Okay let's talk accommodations! I am grateful to have mine which include working from home during the pandemic and having a research assistant because my #RheumatoidArthritis has hit me fast and furious. But for me, they weren't easy to get... Mainly on the medical side 1/ I live in #Houston, Texas that has the WORLD'S largest medical center in the world. I was required to do a Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE) because my initial rheum said he wasn't qualified to say what my impairments were... 2/

So the first thread I want to do is tech/applications that have made my science easier and more accessible. Some of them are paid (not always accessible), but I'll try to offer a free version that I've used that may not be as great but worked for me. 1/ I'm not paid by any of these companies and I am welcome to be corrected/supplemented on any of these resources from people in the community. Because we work together, not separately!! So LET'S GO! 2/

Hi, my friends! Today is my (@AlexisSMobley / she/her/hers) takeover! I'm running on #SpoonieTime, but we're also going to #ReclaimOurTime talking about accessibility and accommodations! 1/ A little bit about me, I'm a doctoral researcher at @MDA_UTHGrad in the @NeuroMDAUTH and Immunology Programs. You can learn more about my research here:

https://twitter.com/AlexisSMobley/status/1287904854371971073?s=20

I love the #NeuroImmunology research I do! 2/

The first of the named stories we're sharing comes from @ChrisMillsRD.

We will be posting this story as a thread below, but if you'd prefer to read it as a blog, you can do that.
[blog post]
disabledinhighered.weebly.com/blog/fortunate
(1/7)
#DEHEM21 #DisInHigherEd I've been extremely fortunate to have had all my accommodation needs met in my undergrad studies, my master's, & now my doctoral studies.

​At all 3 universities, connecting with the accessibility office was easy, although getting the required paperwork did take time & money 2/

So I (@theADHDacademic) did a thing and made a website. It might be useful, it might very well not be. It's #ADHD centered, but I talk about accommodations and I've got more posts planned on #UDL and inclusion. My point is, if I've said anything helpful, it might be helpful too? I cover things like how to register with the disability office: theadhdacademic.weebly.com/advice-as-a-le…

I have tweeted very little about #ADHD and accommodations during my time taking over this account. Maybe I should take some time to do that... #ADHD is one of those conditions that a lot of people think they know about, but they really don't. They "know" one narrow experience of #ADHD and they still assume it's bad parenting or lack of effort or something we grow out of.

Let's crowdsource! What are some ways faculty, your dean, department chair, HR, or whoever else has supposedly granted an accommodation

without actually granting an accommodation?

Supposed accommodation: Yes, you can work remotely!
Reality: We need 2 months notice. I can definitely think of a few from experience and what I often hear.

Supposed accommodation: Yes, you can work remotely!
Reality: You (and only you) need to give a detailed schedule of when you're on campus and you absolutely must adhere to it.

Reducing the need for accommodations should always be a goal of educators. It might prove impossible to completely remove the need for all accommodations, but there is A LOT more most of us can do, and Twitter is an easy place to start. (1/4)

#AcademicTwitter #HigherEd If you're an instructor or staff member in #HigherEd or are significantly involved with students and their education, there are a number of hashtags you can follow to keep track of ways to be accessible, inclusive, and informed (please add more!): (2/4)

A question that I often see is what accommodations should graduate students request? What's been successfully lobbied for?

First thing first, yes, graduate students are entitled to accommodations.

You don't get your bachelor's degree and have your disability removed. (1/) Secondly, I am going to borrow a lot from this post I did specifically on accommodations for #ADHD students, where I have a section on graduate students: theadhdacademic.weebly.com/advice-as-a-le…

(2/)

When we hear someone's rights have been violated, it's natural to want to help. Before you give advice, please refer to this infographic. Image description was too long so it follows.

#DisInHigherEd #AcademicAbleism #DEHEM21 #HigherEdLovesToViolateADA #HigherEd Infographic. At the top is a stop sign and large text that reads, “Before you give advice about denied accommodations…” Then there is a dividing line. Text reads, “Are you recommending suing?” and there are the following sentences, “Unless you are offering to pay for

I wish institutions were required to report statistics on their disability offices and on accommodations requested to HR. I would like to know how many people seek accommodations, how many are turned away, and the demographics. How many meetings does it take the average student with the disability office to actually register?

What percentage of graduate students are originally denied accommodations simply because they are graduate students?

