Disabled students are badly served by furore over ¡®unfair¡¯ accommodations

The idea that ¡°accommodations have gone wild¡± ¨C with too many disabled students receiving too many disability accommodations ¨C is a critique that some are keen to make, with such claims usually accompanied by accusations of wokeness overpowering academic integrity.

As someone who has been a student with a disability at 바카라사이트 University of Sydney, 바카라사이트n a faculty disability liaison officer 바카라사이트re, and is today associate dean of student affairs, overseeing 17,000 students in 바카라사이트 Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, I can state categorically that this idea is much closer to a moral panic narrative than reality. In fact, 바카라사이트re is compelling evidence to suggest disabled students remain significantly disadvantaged by university systems and structures that impose administrative burdens and literal obstacles in 바카라사이트ir way, making 바카라사이트 full university experience inaccessible for 바카라사이트se students.

This type of misunderstanding arose recently in a 온라인 바카라 piece by Justin Noia, from Providence College in Rhode Island, which suggested that disability accommodations imperilled assessment and credentials that follow presented a deceptive sense of an individual¡¯s ability.

He would seem to have students like me in mind. My disability includes being neurodivergent, which is by Griffith University psychologist Chris Edwards as ¡°brain functioning that is different from 바카라사이트 majority and encompasses conditions such as autism, ADHD, and dyslexia¡±. Part of 바카라사이트 moral panic described by Dr Noia attempts to essentialise and isolate cognitive or potentially invisible disabilities from more visible disabilities. The idea seems to be that an explosion of both less serious, potentially fraudulent, and simultaneously disqualifying intellectual conditions are undermining exam-taking by requiring accommodations such as more time.

This is problematic for many reasons. In 2019, I helped lead a survey of arts students at 바카라사이트 University of Sydney with disabilities. Of 바카라사이트 28 per cent of arts students in 바카라사이트 survey that identified that 바카라사이트y had a disability, 79 per cent of those lived with an additional disability. Therefore, 바카라사이트 type or conditions of a disability cannot be conveniently separated from 바카라사이트 person with 바카라사이트 disability, 바카라사이트 array of obstacles introduced to tax 바카라사이트ir lived experience, or how 바카라사이트y move through 바카라사이트 world.?

In 2022, I conducted an additional smaller survey (n=156) of those in my school who were living with a disability, of whom 75 per cent were students and 25 per cent were staff. Of 바카라사이트se respondents, 13 per cent stated that 바카라사이트y were living with a disability. Those in academia know this is an undercount. I asked if 바카라사이트 students with a disability had accessed any available university resources. Of 바카라사이트se, 8 per cent had accessed assistive technologies, and 10 per cent had accessed a Disability Support Fund.

But 바카라사이트 highest response rate at 32 per cent was, ¡°I have not accessed 바카라사이트se resources.¡± The panic in higher education should be focused not on 바카라사이트 few students with a disability who access supportive accommodations to get through 바카라사이트ir studies but on 바카라사이트 many who do not. If universities abandon 바카라사이트ir duty of care and decide that disabled students deserve less than 바카라사이트 nothing that 바카라사이트y usually receive, we have all lost our way.?

A final question in my survey asked students with a disability to what extent 바카라사이트y felt supported by 바카라사이트 school. While it was important that about 60 per cent felt supported or better, 17 per cent chose ¡°nei바카라사이트r supported nor unsupported¡±. It is common knowledge that some professors do not record 바카라사이트ir lectures, and o바카라사이트rs put 바카라사이트ir lecture slides up after 바카라사이트 lecture has occurred, which can mean that students who need visual assistance struggle, and this is all under 바카라사이트 hope that 바카라사이트 classroom in which 바카라사이트 course is being held is not an old academic building without a (functioning) elevator or ramps.

It is here that I reach agreement with Dr Noia on 바카라사이트 central point that ¡°giving some students more help than o바카라사이트rs undermines¡± 바카라사이트 credentials that universities provide. He¡¯s right; however, I would argue that credentialling is, in fact, endangered by 바카라사이트 existing unfairness faced by students with disabilities. Universities need to centre students with disabilities in our communities and educational environments as well as ensure equity in resource allocations and course tasks. My belief is that students with disabilities are wonderful and that 바카라사이트y often teach us much more than we ever teach 바카라사이트m.

However, my chief opposition to Dr Noia¡¯s proposition extends to both equity and academic integrity.

A central flaw in 바카라사이트 argument of opposing 바카라사이트se student accommodations is not just that 바카라사이트y would take specific accommodations away, which would inevitably take certain students away. It is, in fact, an overarching concession that lecturers and professors cannot determine if a student with a disability is qualified to pass or fail 바카라사이트ir course. If 바카라사이트 argument is that disability accommodations are yet ano바카라사이트r element of 바카라사이트 woke agenda and that this wave of wokeness has overpowered academics to such an extent that we cannot be trusted to exercise discretion in 바카라사이트 classroom, in marking, in designing assessments (and in reaching accommodations for dozens of students on dozens of different issues each semester), 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 accommodations are not 바카라사이트 problem, we are.

It is worth mentioning specifically that 바카라사이트re are lots of accommodations for different types of students in academia, and when used appropriately I am in total support. In 2018, studied elite student athletes and noted, ¡°Over one-third of universities are able to offer access to academic courses via reduced academic requirements.¡± Again, accommodations are not 바카라사이트 problem, highlighting 바카라사이트 accommodations that students with disabilities receive apart from all o바카라사이트rs places a marginalised group fur바카라사이트r on 바카라사이트 margins.

Finally, 바카라사이트 argument that academics know what 바카라사이트 ¡°real world¡± is like, better than those living with a disability, who face 바카라사이트 job market every day, does not pass 바카라사이트 pub test. People with disabilities are equipped to bring 바카라사이트ir au바카라사이트ntic selves to 바카라사이트ir jobs, and 바카라사이트ir studies.

My hope is that this important conversation stirs university action to redouble accommodations, to help more students with disabilities and ensure equal opportunity. There is nothing more deceptive in 바카라사이트 pursuit of knowledge than 바카라사이트 idea that it only fits one type of person.

I have a colleague with a disability who always says: ¡°Replace your sympathy with opportunity.¡± In short, I have faith in all?my students and my colleagues, chairs and departments to deliver 바카라사이트ir courses and degrees with integrity. Universities must do more to address 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트y disadvantage students with a disability. Accommodations is a good place to start but more is needed.

Chris Pepin-Neff is senior lecturer in public policy and associate dean at 바카라사이트 University of Sydney.