Is Your School Accessible?
As the back-to-school season arises, it's important to ensure that your school is accessible for those with disabilities, mental or physical. Some examples of physically accessible accommodations include ramps as an outdoor alternative to stairs, or elevators as an indoor alternative to stairs. On the other hand, some examples of mentally accessible accommodations include special education services such as ILP's (Individual Learning Plans), IEP's (Individualized Education Program/Plan), and SEP's (Specialized Education Plan) depending on your country. Have you used an accommodation at school? If so, was it helpful?
Mentally, I have used an IEP at school, specifcally for a 504 plan. This is because I have been diagnosed with Tourette's Syndrome, and in case if my tics cause a distraction, I may be relocated to a separate testing room. If I hadn't filed for a 504 plan, my test scores may be cancelled, leading in lost money, and colleges who I may send my exam scores to may be under the impression that I cheated, which would in turn hurt my chances of admission. I'm also allowed extra time if my tics are pratically worse on an exam day, but I haven't used my extra time before as I finish around the same time as my peers.
On the other hand, physically, I have used both ramps and elevators at school after a knee tendon repair surgery. I tore a tendon while skiing awhile back ago, and unfortunately the only way to successfully repair a tendon is through surgery. Since walking was rather difficult, I had to use the ramps and elevator at school for about a month.
None of the schools I attended were fully accessible. In elementary school I was given some accomodations, such as sitting on a chair instead of sitting on the carpet which housed many allergens.
Ultimately though, with all the allergens and triggers none of it was fully accessible and there were periods where I missed school not because I was too sick to be in a building during the day, but the triggers were too much to be in the particular schools. Once a doctor told me I needed to take weeks off as I was 'allergic to school' and my body needed that break away from it. It didn't help that I didn't have all the diagnoses I needed at the time.
As an adult, I ended up quitting my program because I was too sick and the school couldn't properly accomodate me.
Such a great topic! Thanks for starting it and sharing your experiences!
I am give an ergonomic chair and extra time on tests, a notetaker, enlarged or enhanced print. I still often don't have texts in accessible format when requesting early until several weeks into the course because they say there is too high of a demand for the resources and are backlogged. Also, sometimes the quiet testing rooms aren't available and other sites are allocated which are not quiet at all, but even when I protested, the unhelpful noisy location was the only location available. Also, if a professor wouldn't accommodate my disability as instructed or would belittle or demean me and I would complain, school personnel would ask if I needed psychological counseling, because I appear stressed. Also, it bothers me when fellow classmates sit in my special care that 5hey don't have authorization to use sit in my assumed chair. Myself or the instructor have to ask them to move. This irritated me and embarrassed me. It is not respecting or validating me need of a special chair. Some mentors really tire given the current climate, but I don't think I'm really given true accessibility. Accomodations were more enforced for me in the past. @Emily619
@Lolowise475 yes that's irritating for sure. They should be more understanding and respectful.