Is College Really Accommodating?

Disclaimer: I am a grateful person, but I need to get this off my chest…

I try to be as patient and understanding as possible, so, when I see a lack of compassion for spoonies, it grinds my gears. Life is difficult for everyone, and the last thing I’m trying to do when I come into your office is make it harder. Accommodations are something I am entitled to in the ADA of 1990.

Something I had planned to write about was how college accommodations work. Now, I have to write about how they sometimes don’t work. When I decided to commit to my uni, I had to provide extensive medical paperwork and documentation, convincing school officials that I did in fact need accommodations. Once they were approved, the director of the accommodations office gave me copies of my accommodations plan for my professors. At the beginning of the next semester, I was supposed to go back to him and get more copies for my new professors. I emailed him last night to make an appointment to pick up the new copies, and my email bounced back, meaning that he no longer worked at the school.

I’m used to this, it has happened various times since I started applying to colleges. So when I went to the office in-person, I was more than ready to re-explain my case. What I was not prepared for, however, was the lack of organization and willingness to help. I was bounced various times from professional to professional. They are now asking me to resubmit all my documentation and fill out paperwork REAPPLYING for accommodations I already have, because they “have no access to his accounts”. This is inaccurate. All our correspondence was through his work email, which is monitored and controlled by the school. This is basic business knowledge.

Throughout this process, what has appalled me is the lack of empathy and compassion. I understand that they weren’t expecting me to come forward with these requests, but this is the work that they signed up to do. How can you tell someone with a chronic illness that this is their “safe space” when you constantly treat them with condescendence and attitude?

I believe there needs to be a change in the school system in regards to how we treat students and employees with chronic illnesses. There is a need for organization, stability (something none of us have with our illnesses), and compassion. If you don’t have compassion, please don’t get into this business. We are humans too.

Our education and living arrangements need to be to our comfort NOT because we are capricious, but because this is how we are able to function to the best of our ability, and in turn, help others.

“…subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer as a Christian is? If you prick us, do we not bleed?”

-Merchant of Venice

Just think about it. The next time you take up a disabled parking space, grimace at the disabled woman getting on the public bus, or complain about your coworker’s migraines, dissect your reaction.

Good vibes,

Ci