Accommodation Requests Research Articles

Professor and Peer Perceptions of Requests for Academic Accommodations in College: An Examination of ADHD and Specific Learning Disorder.

University students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and specific learning disorder (SLD) have higher rates of academic difficulty than their unaffected peers. Thus, some academic accommodations may be useful to them. However, research suggests that college students are hesitant to use their approved academic accommodations for fear of negative perceptions. The aim of the current study was to examine the perceptions of professors and fellow college students (i.e., peers) who were presented with a vignette depicting a fictitious student requesting an academic accommodation. It was hypothesized that professors and peers would have more negative impressions of students needing accommodations because of ADHD and SLD diagnoses, as compared to three other reasons (i.e., depression, a visual impairment, or collegiate athletics [specifically basketball]). In a sequence of two similar experiments, professors and then peers were presented with one of the five vignettes, and were asked to rate the student on various measures of academic ability and work ethic, among other things. Overall, our data suggested relatively positive perceptions of college students who request academic accommodations. However, contrary to the hypothesis, the fictitious basketball player received the most negative ratings. Implications and future directions are discussed.

Coordinating Multiple Light-Trails in Multicast Elastic Optical Networks With Adaptive Modulation

Optical multicasting has been considered resource efficient for multicast services. Light-tree and light-trail are two technologies that support optical multicasting while the former requires many splitters and thus experiences significant power loss. In this paper, we consider using the light-trail technology for the accommodation of multicast requests in elastic optical networks with adaptive modulation. For better spectrum efficiency, we consider accommodating each multicast by multiple light-trails. We formulate the problem by Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) and propose efficient heuristic algorithms. For the impact of accommodation sequence on the algorithm performance, apart from the traditional sequence among different requests, we consider an additional sequence among the destinations of a multicast. For efficient multicast accommodation, we propose several strategies and compare their performances through a range of cases. To avoid a destination occupying excessive resources in certain cases of joining multiple light-trails, we propose an efficient algorithm to delete some duplicated destinations. Numerical results show that the proposed heuristic algorithms significantly outperform a benchmark algorithm and one performs close to the optimal MILP. Also, the algorithm for deleting certain destination replicas largely reduces the spectrum and transmitter usages, up to 41% and 20% for the cases considered, respectively.

OCR concerned with process for accommodation requests

Case name: Letter re: Carlos Albizu University, No. 04‐21‐2340 (OCR 03/01/22).

Exploratory study of the provision of academic and health-related accommodations to transition-age adolescents and emerging adults with spina bifida.

The purpose of this exploratory study was to investigate the types of academic and health-related accommodations provided to adolescents and emerging adults with spina bifida aged 9-20 years. Data were extracted from the paper and electronic records of transition-age youth enrolled in the study. Four open ended items involved content analysis. The most frequently identified accommodation was enrollment in special education classes in 47.7% of the charts. Other academic accommodations that were most often reported were adaptive physical education (n = 71, 39.9%), tutoring (n = 28; 15.7%), and home schooling (n = 21; 11.8%). Clean intermittent catheterization was the most frequently identified health-related accommodation provided by the school nurse/aide (n = 57; 32%).The largest percentage of requests for additional accommodations were made during the middle school grades (15; 54.8%) followed by high school (10; 32.2%). Findings demonstrated that persistent issues were identified by parents/adolescents regarding the provision of school-related accommodations. This is a relevant area for clinical practice to ensure students with special health care needs and those with spina bifida receive the academic and health-related accommodations in their Individualized Education Program/504 plans.

The shaming of people with disabilities in clinical practice: a bioethical critique

Shaming is defended by some as a necessary measure of social control. But shaming is unjust to the extent that it is disproportionate, and largely counterproductive. While much progress has been made, people with disabilities are still frequently at the receiving end of shaming. This is manifest in disregard for accommodation requests, condescending attitudes and overall lack of empathy towards people with disabilities. These trends are also manifest in clinical settings. Medical staff and healthcare workers need to seriously consider this state of affairs and embrace attitudinal changes and policies that contribute to a more welcoming atmosphere towards the disabled, and consequently curb the shaming to which they have been traditionally exposed.

