Introduction
Questions to ask college accessibility staff is an often-overlooked topic. For example, I was reading an article last week about a former college student expressing their self-advocacy with faculty. The impression I got from the student’s description was that the encounters were adversarial. In my opinion, the student’s approach to getting their needs met was part of the issue. The self-described ‘I don’t take no for an answer’ is not an approach to self-advocacy that I would recommend. I also suspect that this type of approach was part of the problem.
What else was problematic? I think it could all have been avoided, if this student had interviewed the accessibility staff first before deciding on a school to attend. I think this student could have benefited from knowing the questions to ask college accessibility staff. Do I also think that being respectful and tactful is important? Absolutely. Are there times to set clear boundaries? Yes. Is an adversarial approach the best approach? No, not by a long shot. However, interviewing the Accessibility staff as part of choosing a college will lead to fewer problems overall. That means less frustration for the student. In addition, your student will know what to do if an issue arises. That is worth the effort. As you’ve heard me say before, “know before you go.”
Why interview Accessibility staff?
First, as a new student to the college lifestyle, your teen gets the information upfront. I’ll cover what areas are important in the next part, but for now, it’s important to get all the information up front. This is the only way to make the best choice. What’s the best choice? It’s an informed one. Students can ask these questions at any time, even if they are in college. Yet, it’s best to ask before you make your choice of where to go. Should the information be the only consideration, no, but it can be important and make a big difference.
Second, accessibility staff want your student to make the best choice for themselves. They also want to have that relationship with your student and connect with them. This not only leads to better outcomes for your student but better retention overall. Students who feel connected to the campus tend to get better grades and have lower dropout rates. This is especially problematic for students with disabilities as they graduate at much lower rates than non-disabled students.
Most importantly, your student gets to hear accurate information from the staff who know. The part that students need to be aware of is that staff are not going to share this information unless you ask. The staff know about what issues have come up and how those issues get resolved. Staff can offer their advice on the best way to communicate, with, whom, and when. In addition, staff can make students aware of the policies and procedures that students need to know.
What Areas Do Students Need to Cover?
First, Students need to know about the culture of the school, staff, and accessibility office. What do I mean by that? I don’t mean the mission statement. That’s just PR, yes it guides some things, but it’s not the day to day interactions that occur. The day to day stuff is what makes the culture. This is how staff and faculty treat each other and their students. For the accessibility staff, the culture of the office between staff and how they interact with students will give you vital information.
It’s essential to know how students with disabilities are perceived at the school. Why? Because, stigma still exists. I hate saying it but, stigma is still part of human interactions. Is it something to worry about? No, but it is something to keep in mind. It also relates to how issues are resolved if issues arise.
Second, students need to know what is expected of them. The responsibilities of students, faculty, and accessibility staff are all different, but interconnected. Students need to know what their part is all through the process of getting approved for accommodations through using them. Knowing what the student responsibilities are helps in being able to navigate the process easier and leads to less confusion. Some issues can be resolved and even avoided just by knowing what you’re supposed to be doing and acting on that.
Third, students need to know what common issues arise and what students need to do to resolve them. This can be as simple as what to say in an email to a professor if they missed class. It can also be how to deal with more serious issues like not having test accommodations set up. The main point here is knowing what to do in these situations and how to act.
Questions to ask College Accessibility staff
You should already be formulating some questions based on what I just presented. However, I’m going to give some questions to ask to make this a lot easier and break it down by section.
Culture and perceptions of disability
What is it like working at the school?
What do you enjoy about your job?
If issues come up between staff, how do staff resolve them? What if it’s with a student?
How do faculty view your office?
How do faculty respond to student accommodations?
Responsibilities of students with disabilities
How soon after acceptance can a student apply for accommodations?
How long does the process typically take?
What is needed to start the process?
In what way are faculty informed about a student’s accommodations?
What are the student responsibilities when faculty are informed?
Do students need to speak to their professors about their accommodations? How do faculty respond to these conversations?
How do students set up test accommodations?
Is there a separate office for testing?
How are tests scheduled?
Common Issues
If I have a problem with one of my accommodations, who do I contact?
If applicable, how long should I wait for my accommodations to be put in place? How long is too long? If it’s too long, what do I need to do?
What if I have issues with my accommodations and a test is coming up, what do I do?
If my accommodations are not set up for a test, how is this circumstance handled? What if I choose to take the test anyway?
If a professor has an issue with my accommodations, how should I handle this situation? What should I say? How should I act?
Conclusion
These questions to ask college accessibility staff should make a good start on your college journey and deciding not only a school but also on obtaining accommodations. There is a lot to consider when choosing a school. However, disability and how access is facilitated at each school is different and should be an equal priority right up there with finances and major. Unfortunately, it often is an afterthought, and the consequences can be devastating.
For example, I once did an interview with a college student who had some difficulty obtaining notes for a class. This student had a note taker as an accommodation. However, the student did not get the notes for each class as was needed for access. This led to taking tests without the information she needed and ultimately not doing as well. In consulting with the student, I mentioned many of these questions. She replied that if she had asked these questions, she would have known what to ask and how to navigate the issue much better. Her story is a good example of what can be avoided if she knew the questions to ask college accessibility staff.
As I said earlier, know before you go.
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