Reply to Wall Street Journal on rampant growth in percentage of college students with “disabilities”

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]If anyone was curious about what disability accommodations look like specifically from Pomona: https://www.pomona.edu/accessibility/student-accessibility/accommodation-services

[quote]
[b]Test-Taking Accommodations
[/b]50% or 100% additional time on traditional tests
Quiet location for testing
Computer test reader
Dragon Naturally Speaking as a test writing resource
Use of computer to type essay exams
Assistive technology for exams or for course work
Spelling and punctuation considerations on exams
Classroom Accommodations
Notes or course notes
Permission to record the course lecture
Preferential seating
Course handouts in an enlarged font
Course handouts in an electronic format
Use of service animal in the classroom
Assistive technology in classroom

[b]Mobility Accommodations
[/b]Relocating classrooms, lab, field trips and living spaces in accessible locations.
Pomona Medical Supply will provide carts and mobility devices.
Foreign Language Exemption
All exemptions are processed through the Academic Procedure Committee. Contact the Associate Dean of Students to assist with this process.

[b]Emotional Support Animals
[/b]To obtain permission to have an emotional support animal on campus, review the pets in residence hall policy and have the medical professional complete the emotional support animal application form. Once that is completed, contact the Dean of Students Office to secure permission to have an emotional support animal on campus.

[b]Housing Accommodations
[/b]Please contact the Dean of Students Office to secure permission to have an air conditioner or single room.[/quote]

Here is the form students fill out: https://www.pomona.edu/sites/default/files/disability-request-for-services.pdf and the one professionals do: https://www.pomona.edu/sites/default/files/disability-documentation-form.pdf

I find it strange that the student form asks- "What accommodations do you need?" [b]Shouldn't this be to the judgement of the professional solely?[/b] If the student form is the primary way accommodations are assigned, the potential for abuse is significant.

A further look at "tips for accommodations" gives far too much leverage, IMO, for students to create accommodations as they WANT rather than as they NEED (or as is reasonable). https://www.pomona.edu/accessibility/student-accessibility/accommodation-services/how-make-most-your-academic-accommodations

Pomona's Common Data Set states that 94% of entering students ranked in the top 10% of their high school class. Their profile states 27% of enrolled students ranked valedictorian. Pomona seems to bend over backwards to accommodate students that I could not imagine happening at any high school. Those students clearly thrived academically- most without needing accommodations in the first place. They're not suddenly going to come into college unable to handle the lifestyle or workload. The reality is that Pomona needs to take a long hard look on the ease which it allows accommodations and ensure that the students who genuinely need them are getting the bulk of the resources.  [/quote]

Not really, everyone has a different mix of strengths and weaknesses and different accommodations do better with different people.  By the time a student reaches college, they usually have an idea of what works for them, at least my DC did.  Just because two students have the same diagnosis does not necessarily mean that it manifests the same in both students.  There are spectrums of variation in each diagnosis and many different combinations of co-morbid issues.  My DC is not at Pomona, but he has almost the same accommodations in college as he received in HS. The list shown for Pomona looks like a general boilerplate of what should be done in all colleges and universities to comply with ADA.  That said, I have no experience with emotional support animals.  [/quote]

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