Remember, we're friends, so my advice about disclosing disability to a supervisor or professor, whether it's to talk about your accommodations or not, is to be VERY CAREFUL. Basically, my advice is not to disclose at first. (1/) Let's say it's an advisor. Your advisor can be the most supportive person on the planet. They can be on all the diversity committees, have a diverse lab, they might even be disabled in some way themself, but none of this means that they don't have unconscious bias. (2/)

This thread is about to be a massive disclaimer. I am going to use today to speak as if I were speaking to friends, which means I am going to be completely honest, but it also means some of the advice I am going to give really, really sucks. (1/) No one, not a student, not a professor, not a post-doc, should be forced to advocate for themselves and their accommodations. Is it a useful skill? Absolutely. It should not be a necessity, and it often is. There are a range of experiences to be had in #HigherEd. (2/)

Hi folks, this is @theADHDacademic and I am lucky enough to take over the account for today to talk about accommodations and marginalization in #HigherEd. Not going to lie, I am a little nervous! A very tiny bit about me: I LOVE my anonymity on Twitter. I love being able to say whatever pops into my #ADHD brain and not having to worry about the consequences. I can get as specific as I need to and not worry that my chair, colleagues, co-authors, or students can ID me.

Anonymous Story #21 - I'm Just tired

We will be posting this story as a thread below, but if you'd prefer to read it as a blog, you can do that.
[blog post] disabledinhighered.weebly.com/blog/im-just-t…
(1/X)
#DEHEM21 #DisInHigherEd It's hard to know where to start. I've spent the last decade feeling like I've been walking a tightrope, while people are constantly trying to push me off. If I don't just bear with it & instead push back, it increases. Now that I've long COVID, I think they'll finally succeed 2/

Anonymous Story #20 - Wholly Unfit

We will be posting this story as a thread below, but if you'd prefer to read it as a blog, you can do that.
CW: Mentions of Sexual Assault, medication, and verbal abuse
[blog post] disabledinhighered.weebly.com/blog/wholly-un…
(1/25)
#DEHEM21 #DisInHigherEd I'm a grad student who didn't get diagnosed with my disabilities until fairly recently, and I did so under extreme duress - it was either that and have a legal right to dubious support, or be forced out of my program. 2/

Anonymous Story #19 - Not disabled enough?

We will be posting this story as a thread below, but if you'd prefer to read it as a blog, you can do that.
[blog post] disabledinhighered.weebly.com/blog/pandemic-…
(1/12)
#DisabledInHigherEd #DEHEM21 #DisInHigherEd I'm currently on my second try at finishing undergrad after having to drop out due to my accommodations not being met. Not surprisingly, I might have to drop out again. 2/

Anonymous Story #18 - Incapable of seeing ableism.

We will be posting this story as a thread below, but if you'd prefer to read it as a blog, you can do that.
[blog post] disabledinhighered.weebly.com/blog/incapable…
(1/8)

#DisabledInHigherEd #DEHEM21 #DisInHigherEd I was diagnosed with autism in my undergrad career. It was wonderful to be able to understand myself and my needs and do so in a place where I felt safe. But I was sheltered in undergrad, fortunate enough to have a professor open about being ND. 2/

Anonymous Story #17 - Betrayal

We will be posting this story as a thread below, but if you'd prefer to read it as a blog, you can do that.
[blog post] disabledinhighered.weebly.com/blog/betrayal
(1/5)

#DisabledInHigherEd #DEHEM21 #DisInHigherEd Close to the end of my program, my health was getting much worse with no clarity as to why. I found myself struggling in school, so I visited a faculty counselor to help me try to get through the last chunk of my program and graduate as smoothly and quickly as possible. 2/

Anonymous Story #16 - Waste of Resources

We will be posting this story as a thread below but if you'd prefer to read it as a blog you can do that
[blog post] disabledinhighered.weebly.com/blog/waste-of-…
(1/11)

#DisabledInHigherEd #DEHEM21 #DisInHigherEd ...this is difficult for me to talk about. I'm chronically ill. I recently graduated with my PhD after 8 years in graduate school. I thought the best way to receive accommodations during graduate school would be to talk to the disabled students office–I was wrong. 2/

Anonymous A2: I'm trying to finish my PhD at a UK university t the moment while working full time. I get no support from the university, and was told when I first started they couldn't give me any that would cost the university money because I don't come from

#DEHEMChat
1/

https://twitter.com/DisInHigherEd/status/1452700234178519054

the UK. I have Dyslexia, Dyspraxia and I have Autism (which I was only diagnosed with in the last year). One of my supervisors really tries and does try to put extra effort in, despite being so much busier than my other supervisor (let's call them OS). But OS is so dismissive
2/