Accomodations you have a reasonable right to ask for, under 504

I was looking around the internet for more information on the lawsuit that happened at Boston College [more appropriately to my knowledge, a college in boston] in 1997-98 when I came across a website with Legal Information and Resources on 504 accomodations in college settings. There was an abstract from a book/paper that was listed among the resources that had a HUGE list of possible suggestions. Some of these suggestions I had been coming toward on my own, but didn't know *could* be included, and others were TOTALLY beyond what I would have expected. Needless to say, they proved my point in my other post, My Views on 504 Accomodations.

The few suggestions that my college DID offer me will be boldfaced, suggestions that I've pursued on my own will be italicized, and other noteworthy ones I've thought about asking for will be marked with an asterisk.

In full, here is the abstract of the book and its info, taken from http://www.classaccommodation.org/legal_information_and_resources.htm, the site I mentioned above:

Author(s): Latham, Patricia H.; Latham, Peter S.
Corporate Author: National Center for Law and Learning Disabilities,
Cabin John, MD. [BBB35202]
Title: Attention Deficit Disorder in College: Faculty and Students.
Partners in Education. Source: 1998. 7p.
Abstract: This publication provides an overview of attention deficit disorders (ADD) and the legal rights of college students with ADD.
Possible accommodations that schools can make for students with ADD
are provided and include: (1) provide structure and reduce
distraction in class; (2) simplify and repeat instructions, as
necessary, both orally and in writing*; (3) give frequent and specific
feedback from faculty and disability services staff*; (4) provide
accommodations such as priority registration, reduced course loads*,
taped textbooks, tape recorders, course modifications*, tailored
assignments, modified text books, priority seating in the front of
the room, study guides, and summaries of important points; (5)
provide test accommodations such as extra time, quiet room,
alternative formats, and opportunities to seek clarification; (6)
allow course substitutions to fulfill certain requirements, e.g., for
foreign language and mathematics; (7) offer as electives alternative
learning style courses; (8) educate the student regarding ADD, coping
strategies, and advocacy techniques; (9) encourage the use of support
groups, counselors and advisors to assist with academic, career and
other issues; and (10) review rules and expectations and use
behavioral management techniques as needed. Possible strategies for
students with ADD are provided and a list of organizational resources
is included. (CR)
Availability: National Center for Law and Learning Disabilities, P.O.
Box 368, Cabin John, MD 20818; telephone: 301-469-8308; fax:
301-469-9466.
Accession Number: ED422699

One thing that wasn't mentioned that my college suggested, that I thought was pretty cool, was that they could get me a note-taker to help me take notes during classes, in addition to me writing my own notes; they could give another student in the class a carbon-copy notebook that they could then give copies to me from, among other things.

To be honest, though, I was pretty ticked off when I looked at this full list. I wound up using a digital recorder of my own (which was AMAZING), but was surprised that it was something that could have been offered by the schools. Adding course modifications, study guides, summaries and tailored assignments to the list pretty much threw me over the edge. Why wasn't I told? Why didn't I find out about this until AFTER I graduated? It was both liberating and infuriating at once - because I knew I was justified in being frustrated at the time, and could let others know what they can reasonably request. The one thing I don't know (and still don't have an answer to), however, is whether the school is obligated to suggest or fund these ideas. The answer to that question could be damning to a lot of districts and colleges.

Course modifications were one thing that I REALLY favored and was never sure were appropriate to ask for. Specifically, I'm talking about grade weighting. There were many times I felt like I was doomed the moment I saw that two or three papers were going to be 30-50% of my grade or more. I failed, barely passed, or dropped most of these classes due to extreme problems getting my ideas to the page on command. If I could shift emphasis to my strong areas (test taking), or if that emphasis was already there, I was virtually always guaranteed a minimum of a low B. I believe difficulty in writing papers (which I often flat out didn't) dropped my final GPA one full point.

Reduced course loads are a...somewhat dubious suggestion. For one, most on 504 are somewhat self-conscious about asking for help. Many times, ADDers get questioned/pressured about the validity of their requests from other students. It's a serious hassle, and often gets in their way of asking for VALID accomodations. It's sad that ADDers need to be encouraged to even ask for things they need to survive the system. To those who wonder: ADDers aren't looking for easy street, and it's difficult to acknowledge there's a problem. It doesn't surprise me that there's a high incidence of depression among students with learning disabilities.

I have also seen "reduced course load" suggested as a reduced credit load per semester. Don't get me wrong - when I've had to drop classes halfway through the semester it felt GREAT to only have three classes! I had more than enough time for everything. However, I feel that this is an incredibly unrealistic suggestion - I don't know of many (any?) standard scholarships OR loans that will last more than 8 semesters. If you don't have your credits/credit hours complete by then, what are you supposed to do? More often than not, lack of finances cause people to drop out. If finances DON'T force these people out of school, the falling grades from trying to do homework while working part-time or full-time to support tuition probably WILL.

More of these suggestions will be covered over time. First to mind are working with professors to structure grading, suggestions on paper-writing, and uses for a tape/digital recorder.