Are we talking the same language? Contestable discourses between university staff accommodating students with disability

This study challenges the claim that in a university, a discourse of containment is predominant in the relationships that exist around students with disability and their requests for accommodations. It explores the work knowledges of those involved with the implementation of the processes of granting learning accommodations: the disability services staff and the academic staff liaison officers. Innovative analytical techniques were applied to interview data that identify the lexicons used by each group indicating they had different ways of conceptualising the process, with the former focussing on the development of the documentation that would stand as surrogate for the student and the latter concerned with tricky processes of negotiation with teaching staff, and problems arising from insufficient funding. These distinct work knowledges indicate the ‘messiness’ that predominates in the process of ensuring that students with disability can study ‘on the same basis’ as others.

Exploring the experiences of students with disabilities in work-integrated learning

ABSTRACT Work-integrated learning (WIL) or university placements are valuable opportunities for students to apply their knowledge in an authentic work setting and help support their transition from university to employment. However, as our study evidenced, students with disability face significant and unique barriers to securing and completing WIL placements. In this study, we surveyed students with disability at an Australian university (n = 132) to explore their experiences and perceptions of WIL placements. Our findings indicate that while many students are motivated to participate in placements, they have concerns about how their disability, medical or mental health condition(s) will be accepted by the organisations and whether their requests for accommodations will be facilitated without judgement from supervisors. The findings from our study are relevant to the fields of disability/inclusion and employability, as the results showcase that current policies and practices do not adequately support diverse students.

OCR: Accommodation requests process was improper

Case name: Letter to: Kent State University, No. 15‐21‐2136 (OCR 04/22/22).

OCR concerned with seminary's handling of accommodation request

Case name: Letter re: Ashland Theological Seminary, No. 15‐20‐4020 (OCR 10/20/21).

OCR reiterates that process is key to resolving accommodations requests

The Office for Civil Rights’ widely publicized June 14 Salt Lake Community College determination letter and resolution agreement resolving Section 504 and Title IX complaints arising from a pregnant student's request for severe morning sickness accommodations drives home the importance of process in Section 504 compliance, erecting burdensome obstacles to fundamental alteration determinations.

Assessment of Accommodation Requests Reported by a National Sample of US MD Students by Category of Disability

This cross-sectional study of US second-year medical students examines the proportion of accommodation requests made across disability categories.

Digesting Tensions and Change

Digesting Tensions and Change

Psychosocial and Demographic Factors Associated with Requesting and Not Requesting Accommodations Among Employees with Multiple Sclerosis

Individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) face many workplace challenges. There are various laws that are intended to protect these individuals to have equal access to employment by requiring employers to provide workplace accommodations. To achieve benefits of workplace accommodations, individuals with MS need to disclose their disabilities and request accommodations. Limited research has examined psychosocial and demographic factors associated with requesting or not requesting workplace accommodations among people with MS. The current study aimed to fill this research gap. Eighty-six individuals with MS were recruited from agencies serving people with MS. Regarding psychosocial factors, findings show that requesters, in comparison with non-requesters, reported higher scores in self-efficacy (e.g., requesting accommodation and goal setting), outcome expectancy (e.g., perceived appropriateness and personal cost of accommodation requests), positive affect, knowledge of ADA and accommodations, job satisfaction, and a lower score in negative affect. Among demographic factors, only job tenure was significant. Rehabilitation professionals may need to assist employees with MS to foster psychosocial factors to facilitate individuals with MS, especially those with a short job tenure request accommodations and fully advantage of available workplace resources to enhance their job retention and satisfaction.

An examination of the psychosocial factors impacting workplace accommodation requests in individuals with mental disabilities.

