Jane Jarrow

I think it goes beyond that, Mariann. Students with psychological disabilities -- or those who are BELIEVED to have psychological disabilities -- are likely to face significant discrimination in our society today, and the higher education setting is no exception. In general, we are afraid of people we perceive as "different" or whose behavior is outside the norm. After incidents like Virginia Tech, such students are often shunned and isolated further by faculty and students alike out of our own fears. I think it is important to keep in mind that the number of students who are dangerous (to themselves… >>>

You are quite right, Jerry. I didn't fool you one bit! It is NOT our job -- or our authority -- to require someone to take medication. Moreover, it is not within our legal purview to deny a student with a disability the appropriate accommodation because we think he/she should be handling their disability differently. The key word in that sentence is "THEIR disability." Whether it is the student with a spinal cord injury whom we think would be more independent in a motorized, rather than manual, wheelchair or the student with ADHD who chooses not to take the medication… >>>

While I don't disagree with the suggestion that students should be made aware of technical requirements up front (so they can self-select as appropriate), I am not sure I can agree with the idea that "we are setting the student up for failure." Why are we setting up a student with a physical disability for failure any more than any other student who comes to the table without a realistic expectation of how their skills match with our requirements? ALL students should have a clear idea of what will be expected of them, and ALL students should have an opportunity… >>>

I think you have it just right, Ursula. It is the instructor's job to help the student in the classroom, not to interfere with their personal decisions regarding management of their disability. AND you are right when you say we would want to reach out to any student we saw struggling, for whatever reason, to offer assistance. It is important, when interacting with students with disabilities, that you make your observations and your recommendations based on their individual experience, and not on the basis of what you have seen in the past with someone else who appeared to be dealing… >>>