic students. This will alleviate the problems of having to order tapes after classes have begun.
3. Explain your disability to teachers and specialists you come in contact with. Take a written description of your disability and any accommodations you may need. Include reasons for these accommodations.
4. Offer suggestions to improve or expand existing accommodations. For example, if you have a learning disability that affects your long-term memory, explain that reviewing after each section or problem is not cheating. It is increasing your chances of remembering. If something is consistently forgotten, it is very much like taking a test without first learning the material. Students without learning disabilities are not expected to do this. Argue that accommodations should be made for students for whom tests feel like a complete relearning process.
5. Review key concepts frequently. To aid memory and learning, use music, movement, drawing, or anything else you may find helpful. Employing a variety of techniques helps ensure long-term memory storage and retrieval.
6. If your performance in one area of a course is significantly greater with the use of certain methods or activities, ask if tests can be given utilizing those methods.

Above all, remember that, like all things, accommodations have their place. They are effective for some students, and are definitely needed. However, in order to ensure success, many students must think and act in a more creative manner than do those who strictly adhere to standard accommodations. Don't be afraid to challenge conventional wisdom by developing your own plan. Some day, you just may be glad you did.

POSTSCRIPT: Laura shares ten tips for success in the classroom.

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