Individuals with mental health issues experience profound stigma and discrimination, which may contribute to a lack of accommodation utilization to address functional limitations of their work. This study examined how psychosocial factors may predict the request of accommodations by employed individuals with mental disabilities through the framework of social cognitive career theory. In the United States, 148 employed adults with mental disabilities completed an online questionnaire to ascertain self-efficacy, outcome expectation, affect, and workplace support. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine associations between respondents' psychosocial factors and request of accommodations. Psychosocial factors (i.e., self-efficacy in accommodation request, outcome expectancy in employers' compliance with accommodation request, and non-person cost associated with request) were associated with impacting decisions to request accommodations among individuals with mental disabilities. A focus on bolstering self-efficacy and outcome expectation may assist rehabilitation professionals with facilitating positive occupational outcomes for individuals with mental disabilities. Incorporating increased education on the possible implications of mental disabilities in the workplace may also promote successful employment outcomes.

The Expectation of Student Parents to Self-Advocate: “The Ones Who are Successful are the Ones Who Keep Asking”

ABSTRACT We sought to understand barriers and facilitators to academic engagement among student parents at six community colleges, through in-depth interviews with student parents, staff, and faculty members (n = 49). Using a grounded theory approach, we found parents were expected to repeatedly self-advocate and request accommodations such as for extended childcare hours, food subsidies, and assignment deadlines. This burden was either constrained or relieved by 1) student parents’ strengths and strategies, 2) campus structures and groups operating collectively or in silos, and 3) the way faculty, staff, and campus programs responded to student parents’ needs. Community colleges can reduce the burden on students to request accommodations by presenting clear policies, streamlining resources to student parents directly, and normalizing their use.

Current Topics in Health Care Law

Current Topics in Health Care Law

Assessing fairness in selection toward applicants who request accommodations in higher education admissions tests

ABSTRACT This study assesses differential prediction and differential validity in higher-education admissions policy for individuals with various disabilities, who were granted or denied (on either technical grounds or professional considerations) test accommodations on the Israeli Psychometric Entrance Test (PET). The sample comprised 124,501 records of first-year students in 2,036 academic departments at six universities We applied a common-line regression model using the standard high-stakes PET score, the high-school Matriculation Exams score (ME), and their composite score (CS), as predictors, and the first year GPA as the criterion. Pearson correlations between predictors and criterion were also computed. Findings showed that accommodation policy was generally fair towards individuals with disabilities, with minimal over- or under-prediction. One important practical implication was that applicants should be cautioned that failure to provide adequate documentation of their disabilities could result in technical rejection, which may result in the under-prediction of their academic performance.

OCR reiterates that process is key to resolving accommodation requests

An earlier column explored the importance of process in Section 504 compliance (see https://bit.ly/3zDZ3WG). The Office for Civil Rights’ widely publicized June 14 Salt Lake Community College determination letter and resolution agreement resolving Section 504 and Title IX complaints arising from a pregnant student's request for severe morning sickness accommodations drives home that point, erecting burdensome obstacles to fundamental alteration determinations.

Use interactive process to determine if accommodations for long COVID create fundamental alterations

Although the worst of the COVID‐19 pandemic appears to be over, its impact on higher education administrators will continue through the effects of long COVID‐19 and through continued fear of illness. Recent guidance from the Office for Civil Rights and the Department of Justice (bit.ly/3IPSbYh) notes that long COVID, an occasional consequence of even mild COVID infections, can be a disability if it substantially limits a major life activity, and therefore can be expected to trigger requests for academic adjustments and reasonable accommodations. The guidance notes that common symptoms associated with long COVID include, but are not limited to, fatigue; difficulty thinking or concentrating, sometimes referred to as brain fog; depression; anxiety; and heart palpitations, all of which may directly interfere with the ability to think and learn.

OCR concerned with seminary's handling of accommodation request

Case name: Letter re: Ashland Theological Seminary, No. 15‐20‐4020 (OCR 10/20/21).