3 Accommodations Policy

If you are (or become) disabled (in any capacity, permanently, or temporarily), and need accommodations in class, reading, or any other work in this course, please contact me to discuss your specific needs as soon as possible. Under my favorite civil rights legislation, the Americans with Disabilities Act as amended you are legally entitled to reasonable accommodations for disabilities. In fact, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, and the ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA) of 2008 all prohibit discrimination against individuals with disabilities. I will do everything in my capacity as your professor to ensure that you receive those accommodations.

Students who need reasonable accommodations for disabilities also should contact the Center for Learning, Access, and Student Success (118 Reynolda Hall, 336-758-5929, class.wfu.edu). You can request accommodations through the student portal (olympic.accessiblelearning.com/WFU/) These accommodations are not retroactive. Therefore, I strongly encourage you to use those accommodations. As a member of CLASS’s faculty advising board, I am happy to connect you with CLASS and talk to you more if you have questions. (However, please note that I am a quantitative Psychologist, not a clinical psychologist. My expertise stems from lived experience.)

Do not feel guilty about using them. You rightfully deserve them, in the legal, moral, and ethical sense. These accommodations are there so that you can be your best possible self.

3.1 Self-Advocacy

At Wake Forest and at many other places, the expectation is that you will self-advocate for yourselves and know exactly what you need. Is that a good expectation? Is that a good model? Is that equitable? I have thoughts… regardless, that is the current state of the world. Accordingly, you will have to advocate for what you need. If this process seems daunting, please talk to me! Regardless, I am happy to talk with you about this process and to share my own experiences.

As a student, you may not know what accommodations work best for you. Or you may find that your current accommodations don’t work like they used to.

As you journey thru your career, you may find that you need different kinds of accommodations. Or at least that has been my experience… There are numerous resources for ideas. My personal favorite is JAN. Technically, JAN (Job Accommodation Network) is focused on employment and jobs. However, I still have found this to be a wonderful resource for ideas. You can search for accommodation ideas by specific:

  • disability,
  • limitation,
  • task,
  • topic, or
  • accommodation.