Accessibility and Accommodations

While significant progress has been made in making educational services more accessible to people with physical or cognitive disabilities, there remains a long way to go, not just in terms of specific accommodations, but also awareness of the kind of help that may be available. Securing extra time on exams, for example, can be a fairly involved process that requires advance planning and an understanding of how to navigate complicated administrative rules and regulations. In other cases, more specific accessibility requirements may be warranted, such as specialized test centers or personal scribes to assist with reading or writing.

I am not a disability resource specialist, but over the years I have worked with many students who have required specific accommodations, and I have learned a great deal from them. I have also worked closely with university disability resource specialists to identify the most effective course of action for accommodated testing, classroom learning, and effective teaching methods.

I have also worked with students who use eye-tracking devices such as Tobii, and have some familiarity with accessible applications such as EquatIO, which can be particularly useful for writing equations and other math functionality.

I’m confident that I can help you navigate this (often frustrating) process, whether you’re preparing for a standardized exam or are trying to coordinate accommodations with a school or university. At the same time, I am also aware of my limitations in these areas and will do everything I can to help you coordinate with the right people to help you realize your full academic potential. I’m more than happy to discuss ways in which I can be of assistance!